Antisocial and Psychopathic Personality Disorders: Causes, Course, and Remission—A Review Article

Abstract

Antisocial and psychopathic personality disorders can be linked to a number of biochemical abnormalities (e.g., serotonin, monoamine oxidase, and hormone dysfunctions), genetic and environmental influences, and psychological and social manifestations. Children with conduct disorders, with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, have an elevated risk for antisocial or psychopathic personality disorders in adolescence and adulthood. The presence of comorbid disorders such as substance abuse and schizophrenia have a strong negative predictive value with respect to the course, the prognosis, and the outcome of antisocial and psychopathic disorders. Furthermore, there are substantial gender differences. The rates for spontaneous remission and improvement of antisocial and psychopathic personality disorders are possibly relatively high. In fact, these rates are higher for women than for men. In the fourth decade of life, most of the antisocial and psychopathic personalities are in remission.