Analysis of malingered psychological symptoms in a clinical sample for early detection in initial interviews.

Malingering consists of the production of false physical or psychological symptoms motivated by external incentives that are normally reproduced in pathologies that are not related to organic origin or there are no laboratory tests for their diagnosis, as is the case of mixed anxiety-depressive disorder and fibromyalgia syndrome. The objective of this research consisted of comparing the profile of simulative patients with fibromyalgia and mixed anxiety-depressive disorder to obtain a profile and facilitate its detection in initial interviews. The research was carried out with 78 patients (42 patients with fibromyalgia and 36 patients with mixed anxiety-depressive disorder) who were administered the professional's structured clinical judgment, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Structured Symptom Simulation Inventory. The main obtained results show that the simulation classification proposed by the questionnaire is in the range of 66.67-80% with regard to coinciding with the judgment of experts, and people with suspicion of simulation of both groups of patients present similar characteristics. The simulators thus present incongruous responses in relation to the questionnaires, and high levels of trait anxiety, state, and depression predict the simulation of symptoms.

Personality characteristics in specialist and generalist intimate partner violence perpetrators.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common types of violence against women. Although personality disorders have been associated with IPV, perpetration research regarding personality according to the classification specialist/generalist IPV perpetrators is scarce. The general aim of this study was to describe personality in a large sample of IPV Spanish male perpetrators considering their classification (specialist vs. generalist). Participants were 1093 men convicted of IPV crimes whose ages ranged from 18 to 76 years old (M = 40.15; SD = 10.32). Of them, 554 men were classified as specialist perpetrators and 539 men were classified as generalist perpetrators. Participants completed questionnaires regarding sociodemographic and violence aspects as well as the Spanish version of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III. Generalist perpetrators showed higher means in nearly all the personality disorders scales compared to specialist perpetrators. Prevalence rates in the majority of personality disorders were lower than 5%. Higher scores on the avoidant, histrionic, and self-defeating scales and lower scores on the aggressive, borderline, and drug dependence scales were related to being a specialist perpetrator. This study contributes to a better understanding of personality among generalist and specialist perpetrators.

Psychological Tasks Used in Neuroimaging with Male Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence against Women: A Systematic Review.

This bibliographic review analyses the utility for psychologists of using neuroimaging tests and psychological or neuropsychological tests at the same time for studying the functioning of the brain in male abusers condemned for intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). So as to be able to find an answer, we reviewed the available studies that investigated the structure or functioning of the brain. The results of these reviewed works of research show the benefits of using neuroimaging applied to male abusers, together with the use, either simultaneously or not, of other types of psychological, neuropsychological, or observational tests to complement and/or amplify the results of the neuroimaging techniques, as this can help us to advance in the knowledge of neuroscience as concerns the mind of the male abuser.

Profile of Subclinical Psychopathy in Spanish University Students.

Psychopaths are portrayed as deceitful, manipulative, domineering and narcissistic; the result of an irregular and irresponsible interpersonal style that harms both the psychopath him/herself and others. Furthermore, psychopathy is frequently associated with both violent and antisocial conduct. However, subclinical psychopaths are known for manifesting this type of profile without committing crimes. The objective of this study is to examine the differences that exist in subclinical psychopathy concerning gender, the number of intimate relationships and the age of the university student. The number of university students participating was 1289. They were given the Integrated/Subclinical Psychopathy Questionnaire (CUPIS). The results show that, in subclinical psychopathy, men present higher scores than women and younger persons have higher scores than older persons. In addition, the scores in psychopathy are higher for students who have had a larger number of intimate relationships. The contributions of this study allow us to determine the profile associated with subclinical psychopathy.

