Callous-Unemotional Traits Only Versus the Multidimensional Psychopathy Construct as Predictors of Various Antisocial Outcomes During Early Adolescence

Henrik Andershed,Randall T Salekin,Kostas A Fanti,Melina Nicole Kyranides,Olivier F Colins,Alexandros Lordos

doi:10.1007/s10862-018-9659-5

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare callous-unemotional (CU) traits versus the multidimensional psychopathy construct in their ability to predict future and stable antisocial behavior. At baseline, a community sample of 996 Cypriot 12-year old adolescents (52% girls) completed measures that tap conduct problems (CP) and psychopathic traits, including CU. CP, aggression, and substance use were self-reported at 1–3 year follow-ups. Youths were assigned to six mutually exclusive groups based on their baseline levels of CP and psychopathic traits. Youth with CP scoring high on all three psychopathic traits dimensions (Psychopathic Personality + CP) showed the most robust and highest risk for future and stable CP, aggression, and substance use, followed by youth who were high on all three psychopathic traits dimensions but displayed no concurrent CP (Psychopathic Personality Only) and CP youth with low levels of psychopathic traits (CP Only). Youth with CP who merely manifested callous-unemotional traits (Callous-Unemotional + CP) were only at risk for future CP. The findings suggest that the CU traits-based approach for subtyping children with CP is less informative compared to a subtyping approach using various psychopathic traits dimensions in predicting future and stable forms of various antisocial outcomes. These findings and their consistency with prior work indicate the need for additional research to examine the various psychopathic traits dimensions rather than focusing solely on CU traits, especially for CP subtyping purposes.

Highlights

Children and adolescents with conduct problems (CP) constitute a heterogeneous group, in types of CP they exhibitShared first authorship between Andershed & Colins
Past research suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits help to identify a subgroup of children with CP who exhibit a more severe and stable pattern of CP compared to youth with CP low on CU traits (Frick et al 2014)
Notwithstanding the relevance of studying CU traits in relation to CP, and as detailed elsewhere in this Special Issue it remains unclear if CU traits is the best predictor of future and stable antisocial outcomes, or if a greater representation of psychopathic traits is needed to identify the adolescents who are at the highest risk

Summary

Introduction

Children and adolescents with conduct problems (CP) constitute a heterogeneous group, in types of CP they exhibitShared first authorship between Andershed & Colins. Past research suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits help to identify a subgroup of children with CP who exhibit a more severe and stable pattern of CP compared to youth with CP low on CU traits (Frick et al 2014). Reflecting this body of evidence, CU traits have increasingly been included in theoretical models and empirical studies on CP, and are expected to influence clinical work with children and adolescents, especially since classification systems have added (DSM-5), or may add (ICD-11) a CU-based specifier for the diagnosis of conduct disorder (APA 2013; Salekin 2016a, b, 2017). Notwithstanding the relevance of studying CU traits in relation to CP, and as detailed elsewhere in this Special Issue (see Colins, Andershed, Salekin, & Fanti 2018) it remains unclear if CU traits is the best predictor of future and stable antisocial outcomes, or if a greater representation of psychopathic traits is needed to identify the adolescents who are at the highest risk

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