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Understanding the Relationship Between Suicidality and Psychopathy: An Examination of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior
Abstract
A number of studies have reported a bifurcated relationship between psychopathy and suicidality, such that suicidality is positively related to Factor 2 (impulsive-antisocial lifestyle) of psychopathy but negatively related or unrelated to Factor 1 (affective-interpersonal deficits). The present study aims to expand these findings by investigating this relationship through the lens of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior across both undergraduate and forensic samples. We hypothesized that, although both Factors 1 and 2 would be associated with the acquired capability for suicide, Factor 2 would exhibit a unique relationship with suicidal desire (perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness). Results were largely supportive of these hypotheses, although differences were noted across samples and measures. Findings highlight the importance of precision in the assessment of antisociality and suggest potential differences in the construct of psychopathy between non-criminal and criminal samples.
... While the self-reported capability for suicide is endorsed by both primary and secondary psychopathy, only secondary psychopathy is associated with suicidal desire (J. C. Anestis et al., 2016;Harrop et al., 2017). ...
... Both psychopathy subtypes have been associated with the capability for suicide, while only secondary psychopathy is associated with suicidal desire (J. C. Anestis, Anestis, & Preston, 2018; J. C. Anestis et al., 2016) and consequently suicidal behavior. The present study therefore investigated how the combination of dysregulated emotions, intense ruminations, and NSSI predict future suicidal intention in individuals with elevated secondary psychopathy. ...
... Conversely, the literature on primary psychopathic personality traits' protective influence against internalizing symptoms, including suicidal desire, continues to grow (J. C. Anestis et al., 2016;Benning, Patrick, Blonigen, Hicks, & Iacono, 2005;Buchman-Schmitt, Brislin, Venables, Joiner, & Patrick, 2017;Latzman et al., 2018;Verona et al., 2005). Despite that, the boldness and fearless traits of primary psychopathy have been shown to elevate the capability for suicide via painful and provocative events (J. ...
Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors are positively associated with secondary psychopathy (impulsive-antisocial behaviors) and negatively associated or unrelated to primary psychopathy (interpersonal-affective deficits). While there is evidence that both psychopathy subtypes are associated with the capability for suicide (i.e., pain tolerance, fearlessness about death), a critical risk factor for moving an individual from suicidal ideation to suicidal action, only secondary psychopathy possesses traits associated with both suicidal desire and capability. The following study investigated if certain cognitive, affective, and behavioral features underlying secondary psychopathy could explain the distinct patterns in suicide-related outcomes. In a sample of 201 male and female offenders, we found the association between secondary psychopathy and future suicidal intention was best explained by the indirect path of emotion dysregulation, rumination, recent suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Primary psychopathy correlated with NSSI, a key component in acquiring the capability for suicide, but not suicidal ideations or intention. Results are consistent with ideation-to-action models of suicide, whereby suicidal desire and capability independently contribute to suicidal action.
... Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness are commonly measured using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ; Van Orden et al., 2012), as well as with proxy measures from personality inventories (J. C. Anestis et al., 2016;Cramer et al., 2012;Joiner et al., 2009;Smith et al., 2012). Capability for suicide is often measured through the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale (ACSS; Van Orden et al., 2008) and ACSS-Fearlessness About Death (ACSS-FAD; Ribeiro, Witte, et al., 2014). ...
... Furthermore, the MMPI family of instruments are the measures of personality and psychopathology most commonly used in clinical practice (Archer, Buffington-Vollum, Stredny, & Handel, 2006;Camara, Nathan, & Puente, 2000) and the most popular personality instruments taught in clinical psychology training programs (Ready & Veague, 2014). Several studies have been published in which the authors use idiosyncratic methods of approximating the IPTS variables when the IPTS measures were not available (e.g., J. C. Anestis et al., 2016;Cramer et al., 2012;Joiner et al., 2009;Smith et al., 2012). Having an established and uniform method of approximation would increase the validity of studies using a proxy method. ...
... A similar association was found between the RF-AC scale and the ACSS; however, the relationship was not as strong or as consistent as predicted. Given that published studies have used idiosyncratic methods to approximate the IPTS constructs from personality measures (e.g., J. C. Anestis et al., 2016;Cramer et al., 2012;Joiner et al., 2009;Smith et al., 2012), the present study represents an important step toward establishing a uniform proxy procedure across future studies. ...
Given the emerging body of literature demonstrating the validity of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS; Ribeiro & Joiner, 2009), and the importance of increasing our understanding of the development of risk factors associated with suicidal behavior, it seems worthwhile both to expand IPTS research via Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - 2 - Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) correlates and to expand the availability of methods by which to assess the constructs of the IPTS. The present study attempted to do so in a large adult outpatient mental health sample by 1) inspecting associations between the IPTS constructs and the substantive scales of the MMPI-2-RF and 2) exploring the utility of MMPI-2-RF scale-based algorithms of the IPTS constructs. Correlates between the IPTS constructs and the MMPI-2-RF scales scores largely followed a pattern consistent with theory-based predictions, and we provide preliminary evidence that the IPTS constructs can be reasonably approximated using theoretically-based MMPI-2-RF substantive scales. Implications of these findings are discussed.
... La suicidalité des individus à hauts traits psychopathiques est également une question discutée. Si évoquait dans ses premières descriptions une forme d'immunité au suicide chez le psychopathe, certaines études nuancent ce point (ex., Anestis et al., 2016;Douglas et al., 2006). L'impulsivité et l'antisocialité ont été positivement associées aux idéations suicidaires, tentatives de suicides et comportements d'automutilation chez le jeune adulte, alors que la froideurinsensibilité et les traits interpersonnels ont montré une association négative ou une absence d'association avec ces mêmes variables (Conner et al., 2004;Javdani et al., 2011;Verona et al., 2012). ...
... Although impulsivity, callous, and narcissistic traits are sometimes considered defenses against depressed mood , some studies reported a negative link, or an absence of connection, between psychopathy and depressive symptoms in youth (e.g., ). At the same time, if Cleckley (1941) evoked a form of immunity to suicide in his first descriptions of psychopathy, more recent data nuanced this point (Anestis et al. 2016;Douglas et al. 2006). In particular, impulsivity and antisociality were positively associated with suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, and self-harm behaviors in young adults, whereas callous-unemotional traits and interpersonal factors related to psychopathy showed a negative association or no association with these same variables (Conner et al. 2004;Javdani et al. 2011;Verona et al. 2012). ...
La psychopathie est une organisation de la personnalité caractérisée par des dispositions affectives (ex., dureté-insensibilité), interpersonnelles (ex., manipulation, égocentrisme), et comportementales (ex., impulsivité, antisocialité). Les conséquences délétères associées aux traits de personnalité psychopathique ont été largement documentées. Cependant, la psychopathie est également associée à des ajustements positifs et des comportements adaptatifs. Cette thèse visait à mieux comprendre la nature de ces manifestations.
Dans une première partie, nous avons exploré la place des ajustements positifs en tant que caractéristique interne (trait constitutif) et externe (conséquence associée) à la psychopathie. Les résultats de deux études suggèrent que (1) la stabilité émotionnelle (i.e., impassibilité, résilience émotionnelle, invulnérabilité) serait un trait central de la psychopathie dans la population générale, et que (2) des caractéristiques adaptatives telles que le recours à la pensée logique, le leadership, la concentration et l’extraversion seraient réparties de manière hétérogène parmi les variantes primaires et secondaires de la psychopathie.
Dans une seconde partie, nous avons testé des modèles visant à expliquer deux manifestations atypiques de la psychopathie : l’absence de comportements antisociaux et la présence de comportements héroïques. Les résultats de deux études ont montré que (1) les comportements héroïques pouvaient être expliqués par des facteurs motivationnels tels que les récompenses narcissiques ou l’évitement des menaces à l’identité, et que (2) de hautes dispositions à la pleine conscience pouvaient être associées à des comportements antisociaux moins fréquents chez des individus à hauts traits psychopathiques.
Les implications théoriques de nos résultats sont discutées dans une troisième partie.
