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Show posters on the hill Adolescent Substance Abuse: Can Personality Predict the Craving Experience? Teisha Shiozaki and Associate Professor Paul Florsheim, Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology Participant Characteristics have used specific subsl Hypotheses her hypothesis was that sensation seeking HOtild pred pleasure-seeking cravings * Participants with high Sensation-Seeking scores were more likely to repor cravings associated with pleasure-seeking and avoidance of negative emotio * Sensation Seekers were also more likely to report positive expectations of drug use * Participants with high Anxious-INeuroticism scores were more likely to report cravings associated with avoiding nega Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire was used to measure Impulsive Sensation Seeking and Neuroticism-Anxiety Craving Experience Assessment Device was used to measure the following aspects of the craving experience: (1) Intensity of desire for drug, 2) If the participant associates drug use with the avoidance of negative emotions, 3) If the participant associates drug use with pleasurable experiences, and 4) If the participant regards drug use as a positive expci Participants Data was collected from 104 adolescents in substance abuse lira I me programs: (Male = 67, Female = 37) Ages ranged from 14-18: (Mean - 16.4, Standard Deviation - 1.13) Number of days abstinent: (Mean = 126, Standard Deviation = 109) Demographics Questionnaire Used to gather information regarding sociocconomie status, age, gender, and ethnicitv Substance abuse among adolescents is a serious problem associated with several negative developmental out-comes, including criminal behavior, academic and vocational failure, and severe relationship problems (Moffit, Caspi, Harrington, & Mine, 2002). While there is some evidence that several treatments are effective in reducing the negative impact of substance abuse, at least in the short run, there is also evidence that relapse among adolescent treatment completers is common (ranging from 50-70 percent). The rate of relapse following substance abuse treatment may be partly related to the fact that many treatment programs take a "onesize fits-all" approach, overlooking individual differ-ences among adolescent substance users. Understanding the diverse experiences of substance abusing adolescents is an important step toward developing a more individualized approach to treatment (Ruden & Byalick, 1997). This study was designed to examine the relationship between personality traits and the experiences of craving for drugs among adolescents in treatment for substance abuse. The hypotheses guiding this study were that (a) adoles-cents who were more impulsive and sensation seeking would report more cravings for drugs associated with pleasure seeking motivations and (b) adolescents who were more anxious/neurotic would report more cravings associated with the avoidance of emotional distress and anxiety. Results indicated that adolescents who had high sensation seeking and anxious neuroticism scores on the personality measure reported strong drug cravings associated with the wish to avoid emotional distress. This suggests some common ground in the craving experiences of adolescents with differ-ent personality profiles. However, results also indicated that adolescents who were more impulsive/sensation seeking were more likely to report cravings associated with pleasure seeking. This suggests there may be some important individual differences in how (and perhaps why) adolescents use drugs. Furthermore, these findings suggest that it may make sense to tailor treatment models to address these personality based differences. In the next phase of our research on individual difference in substance use, we plan to examine personality based differences in how adoles-cents cope with and manage their drug cravings. For more information about this study and future studies on adolescent substance abuse, contact Paul Florsheim, Ph.D. Department of Psychology University of Utah 380 South 1530 East. Room 502 Salt Lake City, UT 84112 {84} |