Multi-trait Profiles And Their Relation To Substance Use Problems And Cluster B Personality Disorder Features

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and Cluster B personality disorders (PDs) may have shared risk through profiles of personality and motivational traits. The present study sought to replicate in a national sample of adults past research which found multi-trait profiles that were associated with disinhibitory disorders in a college sample. Another aim was to test whether gender differences in the prevalence of disinhibitory disorders are attributable to underlying differences in personality-based risk. Cluster analysis was used to identify multi-trait profiles from impulsivity, constraint, negative emotionality, behavioral activation system (BAS), and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) scale scores. Analyses yielded similar multi-trait profiles to those found in past research, including a "disinhibited" profile with high impulsivity, high BAS, and low constraint, as well as a " high affectivity/impulsive" profile with high negative emotionality, impulsivity, BAS, and BIS. These profiles were associated with elevated drug problems and Cluster B PD features. Results support the validity these trait profiles and their association with disinhibitory psychopathology. Gender was associated with some, but not all, disinhibitory disorders while controlling for cluster membership, suggesting that multi-trait personality clusters may represent a more proximal risk factor than gender for certain disinhibitory disorders.