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Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2024Despite numerous studies investigating personality disorder (PD) and childhood maltreatment (CM) characteristics in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ), there remains a...
INTRODUCTION
Despite numerous studies investigating personality disorder (PD) and childhood maltreatment (CM) characteristics in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ), there remains a scarcity of research focusing on sex differences in PD and CM within large samples of SZ patients.
METHODS
A total of 592 participants (257 males, 335 females) were consecutively sampled from patients diagnosed with SZ at the psychiatric and psycho-counseling clinics at Shanghai Mental Health Center. PDs were assessed using a self-reported personality diagnostic questionnaire and a structured clinical interview, while CMs were evaluated using the Chinese version of the Child Trauma Questionnaire Short Form.
RESULTS
Male patients exhibited a prominent self-reported trait of antisocial PD (=1.972, =0.049), while female patients demonstrated a notable emphasis on histrionic PD traits (=-2.057, =0.040). Structured interviews for PD diagnoses further indicated a higher comorbidity of schizotypal (=4.805, =0.028) and schizoid (=6.957, =0.008) PDs among male patients compared to female patients. Additionally, male patients reported a higher degree (=2.957, =0.003) and proportion (=5.277, =0.022) of experiences of physical abuse in their self-reported CM. Logistic regression analyses highlight distinct factors: higher antisocial PD traits and physical abuse are associated with male patients, while histrionic PD traits and emotional abuse are associated with female patients.
DISCUSSION
These findings underscore the importance of recognizing and addressing sex-specific manifestations of personality pathology and the nuanced impact of CM in the clinical management of individuals with SZ. The study advocates for tailored interventions that consider the distinct needs associated with sex differences in both personality traits and CM experiences among SZ patients.
PubMed: 38741581
DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S462346 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Maladaptive personality traits, such as 'dark personalities' are found to result in a diverse set of negative outcomes, including paraphilic interests and associated...
Maladaptive personality traits, such as 'dark personalities' are found to result in a diverse set of negative outcomes, including paraphilic interests and associated (illegal) behaviors. It is however unclear how these are exactly related, and if related, if then only those individuals higher on dark personality traits and higher impulsivity engage in paraphilic behaviors. In the current study, 50 participants were recruited to investigate the relationship between Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and everyday sadism), paraphilic interests (arousal and behavior) and the moderating role of impulsivity. Personality and paraphilic interests were investigated through self-report questionnaires. Impulsivity was measured both through self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity and the P3 event related potential using electroencephalography during the Go/No-Go task (i.e. response inhibition). The results showed that there was a positive association between psychopathy, sadism and paraphilic interests. Whereas everyday sadism was associated with paraphilic (self-reported) arousal, psychopathy was associated with paraphilic behavior. Although P3 amplitude was not associated with paraphilic interests, self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity was associated with paraphilic behavior specifically. However, there was no moderating role of dysfunctional impulsivity and response inhibition (P3) in the relationship between psychopathy and paraphilic behavior. Findings indicate that the relation between specific dark personalities and paraphilic interests may be more complex than initially thought. Nevertheless, risk assessment and intervention approaches for paraphilia and related behavior both may benefit from incorporating Dark Tetrad and impulsivity measurements.
Topics: Humans; Impulsive Behavior; Male; Electroencephalography; Female; Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Machiavellianism; Narcissism; Young Adult; Sadism; Personality; Paraphilic Disorders; Self Report
PubMed: 38740864
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61214-z -
PloS One 2024Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous...
Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous research has largely examined these emotional impairments in isolation, ignoring their influence on each other. Thus, we examined the concurrent interrelationship between emotional impairments in psychopathy, with a particular focus on the mediating role of alexithymia. Using path analyses with cross-sectional data from a community sample (N = 315) and a forensic sample (N = 50), our results yielded a statistically significant mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between psychopathy and empathy (community and forensic) and between psychopathy and emotion dysregulation (community). Moreover, replacing psychopathy with its three dimensions (i.e., meanness, disinhibition, and boldness) in the community sample revealed that boldness may function as an adaptive trait, with lower levels of alexithymia counteracting deficits in empathy and emotion dysregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that psychopathic individuals' limited understanding of their own emotions contributes to their lack of empathy and emotion dysregulation. This underscores the potential benefits of improving emotional awareness in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy.
Topics: Humans; Affective Symptoms; Empathy; Male; Adult; Female; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Cross-Sectional Studies; Middle Aged; Emotions; Emotional Regulation; Young Adult
PubMed: 38718018
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301085 -
BMC Psychiatry May 2024Adverse childhood events (ACEs), psychopathy, and self-harming behaviours are prevalent among individuals in the forensic psychiatry system. While existing literature...
BACKGROUND
Adverse childhood events (ACEs), psychopathy, and self-harming behaviours are prevalent among individuals in the forensic psychiatry system. While existing literature suggests that ACEs, self-harm, and psychopathy are interrelated, little is known about the interplay of psychopathic traits in this relationship. The present study aimed to determine the mediating role of psychopathy in the relationship between ACEs and self-harming behaviours in forensic patients.
