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Summary: The objectives of this work were: (1) establish the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use, as well as unprotected sexual relations and repetition of courses in adolescents based on sex; (2) determine the dimensions of the intrusion (I), sensory search (BS), impulsivity (Im) and anxiety sensitivity (SA) according to sex; (3) relate possible personality profiles to such behaviour. The sample was composed of 1.324 adolescents (14-18 years old). Based on the assessed personality dimensions, 4 groups of adolescents were established. The group of adolescents with high scores in all personality dimensions has the highest rates of experimentation with consumption. In contrast, adolescents with low levels of I, BS and Im had the lowest rates. Preventive interventions should take into account the identified personality dimensions in order to be implemented more effectively. ; Resumen: Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron: 1) establecer la prevalencia del consumo de alcohol, de tabaco y de cannabis, así como de las relaciones sexuales sin protección y la repetición de curso en adolescentes en función del sexo; 2) determinar las dimensiones de personalidad introversión (I), búsqueda de sensaciones (BS), impulsividad (Im) y sensibilidad a la ansiedad (SA) en función del sexo; 3) relacionar posibles perfiles de personalidad con dichas conductas. La muestra se compuso de 1.324 adolescentes (14-18 años). A partir de las dimensiones de personalidad valoradas se establecieron 4 grupos de adolescentes. El grupo de adolescentes con puntuaciones altas en todas las dimensiones de personalidad es el que presentó mayores tasas de experimentación con el consumo. Por el contrario, el de los adolescentes con bajos niveles de I, BS e Im fue el que menores tasas presentó. Las intervenciones preventivas deberían tener en cuenta las dimensiones de personalidad señaladas para poder aplicarse con una mayor efectividad.

This study investigated the characteristics associated with treatment dropout in cocaine-dependent patients. A sample of 102 cocaine-addicted patients (89 male and 13 female) was assessed at entry to a therapeutic programme in order to collect information on socio-demographic, psychopathological (assessed by SCL-90-R), personality (assessed by MCMI-II), legal and consumption variables (assessed by EuropAsi). The rate of patients who dropped out of the intervention programme was 30.4% (N=31) of the sample. Dropouts and completers were compared on all studied variables. According to the results obtained, dropouts showed a significantly higher score on the EuropAsi variables related to alcohol consumption, family problems and need for psychological treatment, as well as on the histrionic and antisocial scales of the MCMI-II. Moreover, all patients with histrionic personality disorder dropped out of the treatment. On the other hand, completers showed a significantly higher score on the compulsive scale of the MCMI-II. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented upon. ; This study was supported by a grant (code 2/2006) from the Health Department of the Navarre Government (Spain).

En este estudio se lleva a cabo un análisis de la prevalencia del juego patológico en 112 pacientes adictos (81 alcohólicos y 31 dependientes de la cocaína) que acuden en busca de tratamiento. Para ello, se utilizaron los criterios diagnósticos del DSM-IV-TR para el juego patológico y la versión española del Cuestionario de Juego Patológico de South Oaks (SOGS). Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que el 22,3% de los pacientes drogodependientes estudiados presentaba un diagnóstico comórbido de ludopatía. Además, un 11,6% adicional obtenía una puntuación en el SOGS indicadora de juego problemático. En suma, el 33,9% de la muestra presentaba síntomas de juego clínicamente significativos. La comparación entre los pacientes adictos con y sin ludopatía asociada mostró diferencias significativas en las variables relacionadas con el consumo de alcohol (evaluado mediante el EuropASI), los síntomas psicopatológicos (evaluados mediante el SCL-90-R) y algunas variables de personalidad (evaluadas mediante el MCMI-II). En todos los casos, las puntuaciones eran significativamente más altas en los pacientes ludópatas que en los que no tenían un problema de ludopatía asociado. Se comentan las implicaciones de este estudio para la práctica clínica y la investigación futura. ; In the current paper, the prevalence of pathological gambling in 112 treatment-seeking patients with substance addiction (81 alcoholics and 31 cocaine dependents) was estimated. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling and the Spanish version of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) were used. The results showed that 22.3% of substance-addicted patients had a comorbid diagnosis of pathological gambling. Furthermore, an additional 11.6% of the sample had relevant symptoms for problem gambling. In sum, 33.9% of the sample reported clinically significant gambling-related symptoms. From a socio-demographic point of view, all substance-addicted patients with gambling-related symptoms were men. A comparison between substance-addicted patients with and without pathological gambling showed significant differences in alcohol severity (assessed by the EurapASI), psychopathological symptoms (assessed by the SCL-90-R) and personality variables (assessed by the MCMI-II). In all cases, scores were significantly higher in gamblers than in non-gamblers. Finally, the implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented upon. ; This study was supported by grant (code 2/2006) from the Health Department of Navarre Government (Spain).

