The Spanish Short Dark Tetrad (SD4): Association With Personality and Psychological Problems.

BACKGROUND: The Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) is a recently developed instrument for assessing the "dark" personality traits of psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism. We aimed to examine the SD4's psychometric properties, adapting it into Spanish and exploring its structure, gender invariance, reliability, concurrent validity, and nomological network. METHOD: A sample of 668 adults ( = 26.36, = 10.64, 69.2% females) completed the SD4 and other self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: The results demonstrated sound indices of reliability and concurrent validity, an adequate four-factor structure, and support for gender invariance. Furthermore, most of the findings about the nomological network were in line with prior hypotheses: All four SD4 scales were associated with low levels of agreeableness and antagonism; psychopathy was also related to low conscientiousness, disinhibition and impulse-control problems; narcissism was positively associated with extraversion and negatively associated with internalizing symptoms; Machiavellianism was uncorrelated with impulsivity-related problems, which made it distinct from the psychopathy profile; finally, sadism showed a similar pattern of associations to psychopathy, albeit less strongly linked to impulsivity problems and externalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the SD4 presents sound psychometric properties, although the overlap between psychopathy and sadism warrants some caution.

Morality, self-control, age, type of offence and sentence length as predictors of psychopathy amongst female incarcerated offenders in South Africa.

There has been an increase in female incarcerated offenders nationally and internationally. Despite this trend, literature and research on female offenders remain limited compared to their male counterparts. Evidence of the relationship between certain personality disorders and offending behaviour has led numerous countries to prioritise identifying and assessing personality disorders among the offender population. Psychopathic personality traits may contribute to women's risk factors for expressing antisocial behaviours, resulting in their potential future incarceration. Thus, a need exists to understand possible factors that may predict the expression of psychopathic traits in females, which may have notable utility among female offenders. This study aimed to investigate possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst incarcerated female offenders in South Africa. A quantitative research approach, non-experimental research type, and correlational research design were employed. A convenience sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of 139 (N = 139) female offenders housed in two correctional centres in South Africa who voluntarily participated in this study. Correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analysis procedures were conducted to analyse the results. Results indicated (i) a certain combination of predictor variables that statistically and practically significantly explained both primary and secondary psychopathy and (ii) individual predictor variables (e.g., Impulsivity, Simple Tasks, Risk-Seeking, and Self-Centredness) that explained both primary and secondary psychopathy statistically and practically significantly. This study provides valuable information about the possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst female offenders within the context of South Africa. However, further research must be conducted to validate these findings and advance our knowledge on this topic.

Antisocial Personality Traits, Substance Use, and Somatization: A Brief Consideration of Their Interrelation.

The relationship between antisocial personality traits and the expression of somatic symptoms has been the subject of several theoretical and empirical investigations. The present study sought to advance the understanding of the relationship between these variables by testing two moderation models. It was hypothesized that the relationship between antisocial traits and somatization would be moderated by alcohol use, such that the presence of alcohol dependence would strengthen the relationship between antisocial traits and somatization. It was also hypothesized that gender would play a moderating role in the relationship between ASPD and somatization, such that the relationship would be stronger among women than among men. These models were tested in a sample of 787 criminal offenders. Gender did not emerge as a significant moderator in the relationship between antisocial traits and somatization. Although substance use did significantly moderate the relationship between antisocial traits and somatization, the direction of the effect ran counter to expectations: among participants reporting a history of alcohol dependency, the relationship between antisocial features and somatization was diminished. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Conduct disorder - a comprehensive exploration of comorbidity patterns, genetic and environmental risk factors.

Conduct disorder (CD), a common mental disorder in children and adolescents, is characterized by antisocial behavior. Despite similarities with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and possible diagnostic continuity, CD has been shown to precede a range of adult-onset mental disorders. Additionally, little is known about the putative shared genetic liability between CD and adult-onset mental disorders and the underlying gene-environment interplay. Here, we interrogated comorbidity between CD and other mental disorders from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (n = 114 500) and investigated how polygenic risk scores (PRS) for mental health traits were associated with CD/CD traits in childhood and adolescence. Gene-environment interplay patterns for CD was explored with data on bullying and parental education. We found CD to be comorbid with several child and adult-onset mental disorders. This phenotypic overlap corresponded with associations between PRS for mental disorders and CD. Additionally, our findings support an additive gene-environment model. Previously conceptualized as a precursor of ASPD, we found that CD was associated with polygenic risk for several child- and adult-onset mental disorders. High comorbidity of CD with other psychiatric disorders reflected on the genetic level should inform research studies, diagnostic assessments and clinical follow-up of this heterogenous group.

