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The Lancet. Psychiatry May 2019One distinctive feature of individuals with psychopathy is their reduced motivation and capacity to develop authentic social relationships, which are founded on an... (Review)
Review
One distinctive feature of individuals with psychopathy is their reduced motivation and capacity to develop authentic social relationships, which are founded on an enjoyment of prosocial interactions or concern for others. Surprisingly, potential neurocognitive vulnerabilities contributing to atypical social affiliation, and lack of prosocial behaviours in psychopathy, have yet to be systematically investigated. Research efforts have largely focused on how individuals with psychopathy process negative emotions, and how this might affect their capacity to feel guilt or empathise with others' distress. Here, we propose a framework for understanding the development of atypical social affiliation and attachment in psychopathy, and outline several key processes and neural systems speculated to underpin them. We then describe present neurocognitive findings that suggest that these processes and neural systems are compromised in individuals with, or at risk of developing, psychopathy. Finally, we consider several research directions that would help with the understanding of the origin and development of social affiliation in individuals with psychopathy. This work has the potential to inform and enhance prevention and treatment strategies.
Topics: Antisocial Personality Disorder; Brain; Empathy; Humans; Social Behavior
PubMed: 31006435
DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30049-5 -
Current Psychiatry Reports Nov 2017There is evidence showing an increasing prevalence of mental illness in those in conflict with the law. However, there are many factors affecting the detection,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
There is evidence showing an increasing prevalence of mental illness in those in conflict with the law. However, there are many factors affecting the detection, treatment, and management of criminals who are mentally ill.
RECENT FINDINGS
Sex offenders with major mental illness present many challenges to those providing treatment and management services. For example, it is important to consider whether sexually offensive behavior is the cause of criminal behavior or whether it is reflective of an antisocial orientation. Recent evidence suggests it may help better understand and inform risk assessment and management. This paper will review the literature on mental illness among sexual offenders, present a typology to aid in the assessment, treatment, and management of sexual offender with mental illness, and highlight important considerations when providing treatment to sexual offenders with mental illness.
Topics: Antisocial Personality Disorder; Criminals; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Sex Offenses; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 29119325
DOI: 10.1007/s11920-017-0863-x -
Sante Mentale Au Quebec 2016Researchers have long acknowledged heterogeneity among persons who exhibit antisocial and violent behaviours. The study of psychopathic personality or psychopathy can... (Review)
Review
Researchers have long acknowledged heterogeneity among persons who exhibit antisocial and violent behaviours. The study of psychopathic personality or psychopathy can help elucidate this heterogeneity through examination of the different facets that constitute this disorder. In particular, the distinct correlates of the interpersonal-affective traits (Factor 1) and the impulsive-antisocial traits (Factor 2) of psychopathy suggest at least two possible pathways to antisocial behaviours. Building on basic studies in cognitive and affective neuroscience, we provide a focused, non-comprehensive review of work identifying the biopsychological mechanisms involved in these two pathways, with special attention to studies using event-related potential (ERP) methods. In specific, a series of studies are discussed which examined affective and cognitive processes that may distinguish offenders high on psychopathic traits from other offenders, with emphasis on alterations in emotion-cognition interactions related to each factor of psychopathy. The set of findings reviewed highlight a central conclusion: Factor 1 represents a pathway involving reduced emotional responding, exacerbated by attentional abnormalities, that make for a more deliberate and emotionally insensitive offender profile. In contrast, Factor 2 characterizes a pathway marked by emotional and behavioural dysregulation and cognitive control dysfunctions, particularly in emotional contexts. Implications for identifying etiological processes and the further understanding of antisocial and violent behaviours are discussed.
Topics: Antisocial Personality Disorder; Cognition; Emotions; Humans; Neuropsychiatry
PubMed: 27570952
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology Oct 2015Poor executive function has been linked to increased antisocial and aggressive behavior in clinical and nonclinical populations. The present study investigated the...