... Research findings suggest that interpersonal trauma (e.g. loss, bullying, trauma, abuse, violence) may also increase one's vulnerability to stress and predisposition for depression and subsequent onset of suicidal thoughts or behavior (Abdeen et al., 2018;Anestis et al., 2016;Briere et al., 2016;Carpenter et al., 2011;Cluver et al., 2015;Morrow & Krishna, 2019;Prinstein, 2008;Schonfelder et al., 2019;Taylor, 2020). ...
... Any diagnosable psychiatric disorder is a risk factor for suicide(Batterham et al., 2018;Kronstr€ om et al., 2019;Lindgren et al., 2017). Risk increases among individuals with multiple psychiatric disorders and other risk factors such as abuse and neglect(Anestis et al., 2016;Angelakis et al., 2019;Blashill & Calzo, 2019;Camm- Crosbie et al., 2019;;Grudnikoff et al., 2015;Lan et al., 2015;Rice & Sher, 2013;Scott et al., 2015). Disorders with greater risk for suicidal ideation and behavior include schizophrenia(Cassidy et al., 2018;Lindgren et al., 2017), bipolar disorder(Cassidy, 2011;Dilsaver et al., 2007;Halfon et al., 2013;Palagini et al., 2019;Steiger et al., 2013;Yazici et al., 2018), substance abuse(Ashrafioun et al., 2018;Davis et al., 2019;Dore et al., 2012;Gonzalez et al., 2009;Price et al., 2004;Shalit et al., 2016;Short et al., 2019;Wild et al., 2004), eating disorders(Mugoya et al., 2018;Smith et al., 2018;Steiger et al., 2013), borderline personality disorder (Kaplan et al., 2016; Khoury et al., 2019; Slotema et al., 2017), and post-traumatic stress disorder (Ashrafioun et al., 2018; ...
Suicide is a preventable health problem. Multiple definitions and inconsistent use of the term suicidality can result in failure to properly recognize suicide risk and behavior and confuses suicide research. Clarification of the suicidality concept is needed to facilitate the care for individuals at risk for suicide. Using Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis method, this analysis describes the breadth and scope of the suicidality concept. Findings indicate suicidality covers a spectrum of suicidal risk and levels of emotional suffering and intent. The analysis does not draw definite conclusions, but outlines a direction for further research.
... Another research has disputed this assessment of psychopathic tendencies and suicide, instead finding differing results between the interpersonal and lifestyle factors of psychopathy. That is, suicide is positively related to the lifestyle factor (Anestis et al., 2016) but negatively related to the interpersonal factor (Anestis et al., 2016;Lohner & Konrad, 2006). Thus, impulsivity and poor control over behavior (i.e., lifestyle factor) may point psychopaths or those with psychopathic tendencies toward suicide, even as a grandiose sense of self-worth and inability to accept responsibility for their actions (i.e., interpersonal factor) turns them away from suicide. ...
... Another research has disputed this assessment of psychopathic tendencies and suicide, instead finding differing results between the interpersonal and lifestyle factors of psychopathy. That is, suicide is positively related to the lifestyle factor (Anestis et al., 2016) but negatively related to the interpersonal factor (Anestis et al., 2016;Lohner & Konrad, 2006). Thus, impulsivity and poor control over behavior (i.e., lifestyle factor) may point psychopaths or those with psychopathic tendencies toward suicide, even as a grandiose sense of self-worth and inability to accept responsibility for their actions (i.e., interpersonal factor) turns them away from suicide. ...
Stress and the military go hand-in-hand, particularly in combat environments. While some personality traits or types weaken relationships between stress and performance, others, such as psychopathy, may strengthen them. In the present chapter, we consider the ramifications of individuals with high levels of psychopathy or psychopathic tendencies in the military with regard to both their own stress and performance and that of those around them. We discuss different reactions to psychological and physical stress, as well as the implications of psychopathic tendencies as they relate to current military issues, including gender, leadership, teamwork, turnover, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. By juxtaposing relevant research findings on stress and psychopathy, we conclude that psychopathic tendencies should have neither uniformly negative nor positive effects on stress and performance in the military. Rather, effects on such individuals and the peripheral others with whom they interact will likely vary greatly depending on numerous factors.
... This claim merits further explanation, however, since factor I and II scores need to be considered separately in cases of psychopathy. A number of studies have found a positive relationship with suicide or attempted suicide in factor II, but not in factor I (Anestis et al., 2018;Anestis et al., 2016;Douglas et al., 2006;Douglas et al., 2008;Smith et al., 2014). ...
The most extreme form of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is female intimate partner homicide (female IPH). The main goal of this study was to analyze the prevalence of psychopathy in a sample of Spanish male offenders of female IPH. This study also aimed to examine the relationship between psychopathy and committing suicide after female IPH in a sample of 76 Spanish male offenders of female IPH. We examined the presence or lack of psychopathic traits or psychopathy itself, using the two factors and four facets of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Applying this procedure, we obtained a series of descriptive statistics and frequencies, to which we applied Student’s t-test and variance analyses. We found a low prevalence of subjects diagnosed as psychopath at a cut-off score equal or greater than 30 on the PCL-R, but a higher prevalence was found with a cut-off score of 25. The presence of factor I traits (personality and interpersonal characteristics) was greater than factor II (impulsive and antisocial behavior) among female IPH offenders. Higher scores on factor II and lower on factor I were related to an increased risk of suicide after committing female IPH. The study data support international research showing a significant presence of factor I traits (e.g., callousness and lack of empathy) among IPH offenders. Also, these data support that those male offenders of female IPH who presents characteristics of impulsivity and antisocial behavior do tend to commit suicide more frequently after committing female IPH.
... In the current study, we use the total psychopathy scale score in our analyses, as a point of comparison to the total self-control score described previously. Prior research has demonstrated the reliability and validity of the LSRP's items among non-clinical samples including students and the general population (Bouffard, Bouffard, & Miller, 2016;Christian & Sellbom, 2016;Garofalo, Noteborn, Sellbom, & Bogaerts, 2019;Levenson et al., 1995) and clinical and offender samples (Anestis et al., 2016;Gray, Weidacker, & Snowden, 2019;Thomson et al., 2019;Wang et al., 2018). In the current sample the reliability estimate (Cronbach's α) for the total scale was .73, ...
Self-control and psychopathy are general theories of antisociality that have considerable empirical support, are conceptually similar, and have occasionally been studied together. A recent head-to-head test of the theories and found that self-control generally outperformed psychopathy among assorted criminal outcomes among institutionalized delinquents. Using data from university students (N = 1611) and different measures of self-control (Grasmick et al. scale) and psychopathy (Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale), the current study revisited this work and found that self-control had robust associations with sexual aggression, general aggression, and substance abuse problems, and extreme scores on these outcomes variables. However, the effects of self-control were negated once psychopathy was specified, suggesting that psychopathy is more important for understanding assorted forms of deviance than self-control in the undergraduate population. Given the empirical heft of both theories, we encourage further study to determine which has greater predictive validity for understanding various forms of crime among different populations spanning student, community, forensic, and correctional samples. We also encourage the specification of both self-control and psychopathy as standard control variables.
... Será também avaliada a consistência interna, a validade convergente e a validade referenciada pelo critério risco de suicídio das duas escalas do INQ-15. Espera-se que os sentimentos de não pertença e a perceção de ser um fardo se relacionem positiva e significativamente com os sintomas depressivos (e.g., Anestis et al., 2016;Baams, Grossman, & Russel, 2015;Bell et al., 2018;Cole et al., 2013;Guidry & Cukrowicz, 2016), com a dor psicológica (e.g., Campos & Holden, 2015) e com risco suicidário (e.g., Anestis, Bagge, Tull, & Joiner, 2011;Anestis, Khazem, Mohn, & Green, 2015;Joiner et al., 2009). Para estudar a validade referenciada pelo Revista Iberoamericana de Diagnóstico y Evaluacióne Avaliação Psicológica. ...
