Antisocial Symptoms Decrease to Normal Levels in Long-Term Abstinence

Background We have previously shown highly elevated antisocial symptoms and measures of social deviance proneness and antisocial disposition in long‐term abstinent alcohol dependence versus non‐substance‐abusing controls (NSAC). Current antisocial symptoms were reduced to subdiagnostic levels in long‐term abstinence; however, the number of current symptoms was not measured beyond its being subdiagnostic. Methods Here we measured social deviance proneness, antisocial disposition, and both lifetime and current antisocial symptoms in short‐term and long‐term abstinent substance‐dependent and NSAC samples. Results Lifetime antisocial symptoms (and diagnoses) and social deviance proneness and antisocial disposition were highly elevated in both short‐ and long‐term abstinence, replicating earlier findings. Current antisocial symptoms were dramatically reduced in long‐term versus short‐term abstinent samples, close to levels in controls. In contrast, social deviance proneness and antisocial disposition remain highly elevated in long‐term abstinence. Conclusions These findings suggest that antisocial behavior is reduced in extended abstinence, despite continued elevated social deviance proneness an antisocial disposition. This suggests a top‐down model in extended abstinence, whereby executive control inhibits deviance‐prone tendencies.