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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2017, 19, N6 (pages: 65 - 72)

Relationship between Impulsivity and Antisocial Personality Disorder, Severity of Psychopathology and Novelty Seeking in a Sample of Inpatients with Heroin Use Disorder

Umut G., Evren C., Alniak I., Karabulut V., Cetin T., Agachanli R., and Evren B.

Summary: Introduction: Although the strong association between antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and impulsivity is well known, the question of which impulsivity dimensions are most closely associated with ASPD has not been answered. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between impulsivity and dimensions of impulsivity with ASPD, while testing the effects of psychopathology and novelty seeking in a sample of inpatients with heroin use disorder (HUD). Method: Participants included 232 inpatients with HUD. Participants were evaluated with the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), the Short Form of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11-SF), novelty-seeking subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and with the relevant section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R-Personality Disorders (SCID-II) for antisocial personality disorder. Results: Severity of psychopathology, novelty seeking and impulsivity were higher among those with ASPD. Presence of ASPD predicted motor and attentional impulsivity, together with the severity of novelty seeking and psychopathology, but not non-planning impulsivity – a factor that was, instead, predicted by the severity of novelty seeking and psychopathology. Conclusion: These findings suggest that impulsivity (particularly its motor and attentional dimensions) is related to the presence of ASPD, together with the severity of psychopathology and novelty seeking among patients with HUD. Measurement and detection of these factors may contribute to directing patients with HUD to the most appropriate psychotherapy option available as an addition to the medication.