Poor executive function has been linked to increased antisocial and aggressive behavior in clinical and nonclinical populations. The present study investigated the relationship between executive and nonexecutive cognitive function and antisocial behavior in sport as well as reactive and proactive aggression. Cognitive function was assessed in young adult male and female athletes using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Antisocial behavior in sport and aggression were assessed via self-report instruments and were found to be positively correlated. Executive function (but not nonexecutive function) scores were negatively correlated with both self-reported antisocial behavior and aggression in males but not females. Our findings suggest that prefrontal deficits among male athletes could contribute to poor impulse control and difficulty in anticipating the consequences of their antisocial and aggressive behavior.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aggression; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Athletes; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Male; Young Adult
PubMed: 26524093
DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2015-0021 -
Journal of Personality Disorders Feb 2020In addition to suicidal behaviors, men with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often display antisocial behavior that could impair contacts with mental health... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
In addition to suicidal behaviors, men with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often display antisocial behavior that could impair contacts with mental health services. While research has established effective treatments for women with BPD, this is not yet the case for men. The authors evaluated 12 months of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for 30 men with BPD and antisocial behavior, using a within-group design with repeated measurements. The authors found moderate to strong, statistically significant pre-to posttreatment reductions of several dysfunctional behaviors, including self-harm, verbal and physical aggression, and criminal offending (rate ratios 0.17-0.39). Symptoms of BPD and depression were also substantially decreased. The dropout rate was 30%, and completing participants reported high satisfaction with treatment and maintained their improvements at 1-year follow-up. The authors conclude that DBT could be an effective treatment alternative for men with BPD and antisocial behavior, and it merits future studies with more rigorous design.
Topics: Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Behavior Therapy; Borderline Personality Disorder; Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Self-Injurious Behavior; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30355023
DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2018_32_379 -
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aug 2022Arts and cultural engagement is a potential strategy for reducing or preventing reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors (those previously and problematically...
Arts and cultural engagement is a potential strategy for reducing or preventing reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors (those previously and problematically termed as "delinquent") in adolescence. However, most research to date has focused on arts-based interventions and has not tested arts and cultural engagement in large population-based longitudinal studies. This study investigated whether arts and cultural engagement reduced reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors in two large nationally representative cohorts, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 10,610; 50% female, 72% White, age range = 11-21 mean = 15.07) and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (n = 15,214; 50% female, 73% White, age range = 13-16 mean = 14.38). Structural equation modelling also allowed exploration of two potential mechanisms that might link arts and cultural engagement to reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors (self-control and attitudes towards these behaviors). More arts and cultural engagement was associated with fewer reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors, better self-control scores, and fewer positive perceptions of reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors concurrently and one to two years later. Arts and cultural engagement may provide opportunities for adolescents to realize positive developmental outcomes, reducing their risk of reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Art Therapy; Attitude; Child; Crime; Criminal Behavior; Criminals; Culture; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Young Adult
PubMed: 35318575
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01591-8 -
Journal of Forensic Sciences Sep 2017Recidivism, repeated criminal behavior after conviction and correction of prior offenses, is a costly problem across the nation. However, the contribution of empathy in...
Recidivism, repeated criminal behavior after conviction and correction of prior offenses, is a costly problem across the nation. However, the contribution of empathy in determining the risk of recidivism has received limited attention, although lack of empathy has been related to antisocial personality disorder in various studies. Studies linked testosterone to aggression, antisocial behavior, and criminality, and evidence support hormonal connections between empathy and aggression. Adult male prison inmates convicted of violent or nonviolent offenses were included in a cross-sectional study of empathy, antisocial behavior, salivary testosterone, and recidivism. Subjects underwent criminal history, Empathy Quotient, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and salivary testosterone assays. Bivariate analyses indicated multiple correlations between variables. Multivariate modeling analyses found a significant relationship between self-reported conviction number and psychopathy scale score (p = 0.013). These preliminary results suggest avenues of investigation of factors contributing to recidivism risk.
Topics: Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Cross-Sectional Studies; Empathy; Humans; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Prisoners; Recidivism; Risk Assessment; Saliva; Testosterone
PubMed: 28205232
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13469 -
CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Mar 2024Previous studies have indicated that smoking is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, and that individuals with schizophrenia are more prone to...
