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Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) facts
• What are antisocial personality disorder symptoms and signs?
• What is the difference between antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy?
• What are causes and risk factors of antisocial personality disorder?
• How is antisocial personality disorder diagnosed?
• What are the treatments for antisocial personality disorder?
• What happens if antisocial personality disorder is not treated? What is the prognosis of antisocial personality disorder?
• Patient Comments: Antisocial Personality Disorder - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Antisocial Personality Disorder - Treatments
• Find a local Psychiatrist in your town
• Antisocial Personality Disorder Index

Some societal costs of antisocial personality disorder, like the suffering endured by victims of the crimes committed by people with this disorder, are clear. However, when people with ASPD are the charismatic leaders of religious cults, the devastation they can create is often not known unless and until a catastrophe results. The multiple murders orchestrated by Charles Manson and the mass suicide that occurred at the command of the Reverend Jim Jones in Guyana in 1978 are just two such examples.

Individuals who suffer from antisocial personality disorder have a higher risk of abusing alcohol and other drugs and repeatedly committing crimes. Imprisonment is a potential consequence. People with antisocial personality disorder are also vulnerable to mood problems, such as major depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder; having other personality disorders, especially borderline (BPD) and narcissistic personality disorders; self-mutilation and other forms of self-harm, as well as dying from homicide, suicide, or accident.

Antisocial personality disorder tends to make the prognosis of virtually any other condition more problematic. Having antisocial personality disorder makes the treatment for substance-abuse problems more difficult. People who have both antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia are less likely to comply with treatment programs and are more likely to remain in an institution like prison or a hospital. These risks become magnified if antisocial personality disorder is not treated. Statistics indicate that many people with antisocial personality disorder experience a remission of symptoms by the time they reach 50 years of age.

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