Association of Khat Use Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder Among Inmates in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To examine the relationship between khat use disorder and antisocial personality disorder in newly admitted inmates in a correctional facility in Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study using successive sampling was conducted among 411 new inmates from April 20 to July 19, 2019. The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test was utilized to measure khat use. DSM-5 diagnostic criteria were used to identify antisocial personality disorder. Environmental, criminal, and clinical backgrounds of the inmates were also evaluated.Results: The prevalence of current khat use and khat use disorder was 49.4% and 37%, respectively. The prevalence of khat use disorder among inmates with antisocial personality disorder was 76%. Inmates with antisocial personality disorder were twice as likely as those without antisocial personality disorder to have khat use disorder (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4). Punishment for misconduct in prior imprisonment (AOR = 3; 95% CI, 1.6-5.3), family history of alcohol use (AOR = 2; 95% CI, 1.3-3.5), and chronic physical illness (AOR = 5.3; 95% CI, 2.4-11.8) were significantly associated with khat use disorder.Conclusions: The prevalence of khat use disorder was higher among inmates with antisocial personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder is linked to khat use disorder. The findings of this study suggest the need for the establishment of a mental health system in all prison institutions in Ethiopia to enhance early screening for underlying medical conditions, history of substance use, and antisocial personality disorder. Those inmates with identified substance use need detoxification therapy and motivational interviews after prison admission.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2023;25(5):22m03470. Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

Brain structural correlates of psychopathic traits in elite female combat-sports athletes.

Psychopathy is characterized by glibness and superficial charm, as well as a lack of empathy, guilt and remorse, and is often accompanied by antisocial behaviour. The cerebral bases of this syndrome have been mostly studied in violent subjects or those with a criminal history. However, the antisocial component of psychopathy is not central to its conceptualization, and in fact, psychopathic traits are present in well-adjusted, non-criminal individuals within the general population. Interestingly, certain psychopathy characteristics appear to be particularly pronounced in some groups or professions. Importantly, as these so-called adaptive or successful psychopaths do not show antisocial tendencies or have significant psychiatric comorbidities, they may represent an ideal population to study this trait. Here, we investigated such a group, specifically elite female judo athletes, and compared them with matched non-athletes. Participants completed psychopathy, anger, perspective-taking and empathic concern questionnaires and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Grey matter volume (GMV) was computed using voxel-based morphometry from the T1-weighted images. Athletes scored significantly higher in primary psychopathy and anger and lower in empathy and perspective taking. They also exhibited smaller GMV in the right temporal pole, left occipital cortex and left amygdala/hippocampus. GMV values for the latter cluster significantly correlated with primary psychopathy scores across both groups. These results confirm and extend previous findings to a little-studied population and provide support for the conceptualization of psychopathy as a dimensional personality trait which not only is not necessarily associated with antisocial behaviour but may potentially have adaptive value.

A latent class analysis of mental disorders, substance use, and aggressive antisocial behavior among Swedish forensic psychiatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients in the forensic mental health services (FMHS) with a mental disorder, a co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD), and high risk of aggressive antisocial behavior (AAB) are sometimes referred to as the 'triply troubled'. They suffer poor treatment outcomes, high rates of criminal recidivism, and increased risk of drug related mortality. To improve treatment for this heterogeneous patient group, more insight is needed concerning their co-occurring mental disorders, types of substances used, and the consequent risk of AAB. METHODS: A three-step latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify clinically relevant subgroups in a sample of patients (n = 98) from a high-security FMHS clinic in Sweden based on patterns in their history of mental disorders, SUD, types of substances used, and AAB. RESULTS: A four-class model best fit our data: class 1 (42%) had a high probability of SUD, psychosis, and having used all substances; class 2 (26%) had a high probability of psychosis and cannabis use; class 3 (22%) had a high probability of autism and no substance use; and class 4 (10%) had a high probability of personality disorders and having used all substances. Both polysubstance classes (1 and 4) had a significantly more extensive history of AAB compared to classes 2 and 3. Class 3 and class 4 had extensive histories of self-directed aggression. CONCLUSIONS: The present study helps disentangle the heterogeneity of the 'triply troubled' patient group in FMHS. The results provide an illustration of a more person-oriented perspective on patient comorbidity and types of substances used which could benefit clinical assessment, treatment planning, and risk-management among patients in forensic psychiatric care.

