Treatment response of antisocial substance abusers.
We evaluated the relationship of antisociality to 7-month treatment response in 224 alcohol-and/or cocaine-dependent men. Subjects with and without a DSM-III antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) responded similarly and positively to treatment in a number of functional domains, including substance use. A more detailed analysis comparing subjects with ASPD, subjects meeting adult but not childhood ASPD criteria (A-ASPD), and subjects meeting neither adult nor childhood ASPD criteria (pure non-ASPD) revealed similar and positive responses to treatment among the three groups. The antisocial groups had more cocaine and alcohol use at the baseline evaluation, but at 7-month follow-up, they had levels of use not significantly different than the pure non-ASPD group. The findings suggest that an ASPD diagnosis or an adult antisocial lifestyle, at least as measured by DSM-III criteria, does not predict short-term treatment response.
Cacciola
J S
JS
PENN-VA Center for the Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia.
Alterman
A I
AI
Rutherford
M J
MJ
Snider
E C
EC
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003042:Cocaine; D015897:Comorbidity; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003042:Cocaine