Suffering Souls

Overview of Psychopathy

• Definition and Scope

  • Psychopathy is characterized by severe emotional detachment, a total lack of empathy and remorse, affecting about 15-25% of the North American prison population.

  • Estimated prevalence in the general adult male population is around 1%.

  • Female psychopaths are believed to be much rarer.

• Symptoms

  • Psychopaths do not typically exhibit the manias, hysterias, and neuroses present in other mental illnesses.

  • Key Defect: Severe emotional detachment, which is less easily identified than symptoms of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

• Diagnostic Consideration

  • Not classified as a disorder in the DSM; included under