Psychopathy: Simple or Syndromal Disorder of Personality

Abstract

Psychopathy is one of the most puzzling clinical diagnosis and has been a subject to numerous theoretical attempts to define this personality disorder. Although not being recognised as an independent disorder in the DSM-5, the disorder is manifested in different areas of the individual's personality and subsequently became subject of consideration as syndromal, not a simple disorder. This condition is usually stable and long-lasting, its onset usually traced back to childhood or adolescence, often being undiagnosed and/or successfully masked by the psychopath. Some psychopaths are quite successful in their profession, others are commonly related to the violence or crime.

Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version psychometric properties in an Item Response Theory polytomous model

“…Personality disorders are a persistent pattern of behavior that deviates significantly from an individual's culture expectations, is diffuse and rigid (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Psychopathy is considered a serious personality disorder characterized by behavioral and affective problems that can generate a greater tendency towards criminality, although such acts do not, by themselves, define the disorder (Zepinic, 2017). In general, such behaviors tend to be directly associated with a difficulty in generating adequate empathic reactions in an interpersonal context (Robinson & Rogers, 2015).…”