Personality Characteristics of Servicemen Returned from Viet Nam Identified as Heroin Abusers

The psychiatric characteristics of a sample of Army enlisted men returning from Viet Nam identified as heroin abusers were examined by means of psychological testing. Marked heterogeneity of psychological test types was noted. The four most common diagnostic classfications were normal, conduct disorder, abnormal but of indeterminate diagnosis, and psychosis. In comparison with studies describing civilian addicts, the results of this study suggest less psychopathology and a lower incidence of sociopathy in these military drug abusers.