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Psychiatria Polska Dec 2023Numerous studies show that a high level of psychopathic traits in youth is related to the propensity to use various types and forms of aggression. The presented study...
OBJECTIVES
Numerous studies show that a high level of psychopathic traits in youth is related to the propensity to use various types and forms of aggression. The presented study focuses on the relations between psychopathy and aggression, both indirect (relational) and direct in this age group. The triarchic model of psychopathy was used, according to which psychopathy is described as a configuration of boldness, meanness and disinhibition. It was assumed that boldness would be a predictor for indirect aggression and disinhibition - for the direct forms of aggressive behaviors.
METHODS
The sample consisted of 200 older adolescents (108 boys and 92 girls), aged 16-19. Two groups were distinguished for comparison: juveniles from youth fostering centers and youth not violating legal norms. For the measurement of the variables the following self-reports were used: Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Indirect Aggression Scale (Aggressor Version) and Aggression Questionnaire.
RESULTS
From among the dimensions of psychopathy, the strongest predictor for both forms of aggression (indirect and direct) was disinhibition. The study also revealed the differences in the intensity of psychopathic traits and aggressive behaviors with reference to gender and institutionalization. However, the hypothesis on the relationship between boldness and indirect aggression was not confirmed.
CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that disinhibition and meanness can be considered as significant personality risk factors for aggressive behaviors and violence not only in adults but also in adolescents. The study supported also the heterogeneity of the triarchic model of psychopathy itself.
Topics: Adult; Male; Female; Humans; Adolescent; Aggression; Models, Psychological; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Surveys and Questionnaires; Self Report
PubMed: 38564520
DOI: 10.12740/PP/158898 -
Psychological Medicine Apr 2024The nature of the pathway from conduct disorder (CD) in adolescence to antisocial behavior in adulthood has been debated and the role of certain mediators remains...
BACKGROUND
The nature of the pathway from conduct disorder (CD) in adolescence to antisocial behavior in adulthood has been debated and the role of certain mediators remains unclear. One perspective is that CD forms part of a general psychopathology dimension, playing a central role in the developmental trajectory. Impairment in reflective functioning (RF), i.e., the capacity to understand one's own and others' mental states, may relate to CD, psychopathology, and aggression. Here, we characterized the structure of psychopathology in adult male-offenders and its role, along with RF, in mediating the relationship between CD in their adolescence and current aggression.
METHODS
A secondary analysis of pre-treatment data from 313 probation-supervised offenders was conducted, and measures of CD symptoms, general and specific psychopathology factors, RF, and aggression were evaluated through clinical interviews and questionnaires.
RESULTS
Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a bifactor model best fitted the sample's psychopathology structure, including a general psychopathology factor (p factor) and five specific factors: internalizing, disinhibition, detachment, antagonism, and psychoticism. The structure of RF was fitted to the data using a one-factor model. According to our mediation model, CD significantly predicted the p factor, which was positively linked to RF impairments, resulting in increased aggression.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight the critical role of a transdiagnostic approach provided by RF and general psychopathology in explaining the link between CD and aggression. Furthermore, they underscore the potential utility of treatments focusing on RF, such as mentalization-based treatment, in mitigating aggression in offenders with diverse psychopathologies.
PubMed: 38563288
DOI: 10.1017/S003329172400062X -
The American Journal of Psychiatry Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Conduct Disorder; Parenting; Emotions; Empathy; Antisocial Personality Disorder
PubMed: 38557142
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20240096 -
PloS One 2024There has been an increase in female incarcerated offenders nationally and internationally. Despite this trend, literature and research on female offenders remain...
There has been an increase in female incarcerated offenders nationally and internationally. Despite this trend, literature and research on female offenders remain limited compared to their male counterparts. Evidence of the relationship between certain personality disorders and offending behaviour has led numerous countries to prioritise identifying and assessing personality disorders among the offender population. Psychopathic personality traits may contribute to women's risk factors for expressing antisocial behaviours, resulting in their potential future incarceration. Thus, a need exists to understand possible factors that may predict the expression of psychopathic traits in females, which may have notable utility among female offenders. This study aimed to investigate possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst incarcerated female offenders in South Africa. A quantitative research approach, non-experimental research type, and correlational research design were employed. A convenience sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of 139 (N = 139) female offenders housed in two correctional centres in South Africa who voluntarily participated in this study. Correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analysis procedures were conducted to analyse the results. Results indicated (i) a certain combination of predictor variables that statistically and practically significantly explained both primary and secondary psychopathy and (ii) individual predictor variables (e.g., Impulsivity, Simple Tasks, Risk-Seeking, and Self-Centredness) that explained both primary and secondary psychopathy statistically and practically significantly. This study provides valuable information about the possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst female offenders within the context of South Africa. However, further research must be conducted to validate these findings and advance our knowledge on this topic.
