DRUGS USE HABITS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS USERS: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS - SECTIONAL STUDY

Background and objectives: Several studies in the world showed that distinctive personality traits linked to an increased risk of substance abuse than the general population. In addition, personality also played an important role in treatment outcome in patients with substance use disorders. Objectives: 1. To describe drugs use habits of synthetic drugs users. 2. To investigate personality traits by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 in the participants. Subjects and methods: This is a descriptive cross - sectional study on 40 inpatients with using synthetic drugs at the Department of Mental Health, Hue Central Hospital and Psychiatric Hospital. Using a designed questionnaire to assess synthetic drug use habits in the participants. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 (MMPI -2) was used to investigate personality in the subjects. Using ICD – 10 diagnostic criteria to identify mental and behavioral disorders due to drug use. Results: The meanage of first drug use in the participants was 26.6 ± 5.9 years old. 85% of patients used multiple drugs, 82.5% of patients used drugs from 2 to 5 times per a week and 82.5% of patients used drugs at different locations. There were 37.5% of patients with harmful or dependent alcohol use, and 30 patients, accounting for 75%, were smokers.The personality traits in the participants were paranoia personality trait (42.5%), schizophrenic personality trait (37.5%), hypochondriasis personality trait (32.5%), psychasthenia personality trait (27.5%), deviant personality (25%), hypomanic personality (20%), hysterical personality 15%, depressive personality trait (2.5%). There were no cases of gender deviation and social introvert personality. Most of the patients had 2 or more personality disorder traits (72.5%).There were 3 patients accounting for 7.5% without any personality disorder traits. Conclusion: synthetic drug users often used multiple drugs, several times per a week and in different locations. schizophrenic and paranoia personality traits account for the highest rate in the participants. Majority of patients had combination of personality traits Key words: MMPI, personality traits, synthetic drug users, drug use habits