METHODS
This was a retrospective study of patients under the Ontario Review Board (ORB) between 2014 and 2015. In the analysis, we included patients with complete data on ACEs, self-harming behaviours, and a Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) score - a measure of psychopathic traits and their severity conducted during the reporting period. Mediation analysis was based on the Baron and Kenny approach, and sensitivity analysis was performed based on the types of ACEs.
RESULTS
The sample population (n = 593) was made up of adults, with a mean age of 41.21 (± 12.35) years and were predominantly males (92.37%). While there was a partial mediating effect of psychopathy on the relationship between ACEs and incidents of self-harming behaviours in the past year, the mediation was complete in the relationship between ACEs and a lifetime history of self-harming behaviours. Following sensitivity analysis based on the types of ACE, the mediating effects were more attributed to specific ACEs, especially having experienced child abuse or having an incarcerated household member before 18 years.
CONCLUSION
Among forensic patients in Ontario, psychopathy mediates the relationship between experiencing ACEs and engaging in self-harming behaviours. Effective intervention to mitigate self-harming behaviours in this population should consider the potential role of psychopathy, especially among individuals who have experienced ACEs involving a history of child abuse and a family who was incarcerated.
Topics: Humans; Male; Self-Injurious Behavior; Female; Ontario; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Middle Aged; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Forensic Psychiatry; Child
PubMed: 38693475
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05771-7 -
Personality Neuroscience 2024Psychiatric illnesses form spectra rather than categories, with symptoms varying continuously across individuals, i.e., there is no clear break between health and...
Psychiatric illnesses form spectra rather than categories, with symptoms varying continuously across individuals, i.e., there is no clear break between health and disorder. Dimensional measures of behaviour and brain activity are promising targets for studying biological mechanisms that are common across disorders. Here, we assessed the extent to which neural measures of the sensitivity of the three biological systems in the reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) could account for individual differences in a latent general factor estimated from symptom counts across externalising disorders (EXTs). RST explanatory power was pitted against reduced P300, a reliable indicator of externalising per previous research. We assessed 206 participants for DSM-5 EXTs (antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intermittent explosive disorder symptoms, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder). Of the final sample, 49% met diagnostic criteria for at least one of the EXTs. Electroencephalographic measures of the sensitivities of the behavioural activation system (BAS), the fight/flight/freeze system, and the behavioural inhibition system (BIS), as well as P300 were extracted from the gold bar-lemon and stop-signal tasks. As predicted, we found that low neural BIS sensitivity and low P300 were uniquely and negatively associated with our latent factor of externalising. Contrary to prediction, neural BAS/"dopamine" sensitivity was not associated with externalising. Our results provide empirical support for low BIS sensitivity and P300 as neural mechanisms common to disorders within the externalising spectrum; but, given the low N involved, future studies should seek to assess the replicability of our findings and, in particular, the differential involvement of the three RST systems.
PubMed: 38689856
DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.11 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024This study aimed to develop the Global Assessment of Active Trolling and Passive Bystanderism (GAATPB) scale and investigate the influence of personality traits on...
This study aimed to develop the Global Assessment of Active Trolling and Passive Bystanderism (GAATPB) scale and investigate the influence of personality traits on trolling behaviors. Focusing on the Dark Tetrad (DT) traits and agreeableness, the present study examined their associations and predictive utility on active trolling and passive bystanderism. Participants were recruited from social networking sites (SNSs), and eligibility criteria included active SNS usage and engagement in online interactions. A total of 797 healthy adult students participated in the study, with data from 300 used for the initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the remaining 497 (M = 22.25 years, SD = 3.37) for the subsequent analyses. Results indicated a significant correlation between DT traits and agreeableness across both active trolling and passive bystanderism, revealing a shared personality profile. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that narcissism, Machiavellianism, and trait sadism were predictors of active trolling, with psychopathy being the strongest predictor. However, psychopathy did not emerge as a predictor for passive bystanderism. The study also highlighted that DT traits mediated the relationship between lower agreeableness and overall trolling behavior, suggesting that trolling manifests from lower agreeableness through the instigation of callous-unemotional, manipulative, and self-centered traits inherent in DT.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Young Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Personality; Machiavellianism; Adolescent; Narcissism; Students
PubMed: 38688968
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60203-6 -
PloS One 2024The present study examined early socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood disadvantage (ND) as independent predictors of antisocial behavior (ASB) and addressed the...
