Exploring Genetic Variations and Psychological Factors in Alcohol and Drug Consumption in a Portuguese Female Sample

Abstract

While in some countries, the possession of psychoactive substances leads to prison sentences or execution, other countries, like Portugal, follow an avenue leading to a drug-tolerant culture. However, there is a lack of empirical data on Portuguese populations to measure the drug-use trend. The present study uses multidisciplinary approaches to explore the prevalence of alcohol and drug consumption on a Portuguese student population (N = 81, ages ranged from 17 to 40 years), associating it with psychological and genetic factors. The results show a prevalence of cannabis consumption higher than what is reported by the EMCDDA, and suggests that carriers of the minor allele of 5-HTTLPR have a higher propensity for addiction.

Keywords

• genetic variations
• psychological factors
• consumptions
• drugs
• alcohol