Dark Personality Traits and Online Behaviors: Portuguese Versions of Cyberstalking, Online Harassment, Flaming and Trolling Scales.

The main objective of this study is to assess moderation effects of online behaviors between personality traits and addiction to Internet. To this end, four instruments were validated for Portuguese version through confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) Multiple regression analysis was applied to examine the personality predictors of specific online behaviors while controlling for gender and age; and moderation effects were assessed (Study 2). Results showed good psychometric properties for the four validated scales. Machiavellianism is positively associated with all the dimensions of this study. Psychopathy is positively associated with total Cyberstalking, Cyberstalking Control, Flaming and Trolling. Narcissism is positively associated with all the dimensions, except Online Harassment and Flaming. Machiavellianism is positively associated with Addiction to Internet through Cyberstalking, Flaming and Trolling. Psychopathy is positively associated with Addiction to Internet through Cyberstalking Control and Flaming. Narcissism is also positively associated with Addiction to Internet through Cyberstalking and Trolling. This study demonstrates that dimensions of the dark triad of personality play an important role in Internet addiction through online behaviors. The results of this study have theoretical and practical implications: on the one hand, they reinforces the findings of other studies showing that dimensions of the dark personality triad play an important role in Internet and social network addition, contributing to the literature; and, on the other hand, on a practical level, they allow to conduct awareness campaigns in communities, schools, and work to understand that one can be exposed to unpleasant situations due to behaviors that some people with personality traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism and/or psychopathy that may cause problems affecting the mental, emotional and psychological health of others.

Correlates of Homelessness Among Adults with Personality Disorder.

Although personality disorders (PDs) are more common among persons experiencing homelessness than the general population, few studies have investigated the risk of experiencing homelessness among persons with PDs. This study seeks to identify the demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral health correlates of past-year homelessness among persons with antisocial, borderline, and schizotypal PDs. Nationally representative data of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States was used to identify correlates of homelessness. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations between variables and homeless status were summarized prior to conducting several multivariate logistic regression models to identify correlates of homelessness. Main findings revealed positive associations between poverty, relationship dysfunction, and lifetime suicide attempt with homelessness. In the antisocial PD (ASPD) and borderline PD (BPD) models, comorbid BPD and ASPD, respectively, were associated with higher odds of past-year homelessness. Findings underscore the importance of poverty, interpersonal difficulties, and behavioral health comorbidities on homelessness among persons with ASPD, BPD, and schizotypal PD. Strategies to promote economic security, stable relationships, and interpersonal functioning may buffer against the effects of economic volatility and other systemic factors that could contribute to homelessness and persons with PD.

Disruptive behaviors, antisocial attitudes, and aggression in young offenders: Comparison of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) typologies.

BACKGROUND: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are associated with many deleterious outcomes in young offenders. There is a dearth of studies examining its effects on young offenders' antisocial attitudes, disruptive behaviors and aggression, risk factors for delinquency and reoffending. OBJECTIVE: This study examined ACE patterns and their association with the above factors in young offenders. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 1130 youth offenders (964 males; Mage = 17.57 years), provided self-reports on ACEs, antisocial attitudes, disruptive behavior ratings and aggression. METHOD: Latent Class Analysis was performed on 12 self-reported ACEs, followed by Analyses of Covariance on each of the measures. RESULTS: Four classes - Low ACE, Indirect Victims, Abusive Environment, and Polyvictimized - were identified. Polyvictimized youths had the highest levels of conduct problems (M = 70.35, ps < .05) and proactive aggression (M = 0.45, ps < .05) but did not differ from youths in Abusive Environment in reactive aggression (M = 1.02, p = .69), oppositional problems (M = 65.15, p = .18), and antisocial attitudes (M = 26.95, p = .21). Indirect Victims had lower levels of conduct problems (M = 64.80, p < .05) and antisocial attitudes (M = 24.35, p < .05) than Polyvictimized youths but higher levels of these outcomes than the Low ACE group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that ACEs patterns vary in their effects on antisociality and disruptive behaviors. The novel finding was that childhood victimization does not have to be direct, as indirect victimization significantly impacted factors important to delinquency and reoffending.

