Mental Illness and Psychopathy

Abnormality

behaviour significantly different from norm, 5 characteristics

different/statistical rarity

varies significantly from norm, not necessarily negative

deviance/norm violation

differs from socially acceptable, negative

distressing

to individual/others

disordered

lack of integration in behaviours causing impairment of ability to cope in different situations

bizarre

inadequate coping patterns, disintegration of behavioural patterns

mental disorders and criminality are

largely unrelated, higher associations when history of prior violence and comorbid with other disorders

Psychopathy 

not currently personality disorder in DSM, cluster of traits, madness without delirium 

Cleckley

first formal criteria for psychopathy, 16 features including positive, behavioural, affective/interpersonal 

Sociopathy

person whose psychopathic traits are from the environment

Etiology of psychopathy includes

genetic, physical brain structures (PFC and amygdala), environmental causes

PCL-R Hare

20 item rating scale assessing interpersonal, affective and behavioural features of psychopathy, score > 26 = psychopath, 30 in US

2 factors of psychopathy

Factor 1: interpersonal/affective, factor 2: lifestyle/antisocial

Psychopathic Personality Inventory Revised (PPI-R)

154 items to measure psychopathic traits, offender and community sample

Self Report Psychopathy Scale SRP

64 self report measures, biased

Sociopathy

person whose psychopathic traits are from the environment

Birmbaum: antisocial behaviour, impulsivity, deficits in empathy and emotional processing 

7 adult symptoms of sociopathy 

deceitfulness, manipulation, impulsivity, irritability, recklessness, lack of remorse, irresponsibility

Diagnostic criteria for sociopathy

Sig impairments in personality (self functioning, interpersonal functioning), pathological personality traits (antagonism, disinhibition), stable impairments, not normative, not from substance use, 18+

Etiology of ASP

genetic, neurotransmitter disturbances (low subcortical arousal)

Paraphilias

deviations from inappropriate perfectionist ideals of sexual norms, need sexual behaviour to quality

Reactive killers

damaged PFC, overactive amygdala, brain tumour

Psychopathic killers

low amygdala activity, normal PFC functioning = ability to plan

Psychotic killers

low amygdala activity, damaged PFC