The relationship between substance dependency, antisocial personality disorder and adult antisocial behaviors

Purpose: To examine the relationship between substance dependency and personality disorders. Materials and Methods: Ninety eight patients with substance dependency who had referred to a psychiatry and substance rehabilitation center in Tehran took part in this study. Data were collected using questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Participants were examined for conduct and antisocial personality disorders. Non-parametric tests were used for data analysis. Results: Eighty eight percentage of the participants showed adult antisocial behaviors. Forty two percentage of the patients with substance dependency were diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, while 47.9% (n = 47) suffered from conduct disorder. Only 22 participants had such problems before beginning substance abuse. Abuse frequency, financial status, previous attempts to quit drugs, educational level and family background did not significantly affect the status of antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder. However, smoking and using alcohol were found to be playing a role in suffering from such disorders. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate a direct relationship between substance abuse and personality disorders. This indicates the need for more preventive measures to control substance abuse especially among teenagers in order to have fewer individuals with personality disorders in the society.