Background and objectives: The objectives of this study were, first, to explore the prevalence of aggressors with lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV) among patients in the Proyecto Hombre of Navarra (Spain) addiction treatment programme; and second, to know the specific and differential characteristics of patients presenting IPV as aggressors. Methods: A sample of 162 patients (119 men and 43 women) was assessed. Data on socio-demographic and substance consumption characteristics, IPV variables, psychopathological symptoms, and personality variables were obtained. The profiles of patients in addiction treatment with and without a history of violence towards their partners were compared. Results: The results showed that 33.6% of people in treatment for addiction had committed violence against their partners. This prevalence was significantly higher (X2 = 15.6, p < .001) in women (63.3%) than in men (24.2%). In the 98.4% of the cases the IPV was bidirectional. Patients with a history of IPV perpetration showed greater severity in substance consumption variables, psychopathological symptoms, and personality traits. Gender, the family scale on the European version of the Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), and the aggressive-sadistic scale on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) were the main variables related to the presence of IPV as aggressors. Discussion and conclusions: There was a differential profile in patients with IPV perpetration, showing more psychopathological and personality symptoms. Moreover, in this study being a woman was one of the main predictors of committing IPV. ; This study was supported by a grant (code PSI2009-08500) from the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación" of the Spanish Government.

This study explored the prevalence of a history as victims of abuse among patients who sought outpatient treatment for drug addiction. A sample of 252 addicted patients was assessed. Information was collected on the patients' lifetime history of abuse (psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse), socio-demographic factors, consumption factors, psychopathological factors and personality variables. Drug-addicted patients who present a lifelong history of abuse were compared with patients who were not abused. Of the total sample, 46% of the patients (n = 115) who were addicted to drugs had been victims of abuse. There was a statistically significant difference between the victimisation rates of men (37.8%) and women (79.6%). Moreover, for some variables, significant differences were observed between patients who had been abused and those who had not. Compared with patients who had not been abused, the addicted patients with a history of victimisation scored significantly higher on several EuropASI, MCMI-II and maladjustment variables but not on the SCL-90-R. The current results indicate that patients who present a lifelong history of abuse exhibit both a more severe addiction than patients who were not abused and several comorbidities. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed. ; This study was supported by a grant (code PSI2009-08500) from the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación" of the Spanish Government.

This study explored the prevalence of violent behaviours in patients who are addicted to drugs. A sample of 252 addicted patients (203 male and 49 female) who sought outpatient treatment was assessed. Information on violent behaviours, socio-demographic factors, consumption factors (assessed by the EuropAsi), psychopathological factors (assessed by SCL-90-R) and personality variables (assessed by MCMI-II) was collected. Drug-addicted patients who were associated with violent behaviours were compared on all variables to patients who were not associated with violent behaviours. The rate of drug-addicted patients with violent behaviours in this sample was 39.68% (n=100). There were significant differences between the numbers of patients who did and did not demonstrate violence on some variables. Patients with violence problems were younger than those without violence problems and were more likely to report having been a victim of abuse. Moreover, they were significantly more likely to have experienced an overdose and showed a significantly higher score on several EuropAsi, SCL-90-R and MCMI-II variables. According to these results, patients with violence control problems present with both a more severe addiction and several comorbid problems. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed. ; This study was supported by a grant (code PSI2009 -08500) from the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación" of the Spain Government.

