Stress & personality as risk factors
- Chronic stress may increase the likelihood of someone becoming addicted to substances and behaviours that give temporary relief as a way of coping with the stress
- If a person has good social support, then this can reduce the likelihood of stress resulting in addiction
- Conversely, the stress associated with poverty and overcrowded living conditions can increase the likelihood of a person turning to addictive substances
- There is a correlation between poor and overcrowded urban areas and high levels of people with addictions
- However, this does not mean that overcrowding and poverty cause addiction, as people with addictions may move to live in these areas because housing costs are cheaper and there is greater availability of addictive substances
- There is also the possibility that addiction increases stress due to the social problems and poverty it can cause, leading to yet more substance abuse in an effort to cope
- Personality traits may be a risk factor for addiction e.g. people with a Pathological personality may be vulnerable to addiction because the addictive substance or behaviour offers them relief from their negativity
- People with a pathological personality may be more stressed and find life difficult, and so the temporary high gained from gambling or drinking alcohol, for example, would increase their likelihood of doing it
- Some psychologists have proposed an addictive personality as a risk factor, with high neuroticism levels predisposing to addictions (Eysenck, 1997)
- High levels of psychoticism have also been linked to addiction, as the pleasurable feelings associated with substance dependence helpe reduce feelings of aggression and emotional detachment (Eysenck, 1997)
- Cloninger (1987) suggested a tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour, saying that people who were inclined to be addicted had imbalances in three temperament dimensions
- Harm avoidance - the amount that a person worries and sees the negative elements of a situation, make them cautious, apprehensive, and likely to avoid risky behaviours
- Novelty seeking - an individual will actively and impulsively seek new environments and exciting experiences
- Reward dependence - a strong need for approval and social attachments, being motivated by the anticipation of positive outcomes
- People who are high on novelty seeking and low on harm avoidance, with a need to fit in socially may be at risk of becoming addicted to substances and behaviours that gain them approval and provide excitement
Novelty-seeking and reward dependence can lead to addictive behaviour.