The relationship between antisocial personality and drug craving in Chinese male methamphetamine-dependent patients: the mediating role of alexithymia

Abstract

Abstract Background In patients with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD), antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and alexithymia increase the risk of drug craving, but the relationship between the three of them is unclear. Therefore, this study explored the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between ASPD and drug craving.Methods We recruited 524 MUD patients at a drug rehabilitation center in Sichuan Province, China, and assessed ASPD with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.), methamphetamine craving with the Desire for Drugs Questionnaire (DDQ), and alexithymia with the Toronto Affective Disorder Scale (TAS-20).Results Compared with MUD patients without ASPD, MUD patients with ASPD had higher DDQ-desire and intention, DDQ-negative reinforcement and DDQ-total scores, as well as TAS-total and their subscale scores (all p < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between ASPD, alexithymia and drug craving. Mediating effect analysis further indicated that the relationship between ASPD and drug craving was mediated by alexithymia.Conclusions Our study demonstrates for the first time that alexithymia mediates the relationship between ASPD and drug craving, which may provide a new entry point for treating MUD with comorbid ASPD.