Partner relationship quality, social support and maternal stress during pregnancy and the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Introduction: Pregnancy has been associated with diminished maternal mental health and a deterioration in partner relationship quality. The recent COVID-19 quarantine measures have created additional stressors for pregnant women due to isolation and a surge in partner conflict.Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess how partner relationship conflict and social support may mediate mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample of 152 pregnant women using psychological measures, (i.e. Prenatal Distress Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90-R, Duke-UNC-11 Functional Social Support Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale). Demographic characteristics, obstetrics history, and partner relationship conflict were assessed using questionnaires.Results: While there were few reports of physical violence in this sample, between 18% and 59% of women reported partner relationship conflict on the psychological subscale (e.g. afraid of one's partner or screamed at by one's partner). Further, the psychological subscale was significantly associated with symptoms of psychopathology. There was a significant negative association between social support and pregnancy-specific stress (p = .005), and perceived stress (p= .038).Conclusions: These findings suggest that partner relationship conflict and social support may act as important buffers for prenatal mental health in childbearing women during vulnerable situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resting-state functional connectivity and socioemotional processes in male perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a serious and overwhelming public concern. Neuroimaging techniques have provided insights into the brain mechanisms underlying IPVAW perpetration. The purpose of this study is to examine the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) involving the process of social decision-making of male perpetrators. Twenty-six male perpetrators convicted for an IPVAW crime were compared to 29 men convicted for crimes other than IPVAW (other offenders) and 29 men with no criminal records (non-offenders) using a seed-based approach. Seeds were located in areas involved in reflective (prefrontal), impulsive (amygdala and striatum) and interoceptive (insula) processing. Then, as an exploratory analysis, the connectivity networks on male perpetrators were correlated with measures of executive functions and socioemotional self-report measures. Male perpetrators in comparison to other offenders and non-offenders, presented higher rsFC between prefrontal, limbic, brainstem, temporal and basal ganglia areas. Also male perpetrators showed higher rsFC between insula, default mode network and basal ganglia, while lower rsFC was found between prefrontal and motor areas and between amygdala, occipital and parietal areas. Exploratory correlations suggest that the specific rsFC in male perpetrators might be more related to socioemotional processes than to executive functions. These results showed that male perpetrators present a specific rsFC in brain systems that are essential for an adaptive social decision-making.

"Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt to the Party"? : Batterers Do Not Activate Default Mode Network During Moral Decisions About Intimate Partner Violence.

Moral convictions consist of assessments based on perceptions of morality and immorality, of right and wrong. There are people who, based on morality, commit crimes. For instance, social and moral norms based on inequality appear to play an important role in the batterer's behavior to commit violent acts. Research shows that batterers consider themselves to be moral persons, are defenders of their beliefs, and, if necessary, are self-delusional, enjoying a "feeling" of moral worth. The main aim of this work was to uncover the brain mechanisms underlying moral decision making related to intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study comparing moral decisions related to IPV and general violence (GV) in a sample of convicted Spanish men. The two groups of our sample were recruited from the Center for Social Insertion (CSI; Granada, Spain): batterers (BG, n = 21), people convicted for IPV, and other criminals (OCG, n = 20) convicted of violating other legal norms without violence against people. Greene's classical dilemmas were used to validate IPV and GV dilemmas. First, our results showed that IPV and GV dilemmas activate the same brain areas as those activated by Greene's dilemmas, primarily involving the default mode network (DMN), which suggests that IPV and GV dilemmas are both moral dilemmas. Second, our results showed that other criminals activated the DMN during both types of dilemmas. Nevertheless, batterers activated the DMN during the GV dilemmas but not during the IPV ones, suggesting that decisions about their female partners do not entail moral conflict. Thus, these preliminary results showed that batterers do not activate moral areas during IPV dilemmas specifically, but do so during GV dilemmas. These results suggest that intervention programs for batterers should aim to specifically modify the value system held by the abuser toward his female partner and not toward other people.

Suicidal Ideation and Mental Health: The Moderating Effect of Coping Strategies in the Police Force.

The suicide rate in the police force (Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad-FFCCSS) is estimated to be greater than that of the general population. The objectives of this paper are to detect mental health problems, in particular depression and anxiety, and to analyze the moderating effect of coping strategies on the relation between mental health and suicide ideation in police officers. The Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ-R), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), the Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Brief Cope have all been used in the study. The sample consists of 98 Spanish police officers, of whom 91.8% were male. The results indicate that depression and anxiety can predict suicidal ideation. Nevertheless, it must be said that coping strategies do not have a moderating effect in the relation between mental health and suicidal ideation in this professional group.

