Stay Informed

Sign up for news & alerts

Already signed up?
Login here

take action
For every $1 states spend dollar sign on substance misuse and addiction, 94 cents go to shovel up the consequences instead of for treatment and prevention. TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS

What Can I Do?



Continuing Education
Free online courses for addiction counselors LEARN ONLINE

Get Help
Need alcohol or drug help for yourself or someone else? GET HELP

 
Antisocial Disorders More Common Among Addicted
June 23, 2005

Share Share Email
Email
Print
Print
SubscribeSubscribe
Research Summary

A new government study concludes that people with alcohol and other drug addictions are more likely to have antisocial personality disorders, conduct disorders, and adult antisocial behavior disorders.

Previous studies have shown that nearly half of all addicted individuals have some sort of antisocial disorder; the latest research found an association between nearly all drugs of abuse and antisocial disorders, according to researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) who conducted an epidemiological survey of 43,000 adults.

"The strong and significant association between substance abuse or addiction and conditions such as antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, and adult antisocial behavior suggests that prevention and treatment strategies need to apply an integrated approach," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow. "By also treating antisocial syndromes, particularly those that develop in adolescence or persist over time, we may be able to substantially reduce substance abuse and addiction."

Researchers said that the risk for having both an addiction and an antisocial personality disorder or adult antisocial behavior were higher for women than men. People who were dependent on tranquilizers, sedatives, marijuana, inhalants, or hallucinogens were more likely the have antisocial personality disorders; those who abused sedatives, amphetamines, alcohol, cocaine, or hallucinogens were more likely to have adult antisocial behavior problems.

The study was published in the June 2005 edition of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:
(Comments now appear first to last)

Your Turn! Post a public comment (guidelines):

Name:

Comment:
(limit 250
words)
Enter this word
(help):		 Change

GUIDELINES: 
To keep this feature useful for everyone, please:

  1. Keep it clean, courteous, brief, and on-topic. Comments are for discussion of the above article, not general rants or manifestos. Serial comments intended to circumvent the 250-word limit may be deleted.

  2. Do not post promotional web links, personal information or requests for assistance (get help).

  3. Proof your comments carefully, use good spelling and punctuation, and don't use ALL CAPS. Comments are published immediately and cannot be edited.

Deceptive, slanderous and commercial posts are prohibited. We reserve the right to remove comments. (Report a comment).

Have questions or feedback? Contact us.