Temperament and character traits associated with the use of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and hallucinogens: evidence from a large Brazilian web survey

Objectives: To evaluate how personality traits are associated with occasional use, abuse, and dependence of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and hallucinogens in a large availability sample of adults via online questionnaires. Methods: The sample consisted of 8,646 individuals (24.7% men and 75.3% women) who completed an anonymous web survey. Involvement with drugs and temperament/character traits were assessed through the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the Temperament and Character Inventory - Revised (TCI-R), respectively. Interactions among variables were analyzed using MANOVA with Bonferroni adjustment. Results: Novelty seeking was the trait most associated with increased involvement with alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. There was a significant association between harm avoidance and benzodiazepine use. Persistence was lower in cannabis-, benzodiazepine-, and cocaine-dependent subjects, as well as in hallucinogen abusers. Self-directedness was reduced in dependents of all drug classes. No strong relationships were found between other temperament or character dimensions and the severity of drug use. Conclusions: Novelty seeking was associated with increased involvement with all drugs studied in this sample, although to a lesser extent with benzodiazepines and hallucinogens. The temperament and character profile for benzodiazepine use was different from that of other drugs due to the relationship with higher harm avoidance and self-transcendence and lower self-directedness. .

Comorbid psychiatric disorders and stages of change in cannabis-dependent, treatment-seeking patients

Objectives: To determine whether and to what extent cannabis dependence is associated with comorbid psychiatric disorders and specific stages of change in treatment-seeking patients. Methods: We evaluated 80 cannabis-dependent, treatment-seeking patients residing in an urban area. Data on cannabis dependence, psychiatric disorders, and motivation were obtained using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA). Results: A diagnosis of schizophrenia was found to correlate with lower motivation scores (p = 0.038), which could have a negative effect on adherence to treatment. Conclusion: The high prevalence of concurrent psychiatric disorders in cannabis-dependent patients should serve as a stimulus for early screening and treatment of such disorders. Health care professionals should be aware of the magnitude of this association to increase the level of motivation in cannabis-dependent patients with severe concurrent psychiatric disorders. .

Nonprescribed use of tranquilizers and use of other drugs among Brazilian students

Objectives: To describe patterns of nonprescribed use of tranquilizers by students aged 10 to 18 years and assess the sociodemographic characteristics of these adolescents and their use of other substances. Methods: A randomized and stratified sample of 47,979 students from state and private schools of the 27 Brazilian state capitals completed a self-report questionnaire. Poisson regression was used to estimate the associations between tranquilizer use and sociodemographic factors, as well as the use of other psychotropic substances. Results: The lifetime prevalence of nonprescribed use of tranquilizers was 3.9%. Use was most common among girls, wealthier adolescents, and those from private schools. An association was found between use of tranquilizers and lifetime use of alcohol (prevalence ratio [PR] = 3.15; 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] 2.58-3.85), tobacco (PR = 2.61; 95%CI 2.31-2.95), illicit drugs (PR = 3.70; 95%CI 3.19-4.29), and other prescription drugs (PR = 7.03; 95%CI 6.18-7.99). As the number of substances adolescents reported having used increased, so did the nonprescribed use of tranquilizers. Conclusions: Nonprescribed use of tranquilizers by adolescents might indicate the use of other substances, including high-risk combinations such as tranquilizers and alcohol. The risks of this association should be addressed during the early stages of drug prevention programs. .

Comparação do uso de drogas entre universitários brasileiros, norte-americanos e jovens da população geral brasileira / Comparison of drug use between Brazilian and American college students and young Brazilian general population