Characteristics of Childhood Family Violence Experiences in Spanish Batterers.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) constitutes a major public health problem worldwide. The existing links between childhood family violence experiences and perpetration of IPV during adulthood suggest that violence is transmitted across generations. The aims of this study were to provide new insights into characteristics of the history of childhood family violence in a sample of Spanish convicted male batterers and to examine what typology of batterer (specialist or generalist) is more likely to have had different types of childhood experiences of violence in the family context. Participants were 740 men convicted of IPV whose ages ranged from 18 to 71 years old (M = 39.74; SD = 10.01). Of them, 305 men were classified as specialist batterers, and 391 men were classified as generalist batterers. Participants completed a questionnaire made ad hoc regarding family of origin violence and sociodemographic aspects. Results showed that, in comparison with generalist batterers, specialist batterers had higher likelihood of having experienced child abuse or maltreatment during their childhood, having experienced physical punishment and child neglect, having their father as the aggressor of such experienced situations of abuse, or maltreatment. Likewise, specialist batterers had higher likelihood of having been witnesses of family violence, having witnessed physical and psychological violence in the family, having witnessed their mother and siblings being the victims and their father being the aggressor when family violence occurred. This study emphasized the need for identifying children exposed to direct and indirect family violence because they could be a vulnerable group for future IPV perpetration. Moreover, variables related to childhood family violence must be considered when developing intervention treatment programs focused on male specialist batterers.

Emotional, Behavioural and Executive Functioning Problems in Children in Residential Care.

This research analyses the emotional and behavioural problems, as well as the problems in the executive functions, of children in residential care under protective measures, between 8 and 12 years of age. We analyse the relationship between the problems with their executive functions and their emotional and behavioural problems, as well as the predictive value of the executive functions for the said emotional and behavioural problems. The instruments used were as follows: five digits test (FDT), behavioural assessment of the dysexecutive syndrome in children (BADS-C) and the system of evaluation for children and adolescents (SENA). The results indicate that the children have difficulties in their executive functions, with such problems as in attention control and regulation, impulsiveness, mental rigidity, behavioural organisation and planning and resolving problems. They also have internalising and externalising problems, as well as difficulties in controlling their emotional reactions and understanding the emotions of others. It becomes evident that the difficulties in their executive functions are related to and predict their emotional and behavioural problems. The research demonstrates the need to intervene in the problems detected through the design of therapeutic programmes and interventions in the residential context.

¿Está asociado el abuso/dependencia de drogas a un funcionamiento ejecutivo específico en maltratadores? / No disponible

Aunque se ha explorado el perfil neuropsicológico de los maltratadores, no existe suficiente información sobre su funcionamiento ejecutivo considerando la gravedad del consumo de sustancias. Un conocimiento amplio y sólido del desempeño ejecutivo de esta población ayudaría a esclarecer su aportación específica a la diferenciación de ciertos subtipos de maltratador. Con este propósito se administró un protocolo conformado por pruebas que evalúan algunas funciones ejecutivas a 39 maltratadores con antecedentes de abuso/dependencia de sustancias (MC) (M = 38,79; DT = 6,74) y 39 maltratadores sin esta clase de antecedentes (MS) (M = 35,59; DT = 7,95), todos ellos procedentes de dos prisiones de Granada (España). Los MC presentaron un rendimiento más pobre que los MS en flexibilidad cognitiva, memoria de trabajo y control inhibitorio. Los hallazgos corroboran la asociación del abuso/dependencia de sustancias a un funcionamiento ejecutivo específico en los maltratadores, a la vez que contribuyen a la optimización de las estrategias de prevención de la violencia contra la pareja/expareja y de los programas de intervención con esta población

Although the neuropsychological profile of batterers has been explored, there is not enough information about their executive functioning according to the severity of substance use. A broad and solid knowledge of the executive performance of this population would help to clarify its specific contribution to the differentiation of certain batterer subtypes. For this purpose, a protocol consisting of tests that evaluate some executive functions was administered to 39 batterers with a history of substance abuse/dependence (MC) (M = 38.79, SD = 6.74) and 39 batterers without this kind of background (MS) (M = 35.59, SD = 7.95), all of them from two prisons in Granada (Spain). The MC presented less cognitive flexibility and worse working memory and inhibitory control than the MS. The findings corroborate the association of substance abuse/dependence to a specific executive functioning in batterers, while contributing to the optimization of strategies to prevent intimate partner violence and intervention programs with this population

Structural brain differences in emotional processing and regulation areas between male batterers and other criminals: A preliminary study.