Topics: Female; Humans; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Criminals; Morals; Prisoners; Self-Control; South Africa
PubMed: 38547082
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299847 -
Psychological Trauma : Theory,... Mar 2024Despite accumulating evidence of significant albeit moderate associations between childhood trauma and psychopathy, little is known about the potential moderators of...
OBJECTIVE
Despite accumulating evidence of significant albeit moderate associations between childhood trauma and psychopathy, little is known about the potential moderators of these associations. To advance knowledge in this area, the present study investigated the moderating role of resilience in the childhood trauma-psychopathy link.
METHOD
A community sample of 521 adult participants from the Netherlands (40.1% men; = 35.27 years, = 15.99) completed two self-report questionnaires measuring psychopathic personality traits: a self-report measure of resilience and a retrospective measure of childhood traumatic experiences. Correlation analyses were employed to investigate bivariate associations among study variables. Moderated multiple regression analyses with bootstrapping followed by simple slope analyses were employed to examine Childhood Trauma × Resilience interactions in predicting scores of psychopathy subscales.
RESULTS
Childhood trauma had small positive associations with psychopathic traits across the board, with the exception of a small negative association with boldness traits, as well as a small negative association with resilience. Resilience was strongly and positively related to boldness, and negatively related to affective (callousness, meanness) and behavioral (antisocial, disinhibition) traits of psychopathy. Resilience moderated six out of seven associations between childhood trauma and psychopathic traits.
CONCLUSIONS
Resilience appeared to represent a significant buffer in the associations between childhood traumatic experiences and psychopathic traits, such that these associations became weaker and nonsignificant (and even negative for boldness) at higher levels compared to lower levels of resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
PubMed: 38546596
DOI: 10.1037/tra0001687 -
International Journal of Law and... 2024Our knowledge of the severity and reoffending is limited for mentally disordered offenders, and studies generally evaluate without separation between different...
Our knowledge of the severity and reoffending is limited for mentally disordered offenders, and studies generally evaluate without separation between different diagnostic groups. It was aimed to determine the general profile of mentally disordered offenders who are inpatients in a high secure psychiatry unit from Turkiye and to evaluate the factors associated with violence profiles among different diagnostic groups. According to the results the schizophrenia patients committed the most severe crimes, and intellectual disability patients had some different features from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. History of substance misuse in the intellectual disability group (p = 0,045) and comorbid antisocial personality disorder in the bipolar disorder group (p = 0,015) were associated with increased crime severity. Substance misuse history, history of substance use during the crime, and the existence of comorbid antisocial personality disorder were associated with increased offenses in each of the three diagnosis groups. Living alone (p = 0,004) and having a suicide history (p= 0,052) were associated with the high number of offenses in the schizophrenia group. This study is the first study that compares three diagnostic groups to involve a large patient group. We believe that clinicians must evaluate these parameters for the violence risk assessment of patients.
Topics: Humans; Male; Adult; Violence; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Criminals; Schizophrenia; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Substance-Related Disorders; Young Adult; Bipolar Disorder; Intellectual Disability; Comorbidity
PubMed: 38537541
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101983 -
Evolutionary Psychology : An... 2024While a wealth of research has focused on testing several arguments from Moffitt's developmental taxonomy of antisocial behavior-mainly the presence of...
While a wealth of research has focused on testing several arguments from Moffitt's developmental taxonomy of antisocial behavior-mainly the presence of life-course-persistent vs. adolescence-limited offending and predictors of each trajectory-much less attention has been devoted to examining how evolutionarily adaptive lifestyle factors common during adolescence may condition the relationship between the maturity gap and delinquent offending. One factor that may play a role during this period of development is alcohol use, as many adolescents begin to experiment with consuming alcohol in varying degrees in social settings to model adult-like behaviors. Yet presently much is unknown about the role of alcohol use on the association between the maturity gap and delinquency. The current study aims to address this void in the literature by analyzing data from a U.S. sample of adolescent males ( = 1,276) to assess whether alcohol use moderates the relationship between the maturity gap and delinquent behavior. Findings suggest that the maturity gap is associated with delinquent behavior and that the association becomes weaker at higher levels of alcohol use. The implications of these findings for Moffitt's maturity gap thesis and male offending from an evolutionary perspective are discussed.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Adolescent; Alcohol Drinking; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Biological Evolution; Juvenile Delinquency; Adolescent Behavior
PubMed: 38528754
DOI: 10.1177/14747049241241432 -
Comprehensive Psychiatry May 2024There are few psychiatric epidemiology studies among Kenyan youth and fewer among those at high psychosis risk (HR).