This study explored the characteristics associated with treatment dropout in substance dependence patients. A sample of 122 addicted patients (84 treatment completers and 38 treatment dropouts) who sought outpatient treatment was assessed to collect information on socio-demographic, consumption (assessed by EuropAsi), psychopathological (assessed by SCL-90-R) and personality variables (assessed by MCMI-II). Completers and dropouts were compared on all studied variables. According to the results, dropouts scored significantly higher on the EuropAsi variables measuring employment/support, alcohol consumption and family/social problems, as well as on the schizotypal scale of MCMI-II. Because most of significant differences were found in EuropAsi variables, three clusters analyses (2, 3 and 4 groups) based on EuropAsi mean scores were carried out to determine clinically relevant information predicting dropout. The most relevant results were obtained when four groups were used. Comparisons between the four groups derived from cluster analysis showed statistically significant differences in the rate of dropout, with one group exhibiting the highest dropout rate. The distinctive characteristics of the group with highest dropout rate included the presence of an increased labour problem combined with high alcohol consumption. Furthermore, this group had the highest scores on three scales of the MCMI-II: phobic, dependent and schizotypal. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed. ; This study was supported by a grant (code 2/2006) from the Health Department of the Navarre Government (Spain).

Objective: This article evaluates the treatment effectiveness of an integrated intervention compared to addiction treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing intimate partner violence perpetration (IPV-P) among patients in a drug-addiction intervention programme. Method: A parallel, randomized, controlled trial was carried out with repeated measures of assessment (pre-treatment, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up). A sample of 227 consecutive patients was assessed, and 70 patients with IPV-P were selected to participate in the study and then divided into two groups: treatment (n = 34) and control (n = 36). The treatment group participated in an integrated intervention programme for addiction and IPV-P, and the control group received the TAU without intervention for IPV-P. Treatment success was defined as the complete absence of IPV-P episodes, both physical and psychological. Results: At the follow-up, the patients in the treatment group showed an IPV-P success rate (60.7%) that was significantly higher (X2 = 3.85; p < .05) than that of the patients in the control group (31.6%). Moreover, both groups achieved statistically significant improvements in associated variables. Conclusions: The presence of IPV-P should be assessed in drug addiction treatment programmes. The combined treatment for addiction and IPV-P seems to be effective. ; This project was supported by a grant (code PSI2009-08500) from the "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación" of the Spanish Government.

The aim of this study was to develop a new assessment tool to predict intimate partner femicide and severe violence. The sample for this study consisted of 1,081 men who were reported to the police station (Basque Country, Spain), because of having committed intimate partner violence. First, the most significant differences between the severe violence group (n=269) and the less severe violence group (n=812) in sociodemographic variables were determined. Results showed that both the perpetrators and the victims of the severe violence group had a higher rate of immigration. Second, the proposed 20-item scale derived from a larger 58-item scale, where only the most discriminative items between severe and non-severe intimate partner violence were taken into account. Psychometric properties of reliability and validity were rather good. Cut-off scores have been proposed according to sensitivity and specificity. This structured professional judgment (an easy-to-use tool) appears to be suitable to the requirements of criminal justice professionals and is intended for use as the basis of safety planning. Implications of these results for further research are commented upon. ; This study was developed through an agreement between the Basque Institute of Criminology (University of the Basque Country) and the Home Council of the Basque Government, within the framework of an investigation funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Code SEJ2005-09170-C04-02/PSIC).

This article presents a study of a number of socio‐demographic factors that predict treatment dropout from a residential substance use disorder programme in Spain (Proyecto Hombre Therapeutic Community). A sample of 430 patients (173 who completed treatment and 257 who dropped out of treatment) was assessed at entry to the therapeutic community programme in order to collect information on socio‐demographic characteristics of the participants. According to the results obtained, factors that predicted treatment dropout included younger age, male gender and previous treatment history in the Proyecto Hombre therapeutic community. Patients with these characteristics were at significantly greater risk of dropping out of treatment. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented upon.