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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing
5010.1: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - Board 7

Abstract #148651

Three-year trajectory of adult antisocial behavioral syndromes in the general U.S. population: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Risė B. Goldstein, PhD, MPH and Bridget F. Grant, PhD, PhD. Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 5635 Fishers Ln., Rm. 3068, M.S. 9304, Bethesda, MD 20892-9304, 301-443-3528, goldster@mail.nih.gov

DSM-IV antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) requires both syndromal levels of antisocial behavior since age 15 (AABS) and conduct disorder (CD) with onset before 15. Cross-sectional studies have identified more severe antisociality in respondents with ASPD than in those with AABS but not CD before age 15. No follow-up studies have examined the longitudinal trajectory of antisocial behavior among general population adults. We compared total ASPD symptoms, major violations of others' rights (MVOR), and violent symptoms over a 3-year follow-up in respondents to the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions who were diagnosed at Wave 1 with ASPD versus AABS. Predictions of antisocial symptomatology over follow-up by antisocial syndromes at Wave 1 were analyzed using logistic regression. In unadjusted analyses, respondents with ASPD reported significantly more total symptoms, MVOR, and violent symptoms from Wave 1 to Wave 2 than respondents with AABS. Adjustment for baseline demographics and psychiatric comorbidity attenuated but did not eliminate associations with antisocial syndromes; after further adjustment for antisocial symptom counts since age 15 at Wave 1, associations with antisocial syndromes disappeared. Factors independently predicting greater antisocial symptomatology over follow-up included male sex, not being married, low income, high school or less education, and comorbid lifetime drug use, tobacco dependence, and additional personality disorders diagnosed at Wave 1. We conclude that the diagnostic distinction between ASPD and AABS may hold modest value in predicting near- to medium-term future antisocial behavior among adults with histories of either syndrome.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Psychiatric Epidemiology,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Violence and Psychiatric Epidemiology Poster Session

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA