Examining the Role of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Intimate Partner Violence Among Substance Use Disorder Treatment Seekers With Clinically Significant Trauma Histories

Authors

Rita E. Dykstra, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Julie A. Schumacher, University of Mississippi Medical CenterFollow
Natalie Mota, Yale University
Scott F. Coffey, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Date of this Version

8-2015

Citation

Published in Violence Against Women 21:8 (August 2015), pp. 958-974; doi: 10.1177/1077801215589377

Comments

Copyright © 2015 Rita E. Dykstra, Julie A. Schumacher, Natalie Mota, and Scott F. Coffey. Published by SAGE Publications. Used by permission.

Abstract

This study examined the associations among posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) diagnosis, and intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of 145 substance abuse treatment-seeking men and women with positive trauma histories; sex was examined as a moderator. ASPD diagnosis significantly predicted both verbal and physical aggression; sex moderated the association between ASPD diagnosis and physical violence. PTSD symptom severity significantly predicted engaging in verbal, but not physical, aggression. Overall, these results suggest that an ASPD diagnosis may be an important risk factor for engaging in IPV among women seeking treatment for a substance use disorder.