Heavy episodic drinking in college students: associations with features of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder.

Objective: This study extends the college heavy episodic drinking literature by examining the associations between features of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), on the one hand, and heavy episodic drinking and associated problem behaviors, on the other.

Participants: Participants were 159 (85 male, 74 female) undergraduates from a private university.

Methods: Participants completed self-report measures assessing alcohol use, frequency, and consequences of heavy episodic drinking, and personality pathology.

Results: It was found that psychopathy, independent of ASPD, was related to the prediction of heavy episodic drinking frequency and problems associated with alcohol use. It was also found that the relation between traits of psychopathy and heavy episodic drinking are limited largely to the impulsive and antisocial aspects of this condition.

Conclusion: These findings point to the need for further investigation of the association between psychopathy and ASPD traits and heavy episodic drinking behaviors in college students.