Psychopathy in Correctional Settings: Considerations for Developing and Implementing a Treatment Program.

Psychopathy is associated with higher levels of violence as well as general and violent recidivism after release from prison. A disorder with a long and rich clinical and research history, psychopathy has gained an undeserved reputation as a syndrome that is unresponsive to treatment. This article presents information that undermines long-standing problematic assumptions regarding the treatability of individuals with psychopathic traits and posits that implementing treatment programs in correctional settings is critical to decrease recidivism and violence. We discuss several treatment programs that have evidenced some success in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy and have the potential to be widely implemented in correctional settings, as well as general tenets of successful treatment programs and specific targets.

Features of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and antisocial behaviour in a general population-based sample of adults.

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known to be a risk factor for antisocial and delinquent behaviour, but there is still a lack of information on how features of ADHD relate to offending behaviour among adults not already defined by their offending. AIMS: Our aim was to add to knowledge about relationships between ADHD and antisocial behaviour among adults in the general population by answering the following questions: (A) Does the level of self-reported ADHD features relate to criminal and non-criminal antisocial behaviour? (B) To what extent are self-ratings of ADHD features independent of socio-demographic features previously identified as predictors of antisocial behaviour? METHODS: A sample of adults was originally recruited to study public response to the COVID-19 outbreak through an online panel to be representative of the Israeli population. Among other scales, the 2025 participants completed an ADHD self-report scale, an antisocial behaviour self-report scale and a socio-demographic questionnaire probing for age, gender, urbanity, place of birth, socioeconomic status (education and income), family status (being in a relationship and having children) and religiosity. RESULTS: Higher mean totals for the inattention and hyperactivity ADHD scale scores were associated with higher mean antisocial behaviour scores. These relationships were only slightly affected by socio-demographic variables, including sex, age, education and income. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that not only may features of ADHD, even below a diagnostic threshold, constitute a risk factor for antisocial behaviour, but also that the self-rated levels of these problems covary. These findings are important for informing the early detection of risk of antisocial behaviour in the general population and its prevention.

The bidirectional effects of antisocial behavior, anxiety, and trauma exposure: Implications for our understanding of the development of callous-unemotional traits.

The association of anxiety and trauma with antisocial behavior in children and adolescents has long been the focus of research, and more recently this area of research has become critical to theories of the development of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Research suggests those with elevated CU traits and anxiety (i.e., secondary CU variant) seem to show more severe externalizing behaviors and are more likely to show histories of trauma, compared to those with elevated CU and low anxiety (i.e., primary CU variant). These findings have typically been interpreted as being indicative of distinct etiological pathways to the development of CU traits. We test an alternative explanation that the higher rates of anxiety and trauma exposure in some youth with elevated CU traits are largely a consequence of their higher levels of antisocial behavior. The current study recruited a sample of 1,216 justice-involved adolescents (Mage = 15.28, SD = 1.28) from three distinct regions of the United States, who were assessed at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 months following their first arrest. Using random-intercept cross-lagged models, both antisocial behavior and CU traits predicted changes in future anxiety and CU traits predicted increases in future victimization. Further, using longitudinal parallel mediation models, antisocial and aggressive behavior largely accounted for the predictive association between CU traits and anxiety and CU traits and victimization. These results support a model in which anxiety and trauma histories may be a marker of the severity of antisocial behavior displayed by youth with elevated CU traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the clinical correlates of conduct disorder in youth with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Conduct Disorder (CD) is highly comorbid with Bipolar Disorder (BP) and this comorbidity is associated with high morbidity and dysfunction. We sought to better understand the clinical characteristics and familiality of comorbid BP + CD by examining children with BP with and without co-morbid CD. METHODS: 357 subjects with BP were derived from two independent datasets of youth with and without BP. All subjects were evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and neuropsychological testing. We stratified the sample of subjects with BP by the presence or absence of CD and compared the two groups on measures of psychopathology, school functioning, and neurocognitive functioning. First-degree relatives of subjects with BP +/- CD were compared on rates of psychopathology in relatives. RESULTS: Subjects with BP + CD compared to BP without CD had significantly more impaired scores on the CBCL Aggressive Behavior (p < 0.001), Attention Problems (p = 0.002), Rule-Breaking Behavior (p < 0.001), Social Problems (p < 0.001), Withdrawn/Depressed clinical scales (p = 0.005), the Externalizing Problems (p < 0.001), and Total Problems composite scales(p < 0.001). Subjects with BP + CD had significantly higher rates of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (p = 0.002), any SUD (p < 0.001), and cigarette smoking (p = 0.001). First-degree relatives of subjects with BP + CD had significantly higher rates of CD/ODD/ASPD and cigarette smoking compared to first-degree relatives of subjects without CD. LIMITATIONS: The generalization of our findings was limited due to a largely homogeneous sample and no CD only comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Given the deleterious outcomes associated with comorbid BP + CD, further efforts in identification and treatment are necessary.

