Substance-use disorders, personality traits, and sex differences in institutionalized adolescents.

BACKGROUND

Substance-use disorder (SUD) was found to be an aggravating factor to delinquency and is closely related to personality disorders (PDs).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in the relationship between PD traits and SUD in adolescents institutionalized in child welfare and juvenile justice institutions.

METHODS

PD traits were measured dimensionally in a sample of 282 boys (69 with an SUD diagnosis) and 143 girls (45 with an SUD diagnosis) from child welfare and juvenile-justice institutions.

RESULTS

Logistic regressions showed that antisocial, borderline, and paranoid personality traits were positively associated with SUD, while obsessive compulsive personality traits were negatively related with SUD. Additionally, in institutionalized girls, self-defeating personality traits were associated with less risk of SUD.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a relative evidence for sex specificities in the relation between PD traits and SUD.