title: How is personality disorder linked to dangerousness? A putative role for early-onset alcohol abuse.
abstract: This paper questions the assumption that personality disorder and dangerousness are causally linked, and suggests that insofar as a relationship between them exists, it is mediated by early-onset alcohol abuse. The latter, by impairing the function of prefrontal cortex during adolescence, a critical period of its development, putatively leads to deficits in goal-directed behaviour and emotional self-regulation that place the individual at high risk of becoming chronically antisocial in adulthood. Evidence is adduced in support of the hypothesis from the literature on: (i) the comorbidity of personality disorder and alcohol abuse; (ii) frontal lobe deficits in psychopaths; and (iii) life-course persistent offenders. Some testable predictions from the hypothesis are presented, together with its implications; most importantly, that measures to prevent serious antisocial behaviour in adulthood should target at-risk individuals prior to their commencing heavy drinking during adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Peaks Academic & Reseach Unit, Rampton Hospital, Retford, UK.
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D013997:Time Factors