A comparison of the role of aggression in the association between hostile interpretation bias and antisocial personality features between young offenders and university students.

BACKGROUND: Antisocial personality features in adolescents are frequently associated with delinquency and constitute the problem that most concerns the criminal justice system and the public. Hostile interpretation bias has been identified as a candidate for explaining emergent adolescent antisocial personality problems and aggression, but it is unclear whether offenders and non-offenders show differences in the relationships between hostile interpretation bias, aggression and antisocial personality features. AIMS: To compare relationships between hostile interpretation bias and a personality measure between incarcerated teenagers and first year university students and to explore aggression and criminal history as mediating or moderating variables. METHODS: Fifty-three 16-18-year-old incarcerated male offenders and 69 17-20-year-old male university students were recruited, the former through institutional staff and the latter by online advert only. Individuals in both groups self-rated, in private, on the Word and Sentence Association Paradigm-hostile (WSAP), The Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ), Hostility Interpretation Bias Task (HIBT) as tests for hostile interpretation bias, and on the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and on Hyler's Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-4). Among the students, criminal history was assessed by a self-reported binary question. LASSO regressions were used to test inter-relationships between hostile interpretation bias and aggression or antisocial personality traits. Mediation and moderation were tested using MPLUS 7.4. RESULTS: The WSAP and AIHQ, as measures of self-reported hostility bias, had relationships with self-reported aggression (Pearson r 0.24-0.58, p < 0.001) and with antisocial personality features (r 0.36-0.50, p < 0.001), the HIBT did not. Aggression scores mediated the relationship between hostile interpretation bias and antisocial personality features. Furthermore, the relationship between hostile interpretation bias and aggression was stronger among the young offenders (estimates 0.43-0.75) than among the university students without criminal history (estimates 0.13-0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Hostile interpretation bias appears to promote antisocial personality features by increasing an individual's aggression, regardless of social status, although the effect was much stronger among the young offenders. To reduce young people's antisocial personality features, future studies should perhaps focus on evaluating strategies to reduce hostile bias or prevent it from being expressed in aggressive behaviours.

Comorbidity and heterogeneity: Two challenges for personality pathology research.

We critique the general state of methodological rigor in contemporary personality pathology research, focusing on challenges in study design, assessment, and data analysis resulting from two pervasive problems: comorbidity and heterogeneity. To inform our understanding of this literature, we examined every article published in the two main specialty journals for personality pathology research-Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment and the Journal of Personality Disorders-in the 18-month period from January 2020 to June 2021 (a total of 23 issues and 197 articles). Our review of this database indicated that only three forms of personality pathology have generated substantial attention in the recent literature: borderline personality disorder (featured in 93 articles), psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder (39 articles), and narcissism/narcissistic personality disorder (28 articles), so we highlight them in our review. We discuss comorbidity-related problems that arise from group-based designs and recommend instead that researchers assess multiple forms of psychopathology as continuous dimensions. We offer separate recommendations for addressing heterogeneity in diagnosis- versus trait-based studies. For the former, we recommend that researchers (a) use measures that permit criterion-level analyses and (b) routinely report criterion-level results. For the latter, we emphasize the importance of examining specific traits when measures are known to be highly heterogeneous/multidimensional. Finally, we encourage researchers to work toward a truly comprehensive trait dimensional model of personality pathology. We suggest that this might include expanding the current alternative model of personality disorders to include additional content related to borderline features, psychopathy, and narcissism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

How much does that cost? Examining the economic costs of crime in North America attributable to people with psychopathic personality disorder.

