The Relationship Between Comorbid Psychiatric Illnesses and Psychopathy Levels On Male Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder in the Turkish Community

Abstract

Introduction The studies investigating antisocial personality disorder are mostly applied to subjects in prison.) In the literature, it is shown that 50% – 75 % of the prisoners are diagnosed as ASPD, and only 15% -25% of the patients can be defined “psychopathic”. Comorbidity rates may change in different populations. Objective In this study, we aimed to investigate comorbid disorders in a Turkish patient sample with the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) who are not in prison and we investigated its relationship with psychopathy levels. Methods 140 male subjects were included in the study. None of them had been in the prison on admission. They all had the diagnoses of ASPD according to DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) diagnostic criteria. Socio-demographic data form, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM- Axis 1 Disorders and Axis 2 Disorders (SCID-I, SCID-II), and Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were applied. Results Most commonly seen comorbid disorders were as follows: substance use disorders (66,9%), alcohol use disorders (65,4%) and adjustment disorders (36,4%). In the high psychopathy group 'Current and Lifetime Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder” and 'Generalized Anxiety Disorder” were detected significantly more than those of the low psychopathy group. Conclusion This study supplies important epidemiological data about ASPD comorbidity. Of note, none of the subjects were in the prison during the study. Psychopathy also seems like a predictor in comorbid situations.