... Será também avaliada a consistência interna, a validade convergente e a validade referenciada pelo critério risco de suicídio das duas escalas do INQ-15. Espera-se que os sentimentos de não pertença e a perceção de ser um fardo se relacionem positiva e significativamente com os sintomas depressivos (e.g., Anestis et al., 2016;Baams, Grossman, & Russel, 2015;Bell et al., 2018;Cole et al., 2013;Guidry & Cukrowicz, 2016), com a dor psicológica (e.g., Campos & Holden, 2015) e com risco suicidário (e.g., Anestis, Bagge, Tull, & Joiner, 2011;Anestis, Khazem, Mohn, & Green, 2015;Joiner et al., 2009). Para estudar a validade referenciada pelo Revista Iberoamericana de Diagnóstico y Evaluacióne Avaliação Psicológica. ...
... Although impulsivity, callous, and narcissistic traits are sometimes considered defenses against depressed mood (Chabrol et al. 2010), some studies reported a negative link, or an absence of connection, between psychopathy and depressive symptoms in youth (e.g., ). At the same time, if Cleckley (1941) evoked a form of immunity to suicide in his first descriptions of psychopathy, more recent data nuanced this point (Anestis et al. 2016;Chabrol and Saint-Martin 2009;Douglas et al. 2006). In particular, impulsivity and antisociality were positively associated with suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, and self-harm behaviors in young adults, whereas callous-unemotional traits and interpersonal factors related to psychopathy showed a negative association or no association with these same variables (Conner et al. 2004;Harrop et al. 2017;Javdani et al. 2011;Verona et al. 2012). ...
The presence of positive outcomes observed in some individuals with high psychopathic traits remains relatively unexplained. This study aimed at examining the contribution of specific adaptive psychopathic traits to the emergence of positive behavioral and psychopathological consequences. Participants were 2291 French college students who completed self-report questionnaires assessing negative and adaptive psychopathic traits and psychopathological variables. A cluster analysis based on the negative and adaptive psychopathic traits total scores yielded four distinct groups characterized by moderate negative traits and low adaptive traits (moderate negative psychopathic traits cluster; NP), low negative and adaptive traits (low traits cluster; LT), low negative traits and moderate adaptive traits (adaptive psychopathic traits cluster; AP) and high negative and adaptive traits (high traits cluster; HT). Comparisons between clusters suggested that adaptive psychopathic traits were associated with decreased levels of perceived stress, depression and suicidal ideation. However, the frequency of prosocial and antisocial behaviors was not affected by the presence of adaptive traits. Our results provide important information for assessment and treatment of the negative consequences of psychopathic traits.
... Regarding unit-specific interpersonal experiences, heightened LSRP-Antisocial traits were indicated to prompt feelings of being unsupported and harassed by others. More broadly, impulsive-antisocial traits, which LSRP-Antisocial taps into, are associated with heightened levels of thwarted belongingness (i.e., perceived lack of connectedness; Anestis et al., 2016), indicating a link between such personality traits and interpersonal difficulties for military personnel. Feelings of isolation can be problematic for the individual and overall unit functioning. ...
Life experiences and interpersonal relationships constitute risk or resilience factors in the development of psychopathology among National Guard (NG) personnel. Psychopathy and narcissism are related to these factors in civilians and may predispose NG personnel to certain experiences or influence their responses to these experiences. This study explored the relationship between psychopathic and narcissistic traits with pre-and post-deployment experiences, as well as military experiences on deployment among NG personnel (n = 504). All pathological traits were associated with poorer social support during and post-deployment and more negative relationships (e.g., bullying) within the military unit, while antisocial psychopathic traits were associated with experiencing stressful life events and having a greater number of combat experiences in a combat-exposed subsample (n = 254). Findings clarify the association of pathological traits to stress-related pathology and elucidate how psychopathy and narcissism relate to experiences of NG personnel.
... Specifically, psychopathy's subdimensions appear to be differentially related to internalizing features. Boldness traits appear to be negatively related to internalizing symptoms, including depression (Latzman et al., 2018), anxiety (Pennington, Cramer, Miller, & Anastasi, 2015), and suicidality (Anestis et al., 2016), whereas Disinhibition traits appear to be positively related to these same outcomes. Although the associations between psychopathy subdimensions and internalizing are relatively well-demonstrated (e.g., Latzman et al., 2018), potentially noteworthy aspects of these relations are underexplored. ...
Research suggests that the Boldness and Disinhibition traits of psychopathy are negatively and positively related to internalizing, respectively. Although the associations between psychopathy and internalizing are relatively well-demonstrated, few studies have examined the specificity of these associations with psychopathy as opposed to general personality. We sought to replicate and extend existing research by examining the relationships between multiple conceptualizations of psychopathy and internalizing (depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, anger) in two community samples (N 1 = 430; N 2 = 441). We also investigated (a) the contributions of general personality, (b) the possibility that Boldness traits are statistically protective against internalizing, and (c) gender differences in these relations. Consistent with prior research, boldness traits were negatively associated with internalizing, whereas Disinhibition traits were positively associated; Meanness traits were largely unrelated. General personality traits accounted for the majority of the relationships between psychopathy and internalizing, although Disinhibition traits were unique correlates of internalizing above-and-beyond general personality. We did not find robust evidence that Boldness buffers Disinhibition's relationships with internalizing, nor that gender moderated the relationships between psychopathy and internalizing. These results may bear meaningful implications regarding the conceptualization and assessment of internalizing disorders and psychopathy.
... Research studies have largely supported these assertions with a variety of measures and samples, typically demonstrating a bifurcated relationship such that the interpersonal-affective factor (Factor 1) of psychopathy is negatively (or nonsignificantly) related to symptoms of emotional dysfunction, and the impulsive-antisocial factor (Factor 2) displays a positive correlation with indices of emotional dysfunction. As illuminated by Hicks and Patrick's (2006) explication of the Bopposing and repulsive^relationship between the two factors of the Psychopathy Checklist -Revised (PCL-R) and the broadband construct of negative emotionality, this bifurcated relationship has been identified with numerous outcomes including suicidality (Anestis et al. 2016;Douglas et al. 2006;Verona et al. 2001), anxiety symptoms (Bare et al. 2004;Harpur et al. 1989;Sandvik et al. 2015), and the higher order internalizing domain (Blonigen et al. 2010;. These findings are consistent with the emotional deficit hypothesis of psychopathy (see Blair 2006, for a review). ...
Military personnel often experience post-traumatic stress symptoms following exposure to combat. Personality traits have been identified as possible protective and risk factors in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and examination of the association between PTSD and personality characteristics provides further insight into this heterogeneous disorder. Psychopathy, frequently conceptualized as collection of pathological personality disturbances relating to deficits in emotionality, empathy, and inhibitory control, includes within its defining features components that may be adaptive in certain situations. In the current study, we sought to expand upon the literature related to personality and PTSD by exploring psychopathic traits as resiliency factors in a military sample. Specifically, facets of psychopathy were analyzed as moderators of the association between combat experience and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder within a sample of 292 combat-exposed National Guard and Reserve (NGR) service members. Results indicated that the relationship of combat exposure with PTSD decreased as rates of interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits increased. Impulsive-antisocial traits were also found to moderate the association between combat experience and PTSD, though interestingly there was a similar decrease in magnitude with higher levels of these traits. These findings suggest that particular components of psychopathy may serve as protective factors against the development of PTSD symptomatology within this population.
... ***P<0.001， 下同。括号里标注为偏相关数值， 即精神病态 F1 和 F2 两个维度在控制另一个维度时与归 际关系受损， 且与 F1 水平高的个体相比， F2 水平高 的个体报告感知到更低社会地位， 更高水平的羞耻 感、 负性情绪、 自责和对他人的愤怒等， 加之人际敏 感性和敌意水平较高 [30] ， 自我控制能力水平较低 [31] ， 做事冲动和不负责任的特点使之更容易出现人际问 题， 遭受人际关系困扰， 从而出现归属受挫败， 感到 是他人累赘， 且 F2 水平高的个体在处理这些困扰和 自身抑郁情绪时又缺乏相应的问题解决技巧， 认知 灵活性较低[16] ， 同时感知到社会隔离， 较少的社会支 持和社会资源[19] ， 这就将本可能指向外部的冲动性 ...
