Specific personality characteristics have long been thought to be associated with adolescent substance abusers This study utilized the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI, Millon, 1982) to examine the personality styles, expressed concerns and behavioral correlates of adolescents.The subjects were 122 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years old who were residents of an adolescent substance abuse treatment center. The MAPI was administered as a part of the initial assessment of each adolescent. The adolescents lived in areas that ranged from rural communities to midsize cities in a midwestern state.In this study, the dependent variable was the MAPI scores and the criterion variables were the following: gender, age, parent marital status, primary drug, secondary drug, drug use, treatment completion, and referral source. Additional subgroups studied were the following: 15-18 year old dependent males according to the primary drugs of alcohol or marijuana, and 15-18 year old females according to the primary drugs of alcohol and marijuana.Median base rate scores were calculated for the groups to reveal general personality profiles. Multivarite analyses of variance produced significant univariate Fs in the following groups: gender, parent marital status, and 15-18 year old dependent females by primary drug of choice. Results indicated that, as a whole, the group appeared to be fairly homogeneous in the personality characteristics revealed by the MAPI scores. The characteristics found mostoften in this sample were the following: moods that were unpredictable and erractic; attitudes that vacillated rapidly from unhappy to happy; relationships that ranged from ambiguous to belligerant, and affect that was irritable to disturbed. These adolescents also expressed considerable concern over family relationship issues. The Family Rapport scale was consistently the highest Expressed Concern scale. Other scales that were less pronounced, but frequently elevated were personal esteem, self-concept, and academic confidence. The most prominent elevation on the Behavioral Correlate scales was the Impulse Control scale.Similarities across groups on the scores of the MAPI scales was the most prominent finding. Scale scores in 15-18 year old dependent females group showed differences between alcohol users and marijuana users. Implications for treatment were discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174875 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Atkinson, Velma Jean |
| Contributors | Hutchinson, Roger L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | ix, 134 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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