Personality profiles and how they relate to drug consumption among young people in Spain

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this work was to find out whether specific Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) profiles exist which may constitute a risk factor for the consumption of legal and illegal substances (alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive drugs, cannabis, cocaine and hallucinogens) by young Spaniards. Methodology: An ad hoc prospective ex post facto design questionnaire was prepared covering socio-demographic data, consumption behavior and the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP, Jenkins Activity Survey Form H, JASE-H). The sample comprised 3816 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 from the province of Cordoba (Spain). Results: Hierarchical clustering was used to obtain 3 groups; one characterized by low scores (the TBBP group), one characterized by medium scores and the third characterized by hostility-competitiveness (the HC group). Logistic regression showed that membership of the HC group was a risk factor for the consumption of psychoactive drugs and illegal substances, while membership of the TBBP group was a protective factor for the consumption of legal substances. Conclusions: Specific personality profiles were identified which constitute either a risk factor or a protective factor for substance abuse. These results will prove useful to drug consumption prevention and treatment programs focused on the above-mentioned personality profiles.