AIMS
Previous studies have indicated that smoking is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, and that individuals with schizophrenia are more prone to engaging in antisocial behavior. However, the causal effects of smoking behaviors on antisocial behavior and the potential mediating role of schizophrenia remains largely unclear.
METHODS
In the present study, using the summary data from genome wide association studies of smoking phenotypes (N = 323,386-805,431), schizophrenia (Ncases = 53,386, Ncontrols = 77,258), and antisocial behavior (N = 85,359), we assessed bidirectional causality between smoking phenotypes and schizophrenia by the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. Using a two-step MR approach, we further examined whether causal effects of smoking phenotypes/schizophrenia on antisocial behavior were mediated by schizophrenia/smoking phenotypes.
RESULTS
The results showed that smoking initiation (SmkInit) and age of smoking initiation (AgeSmk) causally increase the risk of schizophrenia (SmkInit: OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.77-2.39, p = 4.36 × 10 ; AgeSmk: OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.16-0.62, p = 8.11 × 10 , Bonferroni corrected). However, there was no causal effect that liability to schizophrenia leads to smoking phenotypes. MR evidence also revealed causal influences of SmkInit and the amount smoked (CigDay) on antisocial behavior (SmkInit: OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17-1.41, p = 2.53 × 10 ; CigDay: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.06-1.27, p = 1.60 × 10 , Bonferroni corrected). Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between SmkInit and antisocial behavior was partly mediated by schizophrenia (mediated proportion = 6.92%, 95% CI = 0.004-0.03, p = 9.66 × 10 ).
CONCLUSIONS
These results provide compelling evidence for taking smoking interventions as a prevention strategy for schizophrenia and its related antisocial behavior.
Topics: Humans; Smoking; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Genome-Wide Association Study; Schizophrenia; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
PubMed: 37650156
DOI: 10.1111/cns.14430 -
Lakartidningen Dec 2016Personality disorders, violence and criminal behaviour The importance of personality disorders for violent and criminal behaviour is illustrated by their high prevalence... (Review)
Review
Personality disorders, violence and criminal behaviour The importance of personality disorders for violent and criminal behaviour is illustrated by their high prevalence in prison populations. Especially antisocial personality disorder and antisocial personality traits are linked to violence. During diagnostic assessment of personality disorders, violence risk screening is recommended. Cognitive behaviour treatment focused on violent behaviour has some effect in criminal populations, but the antisocial personality traits are resistant to treatment. Evidence for pharmacological treatment of repetitive aggressive behaviour is weak. But, bensodiazepines seem to increase the risk of violent behaviour among patients with personality disorders. Antisocial personality traits diminish over time. This spontaneous decrease can be delayed by comorbidity such as other personality disorder, substance use disorder, psychosis and attention deficit disorders. Therefore it is recommended to actively treat these comorbid conditions.
Topics: Antisocial Personality Disorder; Benzodiazepines; Criminal Behavior; Humans; Personality Disorders; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Violence
PubMed: 27959457
DOI: No ID Found -
Revue Medicale Suisse Sep 2015While the fire constitutes a threat and provokes avoidance by the entire animal world, its control as lighting and maintenance is inseparable from the history of... (Review)
Review
While the fire constitutes a threat and provokes avoidance by the entire animal world, its control as lighting and maintenance is inseparable from the history of humankind. For 1% of the population that use is turned to harm, repeatedly and without objective reason, responding to the historical definition of pyromania. The profile of arsonists does not appear to be different from that of the general criminal population: alcohol abuse, nicotine, marijuana and antisocial personality do not make fire setters a special case. However positive fire experience lived in childhood, emotional avoidance and expertise in fire settings' control seems to be specific, as recidivism risk below that of the general criminal population.
Topics: Antisocial Personality Disorder; Criminal Behavior; Firesetting Behavior; Humans; Models, Psychological; Substance-Related Disorders
PubMed: 26591081
DOI: No ID Found