ABSTRACT:
Background: The problem of drug misuse is an expanding one in developing country. Personality factors play a role in development of drug dependence as well as genetic and learning factors.
OBJECTIVES (AIMS): This study aims at finding out the prevalence of personality disorders among drug dependence.
METHODS: This is cross-sectional study that enrolled one hundred patients with the drug dependence problem among those who were attending the outpatients and inpatients department in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital – Psychiatric Unit during the period from 1st, 8, 2012 – 1st, 10, 2013, were interviewed for presence of drug dependence and personality disorders using a semi-structured interview schedule based on DSM-IV-TR criteria of drug dependence and personality disorder.
RESULTS: This study revealed that the prevalence of personality disorders, in general, amongst drug dependents was (59%) and that anti-social personality disorder was the most prevalent type (71.18%). This study also revealed that there is no significance difference regarding sex between those with and without personality disorders.
CONCLUSION: This study proved that the prevalence of personality disorders in drug dependence is higher than in in the general population, the majority of dependence with personality disorder were separated or divorced, unemployed and of a lower educational level. The results were compared with published studies in different parts of the world due to exposing them to three wars, economic embargo and the present states off terrorism so it became a problem that needs care and attention of the specialist and the cooperation of different governmental establishments and civil society organizations.
-key word: personality disorder, drug dependency