A pervasive , chronic pattern of disregard for others, repeated deceitedness as well as the violation of others rights.
What people colloquially refer to psychopathic or sociopathic behaviour is often what psychologists know as Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD).
Antisocial personality traits were first identified by a psychiatrist in Europe around the nineteenth century, this is suggested to be the first ever personality disorder identified. It is characterized by commission of unlawful acts, manipulative behaviour, a general lack of empathy and disruptions in interpersonal relationships. One cannot be diagnosed with ASPD until the age of 18 years. And even in such a case the display of these deviant personality traits must be rigid, chronic and maladaptive; they must also not be concurrent with any sort of personal benefit or schizophrenic and manic episodes. These traits often do lead to significant subjective distress and impairment to the individual.
Those diagnosed with ASPD often tend to meet the diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder (CD), prior to the age of 15 which is important to take note of. Conduct disorder is in turn quite a severe condition which is characterized by hostility accompanied by verbally/physically aggressive behavior.
The prevalence of ASPD is 2-4% of the general population according to epidemiological studies, with a higher incidence in men. Symptoms peak at the age of 24-44 years.
Despite contrary belief those with ASPD may be successful in life to a large extent, however we fail to see that as studies conducted are usually with those imprisoned, hospitalised or undergoing therapy. A case study by Eisenman, an author who lived with a man, Tom, suffering from ASPD is a good example as such. While Tom failed to maintain close relationships due to the inability to form non-manipulative close attachments, he did fairly well in the other aspects of his life. Although those suffering from ASPD don’t often reach out for help, behaviour therapy as well as psychotherapy accompanied by group therapy has been known to show improvement in deviant behaviours.
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About the Author.
Ankita Agarwal is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.