【Abstract】 Objective: To explore the relationship between psychopathy and suicidal ideation among undergraduate students through the lens of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Methods: Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form-Chinese Version (SRP-SF-CV), Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-Chinese Version (INQ-CV), and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation-Chinese Version (SSI-CV) were administrated to 550 undergraduate students, and SPSS 20.0 and Mplus 7.0 were used to analyze the data. Results: Both thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness partially mediated the relationships between the two components of psychopathy and suicidal ideation. Conclusions: The individuals with higher psychopathy trait are inclined to suffer from interpersonal distresses, which make them belongingness thwarted and perceive burdensomeness, and then influence the level of suicide ideation.
【Key words】 Psychopathy; Suicidal ideation; Thwarted belongingness; Perceived burdensomeness
Introduction:
the rate of death by suicide has increased in Mexico, representing a significant public health problem. To prevent and treat this phenomenon, it is crucial to identify reliable suicide risk factors among Mexicans. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide has demonstrated empirical support for the role of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability in the development of suicidal desire and behaviors. The measure of the theory's constructs-the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) and the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale (ACSS)-has also shown good psychometric qualities.
Objective:
translate, culturally adapt and validate these instruments.
Method:
495 university students from Mexico City participated in two independent samples (n = 239; n = 256). For the INQ, the available version in Spanish was used. For the ACSS, the most current version in English was used. Based on the results from the first sample, items were modified, eliminated, or added for the second sample.
Results:
the INQ demonstrated good fit (RMSEA = .054, TLI = .97, IFI = .97, NFI = .95) with an internal consistency of .77 and .87 for thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, respectively. The ACSS obtained similar results (RMSEA = .011, CFI = .99, TLI = .99, IFI = .99, NFI = .91); the internal consistency was .77.
Discussion and conclusions:
the Spanish version of the instruments display good psychometric properties and can be used to measure the constructs of the interpersonal theory of suicide. However, further replication is needed to support generalizability in other Spanish-speaking populations.
Background:
The relation between psychopathic traits and suicide ideation (SI) is frequently discussed but little research has examined potential mechanisms underlying this association. The interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) proposes two mechanisms in the pathogenesis of suicidal desire: thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB). This study cross-sectionally tested TB and PB as possible explanatory links in the relation between psychopathic traits and SI.
Method:
Archival data from 784 male U.K. prisoners (Mage = 37.21, SD = 9.97) were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Results:
Psychopathic traits were indirectly associated with SI through more specific suicide-promoting processes - namely TB and PB. More specifically, results indicated that Egocentricity and Stimulus Seeking were indirectly associated with SI through PB and TB in combination. However, results indicated specific indirect effects of TB in the relations between the Antisocial Behavior, Egocentricity, and Stimulus Seeking facets, and SI, whereas specific indirect effects for PB were only significant in the relations between Egocentricity and Stimulus Seeking facets and SI.
Conclusion:
Preliminary results are consistent with the ITS and suggest that psychopathic traits may be distal risk markers for SI and provide direction for future research that could inform suicide prevention efforts among male prisoners high in such traits.
The capability to enact lethal self-harm has recently been highlighted as a critical risk factor for suicidal behavior. Klonsky and May's (2015) three step theory of suicide (3ST) expanded upon the construct of the capability for suicide by dividing it into categories: dispositional, acquired, and practical. The current study examined constructs of Patrick and colleagues' (2009) triarchic model of psychopathy as indicators of dispositional capability in gun owners, a sample at heightened risk for death by suicide (Anestis and Houtsma, 2017). We anticipated that specific psychopathic traits would exhibit robust associations with other components of the capability for suicide. In a sample of 300 gun-owning adults, Boldness was uniquely related to all indicators of practical capability in both male and female gun owners, and a Boldness*Meanness interaction predicted the highest levels of some capability components. These results are consistent with theoretical conceptualizations of the triarchic model. Our findings indicate that, among US gun owners, dispositional factors may impact comfort with and aptitude with guns, which may enhance our understanding of which gun owners are at the greatest risk of gun suicide should they develop suicidal thoughts.
Over the past decade, the interpersonal theory of suicide has contributed to substantial advances in the scientific and clinical understanding of suicide and related conditions. The interpersonal theory of suicide posits that suicidal desire emerges when individuals experience intractable feelings of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness and near-lethal or lethal suicidal behavior occurs in the presence of suicidal desire and capability for suicide. A growing number of studies have tested these posited pathways in various samples; however, these findings have yet to be evaluated meta-analytically. This paper aimed to (a) conduct a systematic review of the unpublished and published, peer-reviewed literature examining the relationship between interpersonal theory constructs and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, (b) conduct meta-analyses testing the interpersonal theory hypotheses, and (c) evaluate the influence of various moderators on these relationships. Four electronic bibliographic databases were searched through the end of March, 2016: PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Hypothesis-driven meta-analyses using random effects models were conducted using 122 distinct unpublished and published samples. Findings supported the interpersonal theory: the interaction between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness was significantly associated with suicidal ideation; and the interaction between thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide was significantly related to a greater number of prior suicide attempts. However, effect sizes for these interactions were modest. Alternative configurations of theory variables were similarly useful for predicting suicide risk as theory-consistent pathways. We conclude with limitations and recommendations for the interpersonal theory as a framework for understanding the suicidal spectrum.
Objective:
In 2015, the Academy for Eating Disorders collaborated with international patient, advocacy, and parent organizations to craft the 'Nine Truths About Eating Disorders'. This document has been translated into over 30 languages and has been distributed globally to replace outdated and erroneous stereotypes about eating disorders with factual information. In this paper, we review the state of the science supporting the 'Nine Truths'.
Methods:
The literature supporting each of the 'Nine Truths' was reviewed, summarized and richly annotated.
Results:
Most of the 'Nine Truths' arise from well-established foundations in the scientific literature. Additional evidence is required to further substantiate some of the assertions in the document. Future investigations are needed in all areas to deepen our understanding of eating disorders, their causes and their treatments.
Conclusions:
The 'Nine Truths About Eating Disorders' is a guiding document to accelerate global dissemination of accurate and evidence-informed information about eating disorders. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Prison inmates are at greater risk for death by suicide compared with the general population. Although many risk factors for suicide identified in the general population (e.g., depression, substance abuse) also apply to prison populations, few studies have examined variables that are of particular relevance to prison inmates. The current study used cross-sectional survey methodology to examine the relationships of primary and secondary psychopathic personality traits with current suicide ideation and previous suicide attempts in a sample of male prison inmates. Prison inmates who endorsed greater secondary psychopathic traits were more likely to be multiple-suicide attempters versus single and nonattempters. Primary psychopathic traits did not predict suicide attempt status. The relationship of secondary psychopathic traits and suicide ideation grew stronger as depressive symptoms increased. Primary psychopathic traits were not associated with increased suicide ideation either alone or in confluence with depressive symptoms.
Psychopathy is defined by a constellation of interpersonal, affective and behavioural characteristics that should, in principle, be strongly related to risk for recidivism and violence. We reviewed the literature on The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised scales (PCL-R; Hare, 1980, 1991) and recidivism. We found that the PCL-R consistently was an important predictor across inmate samples and was consistently among the best predictors of recidivism. Average correlations between the PCL-R and recidivism, weighted by their degrees of freedom, were .27 for general recidivism, .27 for violent recidivism, and .23 for sexual recidivism. Relative risk statistics at one year indicated that psychopaths were approximately three times more likely to recidivate—or four times more likely to violently recidivate—than were non-psychopaths. The correlation between general recidivism and PCL-R Factor 2 (a measure of the social deviance facet of psychopathy) was stronger than the correlation between general recidivism and PCL-R Factor 1 (a measure of the interpersonal/affective facet of psychopathy). Both PCL-R factors contributed equally to the prediction of violent recidivism. The PCL-R routinely made a significant contribution towards predicting recidivism beyond that made by key demographic variables, criminal history, and personality disorder diagnoses. Across studies, PCL-R scores were as strongly associated with general recidivism, and were more strongly associated with violent recidivism, than were actuarial risk scales designed specifically to predict reoffending. Taken together, these findings indicate that the PCL-R should be considered a primary instrument for guiding clinical assessments of risk for criminal recidivism and dangerousness.
The revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) is a 20-item scale scored from interview and file information. Analyses of data from 5 prison samples (
N = 925) and 3 forensic psychiatric samples (
N = 356) indicate that the revised PCL resembles its 22-item predecessor in all important respects. It has excellent psychometric properties, and it measures 2 correlated factors that were cross-validated both within and between samples. Correlations between the original PCL and the revised version approached unity for both the factors and the full scale. We conclude that the revised PCL measures the same construct as the original and that the PCL is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of psychopathy in male forensic populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Evidence suggests that behavioral aspects of psychopathy are associated with suicidal behavior, whereas the affective and interpersonal aspects are not. The authors tested the robustness of this bifurcated association across 1,711 persons and 12 samples of adult and juvenile criminal offenders, forensic psychiatric patients, and civil psychiatric patients. The authors observed a small but significant partial correlation (.13) between the behavioral/impulsive lifestyle features of psychopathy and suicidality, but no effect for affective/interpersonal features. Several method and sample features (mental disorder; psychopathy and suicidality measurement format) significantly strengthened or weakened this association. The authors conclude that it is not possible to speak of "the" association between psychopathy and suicide, but that this relationship appears to be partially dependent on methodological (i.e., self-report vs. clinician-administered psychopathy measures) and sample composition (i.e., age; mental illness) factors. Recommendations for practice are provided, including that clinicians should not consider psychopathy a buffer against suicidal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Psychopathy or psychopathic personality disorder represents a constellation of traits characterized by superficial charm, egocentricity, irresponsibility, fearlessness, persistent violation of social norms, and a lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse. Factor analyses of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) typically yield two factors: Fearless Dominance (FD) and Self-Centered Impulsivity (SCI). Additionally, the Coldheartedness (CH) subscale typically does not load on either factor. The current paper includes a meta-analysis of studies that have examined theoretically important correlates of the two PPI factors and CH. Results suggest that (a) FD and SCI are orthogonal or weakly correlated, (b) each factor predicts distinct (and sometimes opposite) correlates, and (c) the FD factor is not highly correlated with most other measures of psychopathy. This pattern of results raises important questions about the relation between FD and SCI and the role of FD in conceptualizations of psychopathy. Our findings also indicate the need for future studies using the two-factor model of the PPI to conduct moderational analyses to examine potential interactions between FD and SCI in the prediction of important criterion measures.
It has been suggested that psychopathic individuals are incapable of providing valid reports on their own personality functioning because they are either unwilling (i.e., pathologically lie) or unable (i.e. lack insight) to do so. Despite the long-standing nature of this suggestion, almost no empirical research exists on this topic. In the current study, the authors examined the issue of psychopathy and insight by testing self and informant convergence and mean level differences across 3 indices of psychopathy in a community sample (N=64). Self- and informant-report psychopathy scores were also examined in relation to self and informant reports on traits from the Five-Factor Model (FFM). Convergence was strong across the 3 psychopathy indices and their respective factors (i.e., median r=.64), and there was only modest evidence that individuals rated themselves as less psychopathic than did informants. In addition, the same FFM domains-low Agreeableness and Conscientiousness-characterized individuals with psychopathic traits regardless of reporter. Psychopathic individuals appear capable of reporting accurately on psychopathic traits when there are no direct consequences to accurate reporting (i.e., sentencing). It may be that the lack of concern for the consequences of these traits has been mistaken for a lack of insight into them.
Suicidality represents one of the most important areas of risk for adolescents, with both internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing-antisocial (e.g., substance use, conduct) disorders conferring risk for suicidal ideation and attempts (e.g., Bridge, Goldstein, & Brent, 2006). However, no study has attended to gender differences in relationships between suicidality and different facets of psychopathic tendencies in youth. Further, very little research has focused on disentangling the multiple manifestations of suicide risk in the same study, including behaviors (suicide attempts with intent to die, self-injurious behavior) and general suicide risk marked by suicidal ideation and plans. To better understand these relationships, we recruited 184 adolescents from the community and in treatment. As predicted, psychopathic traits and depressive symptoms in youth showed differential associations with components of suicidality. Specifically, impulsive traits uniquely contributed to suicide attempts and self-injurious behaviors, above the influence of depression. Indeed, once psychopathic tendencies were entered in the model, depressive symptoms only explained general suicide risk marked by ideation or plans but not behaviors. Further, callous-unemotional traits conferred protection from suicide attempts selectively in girls. These findings have important implications for developing integrative models that incorporate differential relationships between (a) depressed mood and (b) personality risk factors (i.e., impulsivity and callous-unemotional traits) for suicidality in youth.
In our article by J. L. Skeem & D. J. Cooke, (2010), we outlined the dangers inherent in conflating the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. Hare, 1991) with psychopathy itself. In their response, R. Hare and C. Neumann (2010) seemed to agree with key points that the PCL-R should not be confused with psychopathy and that criminal behavior is not central to psychopathy; at the same time, they said we provided no clear directions for theory or research. In this rejoinder, we clarify our argument that progress in understanding the unobservable construct of psychopathy hinges upon setting aside procrustean dependence on a monofocal PCL-R lens to test (a) actual theories of psychopathy against articulated validation hierarchies and (b) the relation between psychopathy and crime. In specifying these conceptual and applied directions, we hope to promote constructive dialogue, further insights, and a new generation of research that better distinguishes between personality deviation and social deviance.
J. Skeem and D. J. Cooke (2010) asserted that Hare and Neumann consider criminality to be an essential component of the psychopathy construct. The assertion, presented in the guise of a debate on the nature of psychopathy, is neither accurate nor consistent with the clinical and empirical literature on psychopathy to which Hare and Neumann have contributed. Broadly defined antisociality, not criminality per se, is considered to be part of the psychopathy construct. Skeem and Cooke also expressed concerns that the popularity of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 2003) inhibits the development and use of other instruments, that it has become the construct it measures, that it deviates from its clinical roots, and that it conflates criminality with personality. These and related issues are addressed, and it is suggested that the arguments proffered by Skeem and Cooke are not convincing, nor do they provide clear directions for theory and research.
The development of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 2003) has fueled intense clinical interest in the construct of psychopathy. Unfortunately, a side effect of this interest has been conceptual confusion and, in particular, the conflating of measures with constructs. Indeed, the field is in danger of equating the PCL-R with the theoretical construct of psychopathy. A key point in the debate is whether criminal behavior is a central component, or mere downstream correlate, of psychopathy. In this article, the authors present conceptual directions for resolving this debate. First, factor analysis of PCL-R items in a theoretical vacuum cannot reveal the essence of psychopathy. Second, a myth about the PCL-R and its relation to violence must be examined to avoid the view that psychopathy is merely a violent variant of antisocial personality disorder. Third, a formal, iterative process between theory development and empirical validation must be adopted. Fundamentally, constructs and measures must be recognized as separate entities, and neither reified. Applying such principles to the current state of the field, the authors believe the evidence favors viewing criminal behavior as a correlate, not a component, of psychopathy.
The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (T. E. Joiner, 2005) makes 2 overarching predictions: (a) that perceptions of burdening others and of social alienation combine to instill the desire for death and (b) that individuals will not act on the desire for death unless they have developed the capability to do so. This capability develops through exposure and thus habituation to painful and/or fearsome experiences and is posited by the theory to be necessary for overcoming powerful self-preservation pressures. Two studies tested these predictions. In Study 1, the interaction of (low) family social support (cf. social alienation or low belonging) and feeling that one does not matter (cf. perceived burdensomeness) predicted current suicidal ideation, beyond depression indices. In Study 2, the 3-way interaction among a measure of low belonging, a measure of perceived burdensomeness, and lifetime number of suicide attempts (viewed as a strong predictor of the level of acquired capability for suicide) predicted current suicide attempt (vs. ideation) among a clinical sample of suicidal young adults, again beyond depression indices and other key covariates. Implications for the understanding, treatment, and prevention of suicidal behavior are discussed.
