Inflexibilidad psicológica y perfil psicopatológico en adictos a sustancias: Diferencias de sexo

Psychological inflexibility and psychopathological profile in substance addicts: Sex differences

Abstract

Psychological inflexibility is considered a risk factor in the development and maintenance of psychopathological disorders, including addictive disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the psychological inflexibility, psychopathological profile, and the relationship between them in 90 substance addicts (66 men, age range: 18-59 years, M_age = 33.83, SD_age = 11.22; 24 women, age range: 20-59 years, M_age = 38.79, SD_age = 12.84), who demanded assistance in an outpatient treatment center, being selected by order of application. Participants were assessed using DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorders, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) to evaluate their psychopathological profile, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) to assess psychological inflexibility. A structured interview was also applied to collect sociodemographic data and those related to their previous history of substance use. Sex differences were found in the sociodemographic profile and previous history of consumption. Participants showed high levels of psychological inflexibility (varying depending on the drug) and psychopathological comorbidity, with women showing higher levels of inflexibility and greater severity and diversity of psychopathological symptoms. Higher levels of inflexibility were found in those patients who presented greater severity of psychopathological symptoms, especially among women, and were associated with a pattern of daily consumption. Interventions for addictive disorders with comorbidity could adopt a more personalized approach including factors that may help explain individual vulnerability, among others, psychological inflexibility, sex, and the substance that motivates the demand for assistance.