INTRODUCTION
There are few psychiatric epidemiology studies among Kenyan youth and fewer among those at high psychosis risk (HR).
METHODS
This study assessed the epidemiology of DSM-5 psychiatric disorders in HR and low-risk (LR) individuals to inform research and mental health services. 567 participants (aged 15-25) in HR (n = 246) and LR (n = 260) groups based on Washington Early Recognition Center Affectivity and Psychosis (WERCAP) Screen scores. Diagnostic Interview Schedule, version 5 (DIS-5) assessed DSM-5 psychiatric disorder prevalence. Diagnostic comorbidity and demographic relationships were investigated.
RESULTS
A higher prevalence was observed for all DSM-5 disorders in the HR group, significantly for gambling disorder (13% vs. 5.8%), major depressive disorder (9.8% vs. 3.8%), antisocial personality disorder (5.7% vs. 2.3%), general anxiety disorder (4.9% vs. 0.4%), oppositional defiant disorder (3.3% vs. 0.4%), panic disorder (2.8% vs. 0.8%), and anorexia nervosa (2.8% vs. 0%). Gambling disorder was the most prevalent and showed significant gender effects (males>females).
DISCUSSION
Psychiatric disorders occur at increased rates among HR compared to LR. Prevalence rates found are lower than in US studies, except for gambling disorder which was highly prevalent. Large-population-based epidemiology studies in Africa are needed to estimate rates, particularly of disorders such as schizophrenia, accurately.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Adolescent; Kenya; Depressive Disorder, Major; Mental Disorders; Psychotic Disorders; Anorexia Nervosa; Comorbidity; Prevalence; Substance-Related Disorders; Anxiety Disorders
PubMed: 38503003
DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152473 -
Acta Psychologica May 2024This study explored demographic, ideological, self-rating and personality traits correlates of the Dark Tetrad (DT4) which measures Narcissism (Special),...
This study explored demographic, ideological, self-rating and personality traits correlates of the Dark Tetrad (DT4) which measures Narcissism (Special), Machiavellianism (Crafty), Psychopathy (Wild), and Sadism (Mean) traits. In total, 447 adults completed three tests: a bright-side, work-related, personality test (HPTI: High Performance Type Indicator), a dark-side test (Short Dark Tetrad) and a number of self-ratings. Correlations and regressions showed that all four dark traits were associated with low Adjustment (Neuroticism), but also with high Risk-Taking and Competitiveness (low Agreeableness). The various measures accounted for a third of the variance in explaining the Mean (Sadistic) score, and 40 % for Special (Narcissism). Trait Competitiveness was most closely associated with all four dark traits.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Machiavellianism; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Sadism; Cognition; Neuroticism; Personality
PubMed: 38502994
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104222 -
Behavioral Sciences & the Law 2024We examined the interrelationships between psychopathy, changes in general criminal attitudes, and community recidivism in a sample of 212 men who attended an...
We examined the interrelationships between psychopathy, changes in general criminal attitudes, and community recidivism in a sample of 212 men who attended an institutional sexual offense treatment program (SOTP) and were followed for an average of 12.73 years post-release. The men completed a self-report measure of general criminal attitudes, the Criminal Sentiments Scale, as part of routine SOTP service delivery, Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) ratings were completed via file review, and recidivism data were obtained from official criminal records. Criminal attitude endorsement and criminal attitude change had clinically meaningful, but differential, associations with the antisocial and interpersonal features of psychopathy. Further, positive changes in criminal attitudes-particularly tolerance of law violations (i.e., rationalizations for criminal behavior)-were significantly predictive of reductions in community violent and general recidivism after controlling for PCL-R score. Results demonstrate that general criminal attitude change has risk relevance in the treatment of high psychopathy persons with sexual offense histories.
Topics: Humans; Male; Sex Offenses; Adult; Criminals; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Recidivism; Attitude; Middle Aged; Criminal Behavior
PubMed: 38502681
DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2654