Externalizing psychopathology is associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior. Within the externalizing domain, psychopathy may be an important construct for the understanding of which individuals are at particularly high risk. However, prior studies of psychopathy and suicidal behavior have not distinguished between suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior (NSIB). The present study used data on 810 civil psychiatric patients from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Project to examine the relationships between scores on the four dimensions of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) and suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior (NSIB). Results indicate that only the antisocial dimension of psychopathy is associated with suicide attempts. With regard to NSIB, an interaction was found such that, among African-Americans, NSIB was more prevalent at higher levels of antisociality. Present findings refine previous results from studies using the two-factor PCL:SV model and have important implications for the assessment of suicide risk.
The present study examined antisocial dispositions in 487 university students. Primary and secondary psychopathy scales were developed to assess a protopsychopathic interpersonal philosophy. An antisocial action scale also was developed for purposes of validation. The primary, secondary, and antisocial action scales were correlated with each other and with boredom susceptibility and disinhibition but not with experience seeking and thrill and adventure seeking. Secondary psychopathy was associated with trait anxiety. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictors of antisocial action were disinhibition, primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy, and sex, whereas thrill and adventure seeking was a negative predictor. This argues against a singular behavioral inhibition system mediating both antisocial and risk-taking behavior. These findings are also consistent with the view that psychopathy is a continuous dimension.
Startle-elicited blinks were measured during presentation of affective slides to test hypotheses concerning emotional responding in psychopaths. Subjects were 54 incarcerated sexual offenders divided into nonpsychopathic, psychopathic, and mixed groups based on file and interview data. Consistent with findings for normal college students, nonpsychopaths and mixed subjects showed a significant linear relationship between slide valence and startle magnitude, with startle responses largest during unpleasant slides and smallest during pleasant slides. This effect was absent in psychopaths. Group differences in startle modulation were related to affective features of psychopathy, but not to antisocial behavior per se. Psychopathy had no effect on autonomic or self-report responses to slides. These results suggest an abnormality in the processing of emotional stimuli by psychopaths that manifests itself independently of affective report.
Theorists commonly assume that true or primary psychopathic individuals experience little anxiety or neurotic conflict. This study examined the relationship between psychopathy and anxiety in 104 Caucasian and 113 African American incarcerated men using the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991) and multiple self-report measures to tap diverse interpretations of the anxiety construct (i.e., neuroticism, traditional definitions of anxiety, and fear). Analyses involving zero-order, semipartial, and point-biserial correlations indicate that PCL-R psychopathy and the anxiety construct are essentially independent. These findings suggest that either (a) the traditional belief that all psychopathic individuals are low-anxious is incorrect or (b) the PCL-R is not an adequate measure of primary psychopathy.
Two studies are reported examining the reliability and validity of Levenson's Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) in a noninstitutionalized population. The first study used 1,958 undergraduates to examine the factor structure of the LSRP and its relation to serious antisocial behavior and common dimensions of personality. The second study (n = 70) included performance tasks known to discriminate psychopathic from nonpsychopathic prisoners. Results of the studies support the reliability and validity of the LSRP. The 2-factor structure of the inventory was strongly replicated in a series of confirmatory factor analyses. Predicted relations were observed between the LSRP and other self-report instruments of delinquency. In addition, the factors of the LSRP demonstrated the predicted divergent relations to traditional personality traits. Finally, psychopathic undergraduates showed deficits in response modulation similar to those observed in incarcerated psychopaths. Implications for psychopathy in general are also discussed.
Psychopathy is characterized by diverse indicators. Clinical accounts have emphasized 3 distinct facets: interpersonal, affective, and behavioral. Research using the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R), however, has emphasized a 2-factor model. A review of the literature on the PCL-R and related measures of psychopathy, together with confirmatory factor analysis of PCL-R data from North American participants, indicates that the 2-factor model cannot be sustained. A 3-factor hierarchical model was developed in which a coherent superordinate factor, Psychopathy, is underpinned by 3 factors: Arrogant and Deceitful Interpersonal Style, Deficient Affective Experience, and Impulsive and Irresponsible Behavioral Style. The model was cross-validated on North American and Scottish PCL-R data, Psychopathy Screening Version data, and data derived from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) antisocial personality disorder field trial.
Emotional reactions in women with psychopathy were examined in a mixed-picture paradigm using psychophysiological measures. Startle probes were presented at 2.0 or 4.5 s following onset of a 6-s picture presentation. At 2.0 s, nonpsychopaths exhibited the typical pattern of eyeblink reflex magnitude: unpleasant > neutral > pleasant. Psychopaths with high general levels of anxiety also exhibited this pattern. Psychopaths with lower anxiety exhibited attenuated reflex magnitudes during unpleasant pictures. Similarly, when focusing on psychopathy components, only individuals expressing high antisocial behavior and high emotional detachment exhibited smaller reflex magnitudes during unpleasant pictures. At 4.5 s, all groups exhibited normal, potentiated reflex magnitudes during unpleasant pictures. Group differences were not observed for other measures.
Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by impulsive antisocial deviance in the context of emotional and interpersonal detachment. A factor analysis of the subscales of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) yielded evidence for 2 factors. One factor showed relations with external criteria mirroring those of the emotional-interpersonal facet of psychopathy, including high dominance, low anxiety, and venturesomeness. The other factor showed relations paralleling those of the social deviance facet of psychopathy, including positive correlations with antisocial behavior and substance abuse, negative correlations with socioeconomic status and verbal ability, and personality characteristics including high negative emotionally and low behavioral constraint. Findings support using the PPI to assess these facets of psychopathy in community samples and to explore their behavioral correlates and genetic-neurobiological underpinnings.
The Inventory of Offender Risk, Needs, and Strengths (IORNS) is a 130-item self-report measure developed to assess static, dynamic, and protective factors in the treatment and assessment of adult male and female offenders. To date, the IORNS has been validated on community and offender samples in the United States and utilized to identify factors important in the treatment and management of offenders. The IORNS can be completed in approximately 15 minutes, providing an efficient pre-, mid-, and post-treatment assessment to help inform progress and determine if factors related to criminal and violent behavior have changed. The present chapter will present an overview of the IORNS, the rationale and development of the measure, and the review of research examining the reliability and validity evidence. The chapter will close with future directions for research on the IORNS and a case study illustrating the unique assessment results and utility of this measure.
Psychopathy is characterized by diverse indicators. Clinical accounts have emphasized 3 distinct facets: interpersonal, affective, and behavioral, Research using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), however, has emphasized a 2-factor model, A review of the literature on the PCL-R and related measures of psychopathy, together with confirmatory factor analysis of PCL-R data from North American participants, indicates that the 2-factor model cannot be sustained. A 3-factor hierarchical model was developed in which a coherent superordinate factor, Psychopathy, is underpinned by 3 factors: Arrogant and Deceitful Interpersonal Style, Deficient Affective Experience, and Impulsive and Irresponsible Behavioral Style. The model was cross-validated on North American and Scottish PCL-R data, Psychopathy Screening Version data, and data derived from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) antisocial personality disorder field trial.
The Psychopathy Checklist (PCL; Hare, 1980) and its revision (PCL-R; Hare, 1985a, in press) are clinical rating scales that provide researchers and clinicians with reliable and valid assessments of psychopathy. Their development was spurred largely by dissatisfactions with the ways in which other assessment procedures defined and measured psychopathy (Hare, 1980, 1985b).
