Personality Traits and Craving as Predictors of Relapse in Alcohol-Dependent Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) is a chronic, relapsing disorder with a high rate of relapse despite adequate treatment. Psychological factors, such as personality traits and craving intensity, are increasingly recognized as important contributors to relapse vulnerability. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits and alcohol craving among individuals with ADS who had recently relapsed into drinking.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months among 100 male patients with AADS at a tertiary care hospital in Rajasthan, India. All participants had relapsed within the preceding few weeks following a period of abstinence. Sociodemographic and clinical details were collected using a semi-structured pro forma. Personality traits were assessed using the International Personality Item Pool-NEO (IPIP-NEO-60), and alcohol craving was measured using the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS). Data were analysed using SPSS, with p <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean duration of abstinence prior to relapse was 2.4 months. The mean PACS score was 22.4, indicating a high craving severity. Personality assessment revealed elevated neuroticism and reduced conscientiousness scores, whereas extraversion, agreeableness, and openness were in the moderate range. Higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness were significantly associated with greater cravings.
Conclusion: Higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of conscientiousness were significantly associated with increased craving among recently relapsed individuals with ADS. These findings suggest that specific personality traits may contribute to relapse vulnerability. Incorporating personality assessment into routine clinical practice may aid in the development of individualized relapse-prevention strategies.