Fledgling psychopaths at midlife: Forensic features, criminal careers, and coextensive psychopathology

Abstract

Lynam's fledgling psychopathy hypothesis advanced that youth who manifest Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and ADHD display many behaviors that are consistent with psychopathy seen among adults, but research support for it is equivocal. We know littleabout the developmental course of fledgling psychopathy into adulthood and even less is known about its comorbidity at midlife. Drawing on data from a near population of federal correctional clients in the Midwestern United States, the current study employed a retrospective design to compare those who had lifetime diagnoses for ODD, CD, and ADHD to other correctional clients. Fledgling psychopathy was significantly correlated with multiple substance use disorders, forensic features indicative of a criminal lifestyle (e.g., gang activity, gunshot and stab wounds), and diverse forms of mental illness and personality disorders. Fledgling psychopaths had significantly earlier starting, extensive, and more violent criminal careers than other clients, and fledgling psychopathy was associated more career arrest charges and with 544% increased odds of being in the 90th percentile for career arrest charges. These findings are consistent with fledgling psychopathy and its traversing association with coextensive psychopathology and behavioral impairment at midlife.