The psychopathy field has long been beset by confusion and contention regarding the boundaries and features of this chimerical condition. We propose that this disagreement stems largely from the historical separation between psychopathy and basic personality psychology. Using findings from a meta-analysis of the correlations between the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and normal-range personality traits as a launching point, we (a) deconstruct widely used measures of psychopathy into their constituent subdimensions and (b) examine the associations of these subdimensions with higher-order and lower-order personality dimensions drawn from the Big Five and Big Three frameworks. Our review of the adult psychopathy literature reveals broad agreement that psychopathy measures are imbued with low Agreeableness and low Conscientiousness. Nevertheless, substantial disagreement revolves around the place of largely adaptive features, especially high agentic Extraversion, low Neuroticism, and high Openness, within the psychopathy construct. We propose that ongoing debates regarding the nature and boundaries of psychopathy reflect a focus on two differing operationalizations of this condition, each of which reflects a different “species” of individual.
This article reports results from five studies. Exploratory factor analysis was used to select indicators from the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scales, and Personality Assessment Inventory—Antisocial Features Scale. The 10 indicators were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, the results of which show that the two-dimensional model (proactive, reactive) achieves significantly better fit than a general one-factor model and a two-factor social learning model (criminal thinking, antisocial behavior) with 521 medium-security and 116 maximum-security inmates. The construct validity of the two-dimensional model is confirmed in a path analysis pairing (a) proactive scales with positive outcome expectancies for crime and (b) reactive scales with hostile attribution biases. Implications for a unified theory of aggression and criminality are discussed.
In an effort to validate Levenson, Kiehl and Fitzpatrick's [Levenson, M. R., Kiehl, K. A., & Fitzpatrick, C. M. (1995). Assessing psychopathic attributes in a noninstitutionalized population. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 151–158]. Self-report Psychopathy Scale (SRPS) we compared it to Hare's [Hare, R. D. (1991). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems] (PCL-R) and examined its relation to criminal activity and a passive avoidance task. Participants were 270 Caucasian and 279 African-American participants in a minimum security state prison. Confirmatory factor analysis provided modest support for the original SRPS factor structure. Although diagnostic concordance of the two instruments ranged from poor to fair, the SRPS and the PCL-R were significantly correlated and both showed similar patterns of correlations to measures of substance abuse and criminal versatility. Both measures were also predictive of performance on a passive avoidance task. While this constellation of findings provides some evidence for the construct validity of the SRPS, it also suggests that the SRPS may not measure the same construct as the PCL-R and further refinement of the instrument appears to be warranted.
Despite elevated rates of suicide among offenders, research has yet to adequately address theoretically driven risk models in this population. The present study addresses such a gap by investigating a synthesized framework using 2 well-developed theoretical models, the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality and the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS). Archival data from mitigation evaluations for pre-sentenced criminal offenders (n = 307) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results supported a hypothesized personality-IPTS-suicide framework in which neuroticism and extraversion predict IPTS components, namely perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability. IPTS constructs subsequently directly and indirectly (via suicidal ideation) predicted suicide potential. Findings have important implications for suicide theory, research, and risk assessment with offenders.
Purpose Little published research data exist about suicidal ideation and self-harm behavior in community corrections and we seek to fill this void.Aims To examine the effects of drug dependence, depression, anxiety, psychopathy, fracture, and child trauma on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm without lethal intent in community corrections.Methods The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism Revised (SSAGA II) and the screening version of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL:SV) were administered. Separate binary logistic regression analyses were used to predict lifetime suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and self-harm behavior.Results Prevalences of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and self-harm without lethal intent were 41%, 19%, and 14%. Suicidal ideation was predicted by drug dependence, elevated PCL:SV Factor 2 score, and Caucasian race. Suicidal ideation and attempt were both predicted by fractures, depression, and child trauma. Self-harm was predicted by fractures, panic, PCL:SV score, and child trauma.Conclusions Child trauma and multiple fractures are potent predictors for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm without lethal intent in this community corrections sample. Depression predicted suicidal ideation and attempts, while panic predicted self-harm without lethal intent. Psychopathy was also an important predictor of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors without lethal intent.
Research on psychopathy has been hindered by a lack of consensus concerning which measures to employ, as well as low levels of agreement among these measures. These problems appear to stem largely from a fundamental disagreement regarding the conceptualization of the syndrome itself. Two approaches to the conceptualization of psychopathy, personality-based (“open”) and behavior-based (“closed”), are compared. Although some evidence suggests that the behavior-based approach is both under-and overinclusive, this evidence is based upon relatively few studies, some of which suffer from methodological inadequacies. The two-factor model provides a potentially important vehicle for the conceptualization and assessment of psychopathy, although it leaves several important questions unanswered. Comparative construct validity studies of the two approaches will be essential for resolving the debate concerning the conceptualization of psychopathy. Other unresolved conceptual issues in the assessment of psychopathy include (a) the role of negative affectivity, (b) the distinction between fearfulness and anxiety, (c) the dimensional versus categorical nature of psychopathy, (d) the covariation between psychopathy and other personality disorders, and (e) the validity of psychopaths' self-reports. Researchers will need to develop measures of the personality-based approach that are uncontaminated by antisocial behaviors, and to make the nomological network surrounding the behavior-based approach explicit.
Research studies focusing on the psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) with psychiatric and nonpsychiatric samples were reviewed for the years 1961 through June, 1986. A meta-analysis of the BDI's internal consistency estimates yielded a mean coefficient alpha of 0.86 for psychiatric patients and 0.81 for nonpsychiatric subjects. The concurrent validitus of the BDI with respect to clinical ratings and the Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) were also high. The mean correlations of the BDI samples with clinical ratings and the HRSD were 0. 72 and 0.73, respectively, for psychiatric patients. With nonpsychiatric subjects, the mean correlations of the BDI with clinical ratings and the HRSD were 0.60 and 0.74, respectively. Recent evidence indicates that the BDI discriminates subtypes of depression and differentiates depression from anxiety.
Women with antisocial and psychopathic traits have a more extensive history of self-directed violence, as well as borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms, than their male counterparts (Chapman, Specht, & Cellucci, 2005; Warren et al., 2003). To inform this area of research, we examined gender differences in the relationship between psychopathy factors and risk for self-directed violence, as measured by a history of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts, across 2 studies. In both studies, we found that the interaction of the interpersonal-affective (Factor 1) and impulsive-antisocial traits (Factor 2) of psychopathy, a combination considered to exemplify high psychopathy, was associated with ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempt histories specifically in women. In men, Factor 2 traits were associated with these risk indices for self-directed violence, regardless of Factor 1. In Study 2, we extended our analysis to examine whether BPD accounted for the relationship between psychopathy and self-directed violence differentially in women and men. Results suggested that BPD symptoms partially accounted for the effects of Factor 2 on self-directed violence (both self-harm and attempts) in both genders but fully accounted for Factor 1 protective effects only in men. These findings underscore the notion that the same psychopathic trait liabilities, at least as they are currently assessed, may confer risk for different forms of behavioral maladjustment in women versus men.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative association of genetic and environmental factors with individual differences in each of the proximal, jointly necessary, and sufficient causes for suicidal behavior, according to the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005). We examined data on derived scales measuring acquired capability, belongingness, and burdensomeness (the determinants of suicidal behavior, according to theory) from 348 adolescent male twins. Univariate biometrical models were used to estimate the magnitude of additive genetic (A), non-additive genetic (D), shared environmental (C), and non-shared environmental (E) effects associated with the variance in acquired capability, belongingness, and burdensomeness. The best fitting model for the acquired capability allowed for additive genetic and environmental effects, whereas the best fitting model for burdensomeness and belongingness allowed for shared and non-shared environmental effects. The present research extends prior work by specifying the environmental and genetic contributions to the components of the IPTS, and our findings suggest that belongingness and burdensomeness may be more appropriate targets for clinical intervention than acquired capability as these factors may be more malleable or amenable to change.
The present study examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of scores derived from the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ) using latent variable modeling with 5 independent samples varying in age and level of psychopathology. The INQ was derived from the interpersonal theory of suicide and was developed to measure thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness-both proximal causes of desire for suicide. Results support that thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are distinct but related constructs and that they can be reliably measured. Further, multiple-group analyses were consistent with invariance for young versus older adults and nonclinical versus clinical populations, thereby supporting the relevance of these constructs to diverse populations. Finally, both constructs demonstrated convergent associations with related interpersonal constructs-including loneliness and social support for belongingness and social worth and death ideation for burdensomeness--as well as prospective associations with suicidal ideation.
