The relationship between personality disorders and substance abuse disorders

Abstract

Introduction

A frequently observed fact in clinical practice is the relationship between Substance Abuse Disorders and Personality Disorders (PD). Epidemiological investigations have found that diagnoses of PD seem to increase vulnerability to other pathologies, including substance abuse and addiction, and it is possible to speak of comorbidity or dual pathology.

Objective

To describe the comorbidity between PD and substance abuse disorders.

Methods

Systematic review of the literature on the subject. The databases consulted were Dialnet, Pubmed and Cochrane.

Results

The various studies allow estimating that between 65% and 90% of subjects treated for substance abuse or dependence have at least one concomitant PT. Studies show a higher prevalence of Cluster C for alcohol consumption and Histrionic, Narcissistic, Boundary and Antisocial Disorders (Cluster B) for illegal drugs, mainly cocaine. Cluster B is the one that the literature has most related to substance use. It is also the group in which there is a greater predominance of impulsivity, which would be worth remembering its role as a vulnerability factor for addictions.

Conclusions

What the research has shown is that a good deal of the problems that accompany substance use come from dysfunctional patterns of behavior that are maintained over time with high stability and can justify, in part, both the persistence of The addictive behavior as the difficulty of handling the patients who present them. At present, although the high comorbidity between TP and substance use is sufficiently documented, many questions still remain to be solved.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.