Poor emotion processing is thought to influence violent behaviors among male batterers in abusive relationships. Nevertheless, little is known about the neural mechanisms of emotion processing in this population. With the objective of better understanding brain structure and its relation to emotion processing in male batterers, the present study compares the cortical grey matter thickness of male batterers to that of other criminals in brain areas related to emotion. Differences among these brain areas were also compared to an emotional perception task. An MRI study and an emotional perception assessment was conducted with 21 male batterers and 20 men convicted of crimes other than Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Results demonstrated that batterers' had significantly thinner cortices in prefrontal (orbitofrontal), midline (anterior and posterior cingulate) and limbic (insula, parahipocampal) brain regions. The thickness of the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex in the batterer group correlated with scores on the emotional perception task. These findings shed light on a neuroscientific approach to analyzing violent behavior perpetrated by male batterers, leading to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in IPV.

Are batterers different from other criminals? An fMRI study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and global phenomenon that requires a multi-perspective analysis. Nevertheless, the number of neuroscientific studies conducted on this issue is scarce as compared with studies of other types of violence, and no neuroimaging studies comparing batterers to other criminals have been conducted. Thus, the main aim of this study was to compare the brain functioning of batterers to that of other criminals when they are exposed to IPV or general violence pictures. An fMRI study was conducted in 21 batterers and 20 other criminals while they observed IPV images (IPVI), general violence images (GVI) and neutral images (NI). Results demonstrated that batterers, compared with other criminals, exhibited a higher activation in the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex and in the middle prefrontal cortex and a decreased activation in the superior prefrontal cortex to IPVI compared to NI. The paired t-test comparison between IPVI and GVI for each group showed engagement of the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate and the left angular cortices to IPVI in the batterer group only. These results could have important implications for a better understanding of the IPV phenomenon.

Procesamiento emocional en maltratadores de género mediante el Test de Expresiones Faciales de Ekman y la Tarea Stroop Emocional / Emotional processing in batterers as assessed by Test Ekman Facial Expressions and Emotional Stroop Task in intimate partner violence situations

La investigación actual en el campo de la violencia de pareja es escasa en lo que se refiere al papel del procesamiento emocional de los maltratadores. Sin embargo, ningún estudio ha investigado en la misma muestra la capacidad de reconocer las emociones y la influencia de las emociones en los aspectos atencionales. El objetivo de este estudio es investigar en una muestra de maltratadores la capacidad de reconocer las emociones de fotografías estandarizadas y analizar la interferencia de las palabras con contenido emocional en una tarea atencional. La muestra consistió en 90 hombres condenados por violencia de pareja y 77 hombres condenados por otros delitos. Se evaluaron las características sociodemográficas asociadas a nuestra muestra y el procesamiento emocional de las expresiones faciales con la prueba de Ekman y la Tarea Stroop Emocional, diseñada específicamente para evaluar el procesamiento emocional en situaciones de violencia contra la pareja. Los resultados mostraron un mejor reconocimiento emocional de los maltratadores en las emociones faciales de enfado y sorpresa. Para el procesamiento de palabras con contenido emocional, las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas.

Current research in the field of intimate partner violence has been scarce as regards the role of emotional processing in abusers. Nevertheless, no study has investigated the ability to recognize emotions and the influence of emotions on attention-related aspects among the same sample. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability to recognize emotions in standardized photographs, and to analyze the interference that words with emotional content exert on an attention task in a sample of abusers. The sample consisted of 90 men convicted of intimate partner violence and 77 men convicted of other crimes. Demographic characteristics associated to the sample were evaluated, as were emotional processing of facial expressions with the Ekman Test and the Emotional Stroop task, specifically designed to assess emotional processing in situations of intimate partner violence. The results showed better emotional recognition among abusers in the recognition of facial emotions of anger and surprise. As for the processing of words with emotional content, differences were not statistically significant.