Emotional Regulation, Impulsivity And Personality Profile Among An Egyptian Sample Of Patients With Substance Use Disorder

Abstract

SUMMARY S ubstance use disorder represents a serious national problem in Egypt. Because the ongoing debate as to the exact distinctions between substance abuse and substance dependence, DSM 5 combines the DSM-IV categories of substance abuse and substance dependence into a single disorder measured on a continuum from mild to severe. Vulnerability to addiction differs from person to person. The overall risk for addiction is impacted by the biological makeup of the individual; it can even be influenced by gender or ethnicity, his or her developmental stage, and the surrounding social environment. Personality disorder diagnosis is not only co morbidity with substance use disorder, but also an important risk factor which play a major role in psychopathology of substance use disorder and contributes to the severity of the disorder. Impulsivity is the core deficit in substance use disorders and both emotion dys-regulation and heightened impulsivity have independently been considered risk factors for substance use disorders A multimodal approach to treatment is typically required for substance use disorder patient, which includes conducting a complete assessment, treating intoxication and withdrawal syndromes when necessary, Addressing co-occurring psychiatric and general medical conditions, and developing and implementing an overall treatment plan. Psychosocial treatments are essential components of a comprehensive treatment program e.g. (CBT and Motivational interviewing). Based on that, this study was conducted aiming to study emotional regulation, impulsivity and personality profile among an Egyptian sample of patients with substance use disorder. One hundred (100) patients were included in this study and compared with 100 healthy control matched for age and sex healthy controls. Their age ranges between 19 to 42 years. The study took place from January 2014 till September 2015 All subjects of the study were assessed by using: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID I)) to diagnose substance use disorder and to exclude other Axis I diagnosis according to DSM VI classification; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID II) for axis II diagnosis, The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), The Barratt’s impulsivity scale to assess impulsivity, Trait meta mood scale (TMMS) to assess emotional regulation, Addiction Severity Index to assess the severity of addiction in cases (ASI). Social Classification Scale (SCS). In our study case and control groups were matched regarding age, social class, marital state and education. Where the t test was applied to the age variable and the chi-square was applied to the other socio-demographic data showing no statistical significant difference. Social classes of case group are high 49%, moderate 12%, low 26% and very low 13%, and control group is high 51%, moderate 15%, low 14% and very low 20%. There was no significant difference between both groups as regard the social class.