The association between the five-factor model of personality and problem cannabis use: A meta-analysis

The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the association between the five-factor model of personality and problem cannabis use. The meta-analysis included eight separate samples from five different studies and a total of 5334 participants. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that four of the traits in the five-factor model of personality traits had a significant association with problem cannabis use: neuroticism (r =0.33, p ≤0.05, 95% CI [0.01,0.59], conscientiousness (r = -0.29, p ≤0.01, 95% CI [-0.46,-0.10], agreeableness (r = -0.29, p ≤0.05, 95% CI [0.01,0.59], and openness (r = 0.18, p ≤0.05, 95% CI [0.03,0.32]. The results suggest that individuals who use cannabis to a problematic extent share a common personality profile that differentiates problematic cannabis use from other forms of addictive behaviors due to the present finding of a positive association with openness to experience, which is not generally found in research on other types of addiction. The findings of this meta-analysis support the value of the five-factor model of personality and may point to the development of new prevention and treatment strategies.