The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) has been subjected to a number of rigorous investigations and has shown to be a promising lens through which to understand suicide. One area thus far left unstudied with respect to the IPTS is emotion dysregulation. The bulk of the work examining the role of emotion dysregulation in suicidality has focused on suicidal ideation rather than behavior, with a number of studies reporting that emotion dysregulation is predictive of suicidal ideation (e.g., Lynch et al., 2004; Orbach et al., 2007). Studies examining suicide attempts have produced more ambiguous results. One way to clarify the nature of this relationship is to consider the construct of emotion dysregulation through an examination of specific subcomponents. In this study, we examined two specific components of emotion dysregulation - negative urgency and distress tolerance - and their relationships to all three components of the IPTS, thereby providing clarity for an otherwise poorly understood relationship. Results indicated that emotionally dysregulated individuals - those with low distress tolerance and high negative urgency - exhibited higher levels of suicidal desire, as indexed by perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. In contrast, emotionally dysregulated individuals exhibited lower levels of the acquired capability for suicide and physiological pain tolerance. As such, a complicated but theoretically cogent picture emerged indicating that, although emotion dysregulation may drastically increase the likelihood of suicidal desire, it simultaneously serves as a form protection against lethal self-harm.
The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) is a promising, efficient measure of the psychopathic personality. Previous examinations of its latent structure have yielded inconsistent results; therefore, the goal of the current study was to evaluate previously reported two- and three-factor models in three separate groups of male correctional inmates (n = 573), male college students (n = 202), and female college students (n = 200). Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the best-fitting model across all the three groups was the three-factor model proposed by Brinkley et al. (Assessment 15:464-482, 2008). The convergent and discriminant validity of this three-factor structure as well as a revised 19-item total score were elaborated on in terms of predicting scores on conceptually relevant external criteria. The LSRP total and factor scales evidenced good convergent and discriminant validity with a few notable exceptions. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.
Joiner's (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior posits that an individual must exhibit elevations on three variables--perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and the acquired capability for suicide--in order to enact lethal self-harm. Thus far, however, no research has examined the role of emotion in this process or whether the interaction of these three variables is more problematic for certain populations than for others. We sought to address these voids by examining the role of negative urgency as an amplifier of the relationship between the components of the theory and lifetime number of suicide attempts. Results indicated that the four-way interaction of negative urgency and the three components of the theory predicted lifetime number of suicide attempts, controlling for depression symptoms and sex. Additionally, the three-way interaction of the theory components significantly predicted lifetime number of suicide attempts in the full sample. Furthermore, for individuals with negative urgency scores at or above the median, the three-way interaction of the theory components significantly predicted lifetime number of suicide attempts whereas, for individuals with negative urgency scores below the median, the interaction was non-significant. These findings indicate that, although elevations on the three components of the theory may be dangerous for anyone, this is particularly true for individuals exhibiting high levels of negative urgency, as they might be more likely to quickly develop suicidal ideation and resort to painful self-harming behaviors while experiencing negative affective states.
Multiple studies have reported a link between high levels of impulsivity and suicidal behavior. Joiner's (2005) explanation for this link is that impulsive individuals have a greater tendency to experience painful and provocative events that habituate them to fear and pain, which leads to an acquired capability for engaging in suicidal behavior.
Study 1 tested Joiner's (2005) hypothesis in a sample of 182 undergraduate students who completed self-report questionnaires on impulsivity, frequency of painful and provocative events, and acquired capability for suicide. In addition to self-report, pain tolerance (an aspect of acquired capability for suicide) was measured with a pressure algometer. Study 2 sought to replicate our findings from Study 1 in a sample of 516 clinical outpatients using a multi-faceted measure of impulsivity.
Consistent with prediction, product of coefficients tests for mediation (MacKinnon et al., 2002) revealed that impulsivity has an indirect relationship with acquired capability for suicidal behavior, and that this relationship is mediated by painful and provocative events.
Data from our studies are cross-sectional in nature, which does not allow for conclusions about the temporal ordering of our variables. In addition, self-report was used to measure most variables. Future research may benefit from a longitudinal design and the inclusion of other modes of assessment (e.g., behavioral measures of impulsivity).
Our findings suggest that the link between impulsivity and suicidal behavior occurs because impulsive people tend to have a greater capability for suicidal behavior, which they have acquired through experiencing painful and provocative events.
Suicidal behavior is a major problem worldwide and, at the same time, has received relatively little empirical attention. This relative lack of empirical attention may be due in part to a relative absence of theory development regarding suicidal behavior. The current article presents the interpersonal theory of suicidal behavior. We propose that the most dangerous form of suicidal desire is caused by the simultaneous presence of two interpersonal constructs-thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (and hopelessness about these states)-and further that the capability to engage in suicidal behavior is separate from the desire to engage in suicidal behavior. According to the theory, the capability for suicidal behavior emerges, via habituation and opponent processes, in response to repeated exposure to physically painful and/or fear-inducing experiences. In the current article, the theory's hypotheses are more precisely delineated than in previous presentations (Joiner, 2005), with the aim of inviting scientific inquiry and potential falsification of the theory's hypotheses.
This study examined the interrelations between two measures of personality, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; Tellegen & Waller, 2008), and their relations with psychopathy in a sample of undergraduates. Results revealed good convergence between conceptually related personality traits; however, the NEO PI-R facets accounted for more variance in the MPQ subscales (mean R(2)=.49) than did MPQ subscales in NEO PI-R facets (mean R(2)=.35). Both accounted for substantial proportions of variance in psychopathy scores, although the NEO PI-R accounted for larger proportions and manifested greater incremental validity when using the broader domains of each measure; the differences decreased when the narrower facets/subscales were used. The results suggest that, although both measures assess psychopathy-related traits, the NEO PI-R provides a more complete description because of its assessment of interpersonal antagonism and the central role of this construct in psychopathy.
Levenson's Self-Report Psychopathy scale (Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) was administered to 1,972 male and female federal prison inmates, the results of which were subjected to taxometric analysis. We employed 4 taxometric procedures in this study: mean above minus below a cut (Meehl & Yonce, 1994), maximum slope (Grove & Meehl, 1993), maximum eigenvalue (Waller & Meehl, 1998), and latent-mode factor analysis (Waller & Meehl, 1998). The results showed consistent support for a dimensional interpretation of the latent structure of psychopathy, corroborating previous research conducted on the Psychopathy Checklist (e.g., Psychopathy Checklist-Revised; Hare, 2003) and Psychopathic Personality Inventory (Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996) and denoting that psychopathy is a dimensional construct (degree of psychopathic characteristics) rather than a qualitatively distinct category of behavior (psychopath).
H. Cleckley (1976) maintained that psychopaths are relatively immune to suicide, but substantial evidence exists for a relationship between antisocial deviance and suicidal acts. This study was the first to explicitly examine suicidal history among psychopathic individuals as defined by R. D. Hare's (1991) Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R). Male prison inmates (N = 313) were assessed using the PCL-R and DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 1987, 1994) for antisocial personality disorder (APD), and they completed A. Tellegen's (1982) Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Presence or absence of prior suicide attempts was coded from structured interview and prison file records. Suicide history was significantly related to PCL-R Factor 2 (which reflects chronic antisocial deviance) and to APD diagnosis but was unrelated to PCL-R Factor 1, which encompasses affective and interpersonal features of psychopathy. Higher order MPQ dimensions of Negative Emotionality and low Constraint were found to account for the relationship between history of suicidal attempts and antisocial deviance, indicating that temperament traits may represent a common vulnerability for both.
As compared with 15 normal controls, " 'primary' sociopaths showed significantly less 'anxiety' on a questionnaire device, less GSR reactivity to a 'conditioned' stimulus associated with shock, and less avoidance of punished responses on a test of avoidance learning. The 'neurotic' sociopaths scored significantly higher on the Taylor Anxiety Scale and on the Welsh Anxiety Index." Cleckley's descriptive criteria were used. 24 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).