The essential
feature of antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.
Other studies are adoption studies; for example, adoption
studies of antisocial personality disorder show that if a biological parent passes down his or her antisocial disorder through genetics, then the child will suffer from the disorder even within the adoptive environment, away from the biological parent.
Interpreting the results of adoption studies is very difficult for the aforementioned reasons, and it is also challenging to make valid conclusions due to the fact that adoptees already display a higher rate
of antisocial personality disorder as compared to the general population.
5 - HTTLPR as a potential moderator of the effects of adverse childhood experiences on risk of antisocial personality disorder
Because deceit and manipulation are central
features of antisocial personality disorder, it may be especially helpful to integrate information acquired from systematic clinical assessment with information collected from collateral sources.
First, research shows that environmental factors, such as childhood trauma, parental neglect, inadequate attachments to caregivers, antisocial peer groups, and growing up in impoverished and violent communities, play an important role in the
development of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Psychopathy.
Earlier onset of CD / ODD has been found to be correlated with the development
of antisocial personality disorder, substance - related disorders, increased rates of drug use (tobacco and alcohol), mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, and higher accident rates [3].
When antisocial behavior in an adult is associated with a substance use disorder, the diagnosis
of antisocial personality disorder is not made unless the signs of antisocial personality disorder were also present in childhood and have continued into adulthood.