Personality Traits of Adolescents Addicted to Drugs: A Field Study of Two Cases at a Medium-Care Centre for Addiction Treatment

Abstract

This study aims to identify the dominant personality traits among drug-addicted adolescents, and to understand the role of psychological and personal factors in pushing adolescents towards drug use. To achieve this, the study used the Big Five Personality Traits inventory, developed by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae (1992), on two adolescent subjects aged 16 and 17. The results showed that the prevailing traits in both cases were openness and conscientiousness, alongside other psychological and behavioural traits such as aggression, impulsivity, indifference, mood disorders, and certain depressive features including low self-esteem. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the personal characteristics of drug-addicted adolescents to improve prevention and treatment interventions for this group.