Psychology & Psychiatry

Narcissism driven by insecurity, not grandiose sense of self

Narcissism is driven by insecurity, and not an inflated sense of self, finds a new study by a team of psychology researchers. Its research, which offers a more detailed understanding of this long-examined phenomenon, may ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

How to spot a psychopath

Millions recently flocked to the cinema to watch Joker, the origin story of Batman's notorious nemesis. Many have commented that the film is a portrait of a textbook psychopath. But perhaps the bigger question is how many ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Psychopathy linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain

New research provides the strongest evidence to date that psychopathy is linked to specific structural abnormalities in the brain. The study, published in Archives of General Psychiatry and led by researchers at King's College ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Psychopathy: A misunderstood personality disorder

Psychopathic personalities are some of the most memorable characters portrayed in popular media today. These characters, like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, Frank Abagnale Jr. from Catch Me If You Can and Alex from ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Psychopaths get a break from biology

A University of Utah survey of judges in 19 states found that if a convicted criminal is a psychopath, judges consider it an aggravating factor in sentencing, but if judges also hear biological explanations for the disorder, ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Myths about psychopaths busted

(Medical Xpress) -- New research challenges the belief that psychopaths are born not made, and suggests psychopaths may even be able to change their spots.

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Psychopathy (/saɪˈkɒpəθi/) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others. It is defined in different ways, but can involve a lack of empathy or remorse, false emotions, selfishness, grandiosity or deceptiveness; it can also involve impulsiveness, irritability, aggression, or inability to perceive danger and protect one's self.

However, there is no consensus about the symptom criteria for psychopathy, and no psychiatric or psychological organization has sanctioned a diagnosis of "psychopathy" itself.'

The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and states that this is also known as psychopathy. Nevertheless, the DSM-V working party is recommending the addition of a subtype specifically termed 'psychopathic'. The ICD-10 diagnostic criteria of the World Health Organization has a Dissocial personality disorder, which it states includes the psychopathic personality. The term 'sociopathic' is also often treated as equivalent, having been introduced as an alternative term indicating social causation. However, most psychopathy measures are different from the criteria for ASPD in that ASPD focus on observable behavior while psychopathy measures also include more indirect personality judgments.

Psychologist Robert Hare has been a particular champion of the concept of psychopathy, based largely on a characterization introduced by Hervey Cleckley mid 20th century. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist is a standard ratings tool most often used in forensic settings to assess psychopathy. A study by Hare and colleagues suggested that one to two percent of the US population score high enough on a screening version of the scale to be considered potential psychopaths. The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder covers two to three times as many prisoners as are rated as psychopaths on Hare's scale.

According to some, there is little evidence of a cure or effective treatment for psychopathy; no medications can instill empathy, and psychopaths who undergo traditional talk therapy might become more adept at manipulating others and more likely to commit crime. Others suggest that psychopaths may benefit as much as others from therapy. According to Hare, psychopathy stems from as yet unconfirmed genetic neurological predispositions and as yet unconfirmed social factors in upbringing. A review published in 2008 indicated multiple causes, and variation in causes between individuals.

Despite being unused as the main term in diagnostic manuals, the term 'psychopath' is still used by some mental health professionals and by the general public, popular press and in fictional portrayals. Despite the similarity of the names, psychopaths are rarely psychotic. Although psychopathy is associated with and in some cases defined by conduct problems, criminality or violence, most psychopaths are not violent.

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