The association between SUD and conduct disorder in adolescence appears to be consistent with Cloninger's conceptualization of two types of alcohol dependence that vary in the degree to which antisocial personality disorder is seen. Studying a sample of Swedish men, Cloninger found that the “type II” alcoholics could be characterized by an early onset of problematic drinking and greater ASPD (Cloninger et al. 1981). Type I alcoholics, on the other hand, were characterized by a relatively late onset of alcohol problems associated with high levels of anxiety, introversion, and harm avoidance. Although several other typologies have been suggested (Babor et al. 1992; Hill 1992; Moss et al. 2007), most include mention of a severity dimension and personality characteristics including ASPD. Although the more severe form of alcohol dependence (Type II) has been associated with greater ASPD, a severe form seen in multiplex families (families with multiple alcoholic members) appears to exist in the absence of ASPD (Hill 1992) that is characterized by an early onset of alcohol dependence suggesting a third typology.