OBJETIVO: Comparar o uso de drogas entre os universitários e a população geral brasileira, assim como com os universitários norte-americanos, identificando possíveis diferenças de uso pela interferência da cultura. MÉTODOS: Para comparar o uso de drogas na vida entre as populações de interesse, foram utilizados os dados públicos de levantamentos estatísticos brasileiros realizados com universitários e a população geral, assim como levantamento estatístico norte-americano, por meio da comparação de intervalos de confiança (IC 95%). RESULTADOS: O uso de drogas na vida é mais frequente entre os estudantes norte-americanos, que relatam usar mais tabaco, tranquilizantes, maconha, ecstasy, alucinógenos, cocaína, crack e heroína que os universitários brasileiros. Em contrapartida, os universitários brasileiros relatam usar quase duas vezes mais inalantes do que os universitários norte-americanos. Esse padrão se repete ao se analisarem as diferenças intragênero. A isso se soma que os universitários brasileiros parecem envolver-se com mais frequência no uso de bebidas alcoólicas, maconha, tranquilizantes, inalantes, alucinógenos e anfetamínicos que seus pares da população geral brasileira. CONCLUSÕES: Conhecer as particularidades do uso de drogas entre os universitários é de suma importância para a detecção precoce desse consumo. Investimentos nesse segmento e diferenças de sexo devem ser contempladas nas políticas preventivas, assim como na elaboração de estratégias para a redução e o controle desse consumo, como programas de triagem e intervenção breve, uma vez que possuem a melhor relação custo-benefício.

OBJECTIVE: To compare drug use between college students and the general Brazilian population, as well as with American college students' drug use, identifying possible usage differences related to cultural interference. METHODS: To compare lifetime drug use between target populations, public data collected from statistical surveys conducted with Brazilian college students and the general population were used, as well as surveys conducted with American college students. The surveys' confidence intervals (95% CI) were subjects of comparison. RESULTS: Drug use is more frequent among American college students, who use more tobacco, tranquilizers, marijuana, ecstasy, hallucinogens, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin than Brazilian college students. In contrast, Brazilian college students use nearly the double of inhalants than American college students. This pattern of use is repeated in the analysis of intra-gender differences. Add to this that Brazilian college students seem to engage more frequently in drinking alcoholic beverages and using marijuana, tranquilizers, inhalants, hallucinogens and amphetamines than their peers in the general Brazilian population. CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the particularities of drug use among college students is of paramount importance for the early detection of consumption. Investments in this segment and gender differences should be considered in preventive policies, as well as developing strategies of consumption reduction and control, such as screening programs and brief intervention, due to better cost-effectiveness.

Gender parity and drug use: are girls catching up with boys? / A paridade de gêneros e o uso de drogas: as meninas estão alcançando os meninos?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between gender and use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in adolescents aged 10 to 18 years in the municipalities of Jacareí and Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: A total of 971 adolescents completed the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI). RESULTS: In our sample, 55 percent of adolescents were male, 33.8 percent reported having made use in the previous month of alcohol, 13.5 percent of cigarettes, and 6.4 percent of illicit drugs. There was no significant difference between genders in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs in any of the analysis (p > 0.05). The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs was associated with the city, age, educational level, school failure, and relationship with parents (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse among adolescents in our sample seems to follow the recent global trend towards the equalization of drug use between genders. This result should be taken into account by public health professionals in developing policies for this problem.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as associações entre gênero e uso de álcool, tabaco e outras drogas em adolescentes de 10 a 18 anos dos municípios de Jacareí e Diadema (São Paulo, Brasil). MÉTODOS: O Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI) foi respondido por 971 adolescentes. RESULTADOS: Na nossa amostra, 55 por cento eram do sexo masculino, 33,8 por cento relataram ter feito uso de bebidas alcoólicas no último mês, 13,5 por cento de cigarro e 6,4 por cento de drogas ilícitas. Não foi encontrada diferença significativa quanto ao uso de álcool, tabaco e drogas ilícitas entre os gêneros em nenhuma das análises (p > 0,05). O uso de álcool, tabaco e drogas ilícitas foi associado a cidade, idade, grau de escolaridade, repetência escolar, e relacionamento com os pais (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES: O consumo entre os adolescentes nesta amostra parece acompanhar recente tendência mundial quanto à equiparação do uso de drogas entre os gêneros. Este resultado deve ser levado em conta pelos profissionais de saúde pública na elaboração de políticas para o problema.