The present study examined early socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood disadvantage (ND) as independent predictors of antisocial behavior (ASB) and addressed the etiology of the associations (i.e., genes versus the environment) using a longitudinal adoption design. Prospective data from the Colorado Adoption Project (435 adoptees, 598 nonadopted children, 526 biological grandparents of adoptees, 481 adoptive parents, and 617 nonadoptive parents including biological parents of unrelated siblings of adoptees) were examined. SES and ND were assessed during infancy and ASB was evaluated from ages four through 16 using parent and teacher report. Associations between predictors and ASB were compared across adoptive and nonadoptive families and sex. Early SES was a nominally significant, independent predictor of antisocial ASB, such that lower SES predicted higher levels of ASB in nonadoptive families only. ND was not associated with ASB. Associations were consistent across aggression and delinquency, and neither SES nor ND was associated with change in ASB over time. Nominally significant associations did not remain significant after controlling for multiple testing. As such, despite nonsignificant differences in associations across sex or adoptive status, we were unable to make definitive conclusions regarding the genetic versus environmental etiology of or sex differences in the influence of SES and ND on ASB. Despite inconclusive findings, in nonadoptees, results were consistent-in effect size and direction-with previous studies in the literature indicating that lower SES is associated with increased risk for ASB.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Child; Social Class; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Adoption; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Neighborhood Characteristics; Colorado; Prospective Studies; Child, Adopted; Residence Characteristics
PubMed: 38683790
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301765 -
Acta Psychologica Jun 2024The efficacy of explicit measures in assessing fire interest is often compromised by social desirability biases, presenting a challenge for early intervention programs...
The efficacy of explicit measures in assessing fire interest is often compromised by social desirability biases, presenting a challenge for early intervention programs aimed at preventing firesetting behaviour. The current study aimed to validate a novel fire interest Implicit Association Task (IAT), as a more reliable measure of implicit fire interest in adolescents. An Australian community adolescent sample of 85 participants, aged 10-17 (M = 13.65, SD = 1.81), completed a series of questionnaires, and the novel fire interest IAT. Based on self-reports, participants were classified as firelighters (n = 52) or non-firelighters (n = 33). IAT outcomes revealed an inclination towards associating "fire" with "interesting." Notably, firelighters, compared to non-firelighters, performed significantly quicker during hypothesis-consistent trials of the IAT where fire-images were paired with interesting-words. Moreover, a weak correlation emerged between the speed of responses in these hypothesis-consistent IAT trials and self-reported fire interest. This investigation is one of the few that examined the efficacy of implicit measures of fire interest and is the first to do so using a modified IAT. With continued refinement, the fire interest IAT could be successfully used to assist with early intervention programs aimed at preventing child firesetting behaviour. PsychINFO Code: 3230.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Female; Male; Child; Firesetting Behavior; Surveys and Questionnaires; Reaction Time; Australia; Association
PubMed: 38670041
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104294 -
Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that children and adults can develop. A complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors may underlie interindividual...
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that children and adults can develop. A complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors may underlie interindividual variability in ADHD and potentially related aggressive behavior. Using high-resolution molecular biology techniques, we investigated the impact of some MAOA and SLC6A4 variations on ADHD and aggressive behavior in a group of 80 Italian children with ADHD and in 80 healthy controls. We found that homozygous genotypes of MAOA rs6323 and rs1137070 were associated with an increased risk of ADHD ( = 0.02 and = 0.03, respectively), whereas the heterozygous genotypes (GT of rs6323 and CT of rs1137030) ( = 0.0002 and = 0.0006) were strongly linked to a lower risk of developing this disorder. In patients with aggressive behavior, we highlighted only a weak negative association of both MAOA polymorphisms (heterozygous genotypes) with aggressiveness, suggesting that these genotypes may be protective towards specific changes in behavior ( = 0.05). Interestingly, an increase in the GG genotype of rs6323 ( = 0.01) and a decrease in GT genotype ( = 0.0005) was also found in patients without aggressive behavior compared to controls. Regarding 5HTT gene genotyping, no allele and genotype differences have been detected among patients and controls. Our work shows that defining a genetic profile of ADHD may help in the early detection of patients who are more vulnerable to ADHD and/or antisocial and aggressive behavior and to design precision-targeted therapies.
PubMed: 38667528
DOI: 10.3390/diseases12040070 -
Psychoradiology 2023Although sex differences in antisocial behavior are well-documented, the extent to which neuroanatomical differences are related to sex differences in antisocial...
BACKGROUND
Although sex differences in antisocial behavior are well-documented, the extent to which neuroanatomical differences are related to sex differences in antisocial behavior is unclear. The inconsistent results from different clinical populations exhibiting antisocial behaviors are mainly due to the heterogeneity in etiologies, comorbidity inequality, and small sample size, especially in females.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to find sexual dimorphic brain regions associated with individual differences in antisocial behavior while avoiding the issues of heterogeneity and sample size.
METHODS
We collected structural neuroimaging data from 281 college students (131 males, 150 females) and analyzed the data using voxel-based morphometry.
RESULTS
The gray matter volume in three brain regions correlates with self-reported antisocial behavior in males and females differently: the posterior superior temporal sulcus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus. The findings have controlled for the total cortical gray matter volume, age, IQ, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, we found a common neural substrate of antisocial behavior in both males and females, extending from the anterior temporal lobe to the insula.
CONCLUSION
This is the first neuroanatomical evidence from a large non-clinical sample of young adults. The study suggests that differences in males and females in reading social cues, understanding intentions and emotions, and responding to conflicts may contribute to the modulation of brain morphometry concerning antisocial behavior.
PubMed: 38666132
DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad031