Type D Personality, Alcohol Dependence, and Drinking Motives in the General Population

OBJECTIVE: The current study had two key aims: (a) to determine if Type D personality (the synergistic effect of negative affect and social inhibition) is associated with alcohol consumption in social drinkers and (b) to examine if this relationship is mediated by drinking motives. METHOD: In a cross-sectional study, 862 participants (206 men, 656 women, mean age 26.1 years) completed the Type D Personality Scale, the Drinking Motives Questionnaire, and the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire. RESULTS: Correlation analysis revealed that Type D personality was significantly and positively correlated with alcohol dependence (r = .11, p < .001). In addition, regression analyses demonstrated that this relationship was fully mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has identified a positive relationship between Type D personality and alcohol dependence in the general population. We have also shown that this relationship is mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives.