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Clinical Psychology Review Jul 2024Theories of psychopathy development traditionally emphasize that individuals high in psychopathy experience diminished internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Theories of psychopathy development traditionally emphasize that individuals high in psychopathy experience diminished internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). However, many studies find null or even positive relationships between psychopathy and internalizing. The current meta-analysis therefore aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression relationships by examining measurement and sample-related variables that may moderate these associations (e.g., psychopathy subdimensions assessed, different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy and anxiety/depression, and demographic characteristics). Results suggest that psychopathy demonstrates a small, positive overall association with anxiety/depression (r = 0.09), which may indicate that psychopathy is unrelated to subjective experiences of anxiety and sadness, but results could also reflect that varying psychopathy and anxiety/depression assessment practices contribute to heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression associations. Most notably, results indicate that associations vary substantially across different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy, even when controlling for sample type and informant. Some psychopathy scales could therefore inadvertently capture anxiety/depression symptoms or broader psychopathology in addition to psychopathic traits. Findings from the current meta-analysis can inform future efforts to understand how measurement-related considerations influence relationships between psychopathy and anxiety/depression.
Topics: Humans; Anxiety; Depression; Antisocial Personality Disorder
PubMed: 38838516
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102448 -
Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical... Jul 2024Patterns of association with externalizing and internalizing features differ across heroin use and prescription opioid misuse (POM). The present study examined whether...
Patterns of association with externalizing and internalizing features differ across heroin use and prescription opioid misuse (POM). The present study examined whether heroin use and POM display differential etiologic overlap with symptoms of conduct disorder (CD), adult antisocial behavior (AAB), and major depressive episodes (MDEs), how aggregating heroin use and POM into a single phenotype may bias results, and explored potential sex differences. Seven thousand one hundred and sixty-four individual twins from the Australian Twin Registry (ATR; 59.81% female; = 30.58 years) reported lifetime heroin use, POM, CD symptoms, AABs, and MDE symptoms within a semi-structured interview. Biometric models decomposed phenotypic variance and covariance into additive genetic, common environmental, and unique environmental effects. The proportion of variance in heroin use attributable to factors shared with CD, AAB, and MDE, respectively, was 41%, 41%, and 0% for men and 26%, 19%, and 42% for women; for POM, the proportions were 33%, 35%, and 20% for men and 15%, 9%, and 13% for women. CD and AAB were more strongly genetically correlated with heroin use among women and with POM among men. MDE was more strongly genetically correlated with POM than with heroin use among men, but more strongly genetically correlated with heroin use than with POM among women. Analyses using an aggregate opioid (mis)use variable were biased toward POM, which was the more prevalent phenotype. Magnitude and source of etiologic influence may differ across forms of opioid (mis)use and sex. Disaggregating heroin use and POM in future opioid research may be warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Heroin Dependence; Australia; Opioid-Related Disorders; Prescription Drug Misuse; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Depressive Disorder, Major; Registries; Sex Factors
PubMed: 38815084
DOI: 10.1037/abn0000921 -
BMC Psychology May 2024Callous-unemotional traits are associated with the development of severe behavior problems, delinquency, and psychopathy. Previous studies have repeatedly shown that CU...
BACKGROUND
Callous-unemotional traits are associated with the development of severe behavior problems, delinquency, and psychopathy. Previous studies have repeatedly shown that CU traits may be present as early as preschool age, and they have consistently used the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) to assess CU traits in children and adolescents. A three-factor structure for the ICU has been widely endorsed.
METHOD
The aim of our study is to compare the three-factor structure of the ICU in different age groups (preschool, middle childhood, early, and late adolescence) and to test for measurement invariance in a German sample of N = 2368 children and adolescents (M = 11.76 years; SD = 3.72).
RESULTS
The results of our study indicate configural measurement invariance, suggesting that the ICU has the same structure in all age groups but with different meanings, parameters, and mean values in the groups.
CONCLUSION
Accordingly, the ICU cannot be applied in the same way to children and adolescents of different age groups, which emphasizes the need for a more differentiated assessment.
Topics: Humans; Germany; Male; Female; Child; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Personality Inventory; Psychometrics; Age Factors; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Empathy; Emotions; Conduct Disorder
PubMed: 38802970
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01789-4 -
Scientific Reports May 2024There is an ongoing debate about anxiety deficits in psychopathy and their possible impact on individual behavior. Data on actual anxiety- and threat-related behavior...
There is an ongoing debate about anxiety deficits in psychopathy and their possible impact on individual behavior. Data on actual anxiety- and threat-related behavior associated with psychopathy is still limited. We performed a mixed reality study using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) in a non-clinical sample (N = 160) to test anxiety-related behavior in relation to psychopathic personality traits measured through the Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits (FPP). The psychopathy sum score correlated significantly with all measures of anxiety-related behavior on the EPM. Sensation seeking, but not general levels of acrophobia was moreover associated with psychopathic traits. Multivariate analyses revealed that the subscales Fearlessness and Lack of Empathy of the FPP predicted anxious behavior. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the relationship between psychopathic traits and actual behavior in an anxiety-inducing environment. This supports the low-anxiety hypothesis in psychopathy research. Implications for potentially harmful or risky behavior are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Male; Anxiety; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Female; Adult; Young Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Adolescent; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38782995
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62438-9 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Research into relationships between victim-generated content, abuse received, and observer characteristics when considering Twitter abuse has been limited to male...
Research into relationships between victim-generated content, abuse received, and observer characteristics when considering Twitter abuse has been limited to male victims. We evaluated participant perceptions of female celebrity victims and abuse received on Twitter. We used a 3 (Initial Tweet Valence; negative, neutral, positive) × 2 (Abuse Volume; low, high) repeated measures design and online survey method. Participants were shown tweets generated by six female celebrities, counterbalanced such that each participant saw each celebrity in one Valence-Volume condition. Stimuli were presented across six 'lists' such that celebrity 'victims' could be rotated across Valence-Volume pairings. Participants rated-per target stimulus-the level of blame attributable to the victim and the perceived severity of the incident. Furthermore, participants were asked to complete a Dark Tetrad scale-measuring their Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Sadism. Analyses determined that victim-blaming was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence (greater victim-blaming associated with more-negative content) and observer Machiavellianism. Perceived severity was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence, Volume of Abuse received, and observer Machiavellianism. Results were consistent with previous research involving male celebrity victims. Further research is needed to understand the contributions of participants' hostile and benevolent sexism, as well as the role of victim attractiveness.
Topics: Humans; Social Media; Female; Adult; Famous Persons; Male; Machiavellianism; Young Adult; Crime Victims; Surveys and Questionnaires; Narcissism; Social Perception; Antisocial Personality Disorder
PubMed: 38769333
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62273-y -
Neuropsychobiology 2024Dual diagnosis in individuals with cocaine use disorders (CUDs) presents a mental health challenge marked by an increased susceptibility to disabling morbidities and...
Dysregulation of Plasma Growth Factors and Chemokines in Cocaine Use Disorder: Implications for Dual Diagnosis with Schizophrenia and Antisocial Personality Disorder in an Exploratory Study.
INTRODUCTION
Dual diagnosis in individuals with cocaine use disorders (CUDs) presents a mental health challenge marked by an increased susceptibility to disabling morbidities and premature mortality. Despite extensive research on depression and anxiety, other prevalent comorbidities, such as psychotic and personality disorders, have received less attention. This study explores inflammation-related mediators as potential biomarkers for CUD and dual diagnosis with schizophrenia (SCZ) or antisocial personality disorder (APD).
METHODS
This exploratory study included 95 participants, comprising 40 healthy subjects and 55 abstinent patients with CUD. Lifetime CUD was diagnosed either as single diagnosis (CUD group, N = 25) or as a dual diagnosis (DD group. N = 30) with SCZ (CUD+SCZ subgroup) or APD (CUD+APD subgroup). Participants were clinically assessed, and the plasma concentrations of growth factors (i.e., G-CSF, BDNF, and VEGF-A) and chemokines (i.e., CCL11/eotaxin-1, CCL2/MCP-1, and CXCL12/SDF-1) were determined and log(10)-transformed for analysis.
RESULTS
Growth factors and chemokines were dysregulated by CUD and psychiatric diagnoses. Specifically, patients in the CUD group exhibited significantly lower concentrations of G-CSF and CCL11/eotaxin-1 than the control group. In contrast, the DD group showed significantly higher concentrations of all analytes than both the CUD and control groups. Additionally, no differences in these analytes were observed between the CUD+SCZ and CUD+APD subgroups within the DD group. Regarding cocaine-related variables, significant associations were identified in the CUD group: an inverse correlation between the age at first cocaine use and the concentrations of BDNF and CCL2/MCP-1; and a positive correlation between the duration of the cocaine abstinence and the concentrations of BDNF and CCL11/eotaxin-1. Lastly, a logistic regression model incorporating all these analytes demonstrated high discriminatory power in distinguishing patients with CUD alone from those with dual diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with dual diagnosis of CUD exhibit elevated concentrations of growth factors and chemokines, distinguishing them from those with CUD alone. It is unclear whether the differences in these inflammatory mediators are specific to the presence of SCZ and APD. The study highlights potential biomarkers and associations, providing valuable insights into the intricate interplay of CUD and psychiatric disorders to enhance clinical diagnosis and therapeutics.
Topics: Humans; Male; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Adult; Schizophrenia; Female; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Chemokines; Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Biomarkers; Middle Aged; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Chemokine CCL2
PubMed: 38768577
DOI: 10.1159/000536265 -
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 -
Journal of Neuropsychology May 2024Moral identity is an important moral variable which has positive moral functions, such as contributing to prosocial behaviours, reducing antisocial behaviours, and...
Moral identity is an important moral variable which has positive moral functions, such as contributing to prosocial behaviours, reducing antisocial behaviours, and resisting the risk factors of antisocial behaviours. However, little is known about the neural correlates of moral identity and the neural basis of the effect of moral identity on the risk factors of antisocial behaviours, including moral disengagement. In this study, we explored these issues in 142 college students by estimating the regional homogeneity (ReHo) through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The whole-brain correlation analyses found that higher internalized moral identity was correlated with higher ReHo in the precuneus. Furthermore, the ReHo in the precuneus was negatively correlated with moral disengagement, suggesting positive moral functions of the neural mechanisms of moral identity. These findings deepen our understanding of individual differences in moral identity and provide inspiration for the education of moral identity and the intervention for moral disengagement from the perspective of the brain.
PubMed: 38738605
DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12371 -
Biological Psychology Jul 2024This study examined the empathic processing of individuals with psychopathic traits and healthy controls in response to pain, applying affective perspective-taking (Self...
This study examined the empathic processing of individuals with psychopathic traits and healthy controls in response to pain, applying affective perspective-taking (Self vs. Other). Twenty subjects with high psychopathic traits and twenty control subjects performed pain judgment tasks in the study. During the tasks, late positive potentials (LPPs) of the participants were measured to assess emotional processing in reaction to visual stimuli depicting painful or non-painful situations. In early LPP time stage (500-700 ms), the control group and the psychopathic trait group exhibited comparable levels of empathic processing regarding pain. However, in late LPP time window (700-1100 ms), the control group showed a greater LPP amplitude to Pain stimuli than No-pain stimuli, whereas the psychopathic trait group exhibited non-significant amplitude differences between Pain and No-pain stimuli. These findings imply that individuals with high psychopathic traits may swiftly terminate the processing and encounter difficulties in reappraising distress cues, especially in the late stage, providing psychophysiological support for distinctive empathic processing with temporal aspects.
Topics: Humans; Male; Young Adult; Judgment; Electroencephalography; Empathy; Pain; Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Female; Evoked Potentials; Photic Stimulation; Reaction Time
PubMed: 38723762
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108810