Cost of illness research has established that mental disorders lead to significant social burden and massive financial costs. A significant gap exists for the economic burden of many personality disorders, including psychopathic personality disorder (PPD). In the current study, we used a top-down prevalence-based cost of illness approach to estimate bounded crime cost estimates of PPD in the United States and Canada. Three key model parameters (PPD prevalence, relative offending rate of individuals with PPD, and national costs of crime for each country) were informed by existing literature. Sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to provide bounded and central tendency estimates of crime costs, respectively. The estimated PPD-related costs of crime ranged from $245.50 billion to $1,591.57 billion (simulated means = $512.83 to $964.23 billion) in the United States and $12.14 billion to $53.00 billion (simulated means = $25.33 to $32.10 billion) in Canada. These results suggest that PPD may be associated with a substantial economic burden as a result of crime in North America. Recommendations are discussed regarding the burden-treatment discrepancy for PPD, as the development of future effective treatment for the disorder may decrease its costly burden on health and justice systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Antisocial behavior is associated with reduced frontoparietal activity to loss in a population-based sample of adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent antisocial behavior (AB) is a public health concern due to the high financial and social costs of AB on victims and perpetrators. Neural systems involved in reward and loss processing are thought to contribute to AB. However, investigations into these processes are limited: few have considered anticipatory and consummatory components of reward, response to loss, nor whether associations with AB may vary by level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. METHODS: A population-based community sample of 128 predominantly low-income youth (mean age = 15.9 years; 42% male) completed a monetary incentive delay task during fMRI. A multi-informant, multi-method latent variable approach was used to test associations between AB and neural response to reward and loss anticipation and outcome and whether CU traits moderated these associations. RESULTS: AB was not associated with neural response to reward but was associated with reduced frontoparietal activity during loss outcomes. This association was moderated by CU traits such that individuals with higher levels of AB and CU traits had the largest reductions in frontoparietal activity. Co-occurring AB and CU traits were also associated with increased precuneus response during loss anticipation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that AB is associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in cognitive control, attention, and behavior modification during negative outcomes. Moreover, these reductions are most pronounced in youth with co-occurring CU traits. These findings have implications for understanding why adolescents involved in AB continue these behaviors despite severe negative consequences (e.g. incarceration).

Health of Convicted Persons in the Third Generation of the Longitudinal Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development.

Research suggests that convicted persons are more likely than non-convicted persons to suffer poor health. However, few longitudinal studies have investigated associations between health and offending across generations. Using the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, this article prospectively investigates the relationship between health and offending across generations and between genders. At the average age of 25, third generation convicted males and females reported a higher incidence of serious drug use than non-convicted persons. Convicted males reported a higher incidence of mental illness and self-harm, whereas convicted females reported a lower incidence of physical illness, mental illness, self-harm and hospitalizations when compared to non-convicted females. Convicted males reported a higher incidence of industrial accidents, sports injuries and fight injuries, but a lower incidence of road accidents, whereas convicted females were more likely to report road accidents. Like their fathers, convicted males show worse health compared to non-convicted individuals.

Cognitive and clinical characteristics of offenders and non-offenders diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: results of the Recoviwel observational study.

The association between schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and violent behavior is complex and requires further research. The cognitive correlates of violent behavior, in particular, remain to be further investigated. Aims of the present study were to comprehensively assess the cognitive and clinical profile of SSD violent offenders and evaluate individual predictors of violent behavior. Fifty inmates convicted for violent crimes in a forensic psychiatry setting and diagnosed with SSD were compared to fifty non-offender patients matched for age, gender, education, and diagnosis. Offender and non-offender participants were compared based on socio-demographic, clinical, and cognitive variables using non-parametric testing to select potential predictors of violent behavior. Multivariate logistic regressions were then performed to identify individual predictors of violent behavior. Offender participants showed more school failures, higher prevalence of substance use, higher Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGI-S) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Excited Component (PANSS-EC) scores, worse working memory and better attention performance, higher Historical Clinical and Risk Management scale 20 (HCR-20) and Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) scores in all subdomains and factors. School failures, higher PANSS-EC scores, worse working memory and processing speed, better attention performance, higher scores in HCR-20 Management subscale and the PCL-R "Callous" factor emerged as predictors of violent behavior. Better attentional performance was correlated with higher PCL-R "Callous" factor scores, worse cognitive performance in several domains with higher PCL-R "Unstable" factor scores. In conclusion, the present study highlights the importance of carefully assessing SSD patients with violent behavior in all clinical, cognitive, and behavioral aspects.