PSYCHIATRIC DISTRESS IN ANTISOCIAL DRUG-ABUSERS - RELATION TO OTHER PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

Antisocial drug abusers with other personality diagnoses have been fou nd to differ from those with the antisocial diagnosis only on a measur e of normal personality dimensions, the former group reporting greater proneness to emotional distress and instability. The present study ex amined the relationship between personality comorbidity among antisoci al drug abusers and a standardized measure of current psychiatric dist ress level. Patients included 167 opioid drug abusers admitted to a co mmunity outpatient drug abuse treatment program. The results indicated that the presence of additional personality diagnoses among antisocia l drug abusers was associated with high levels of distress compared wi th those with the antisocial diagnosis only and with those with no per sonality diagnosis.