TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychopathy among prisoners in England and Wales
AU - Coid, Jeremy
AU - Yang, Min
AU - Ullrich, Simone
AU - Roberts, Amanda
AU - Moran, Paul
AU - Bebbington, Paul
AU - Brugha, Traolach
AU - Jenkins, Rachel
AU - Farrell, Michael
AU - Lewis, Glyn
AU - Singleton, Nicola
AU - Hare, Robert
PY - 2009/5
Y1 - 2009/5
N2 - Most research into psychopathy among prisoners is based on selected samples. It remains unclear whether prevalences are lower among European populations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychopathy, and the distribution and correlates of psychopathic traits in a representative national sample of prisoners. Psychopathy was measured using the revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) in a second stage, cross-sectional survey of prisoners in England and Wales in 1997 (n = 496). Poisson regression analysis was carried out to examine independent associations between correlates and PCL-R total and factor scores. The prevalence of categorically diagnosed psychopathy at a cut off of 30 was 7.7% (95%CI 5.2-10.9) in men and 1.9% (95%CI 0.2-6.9) in women. Psychopathic traits were less prevalent among women. They were correlated with younger age, repeated imprisonment, detention in higher security, disciplinary infractions, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, and schizoid personality disorders, and substance misuse, but not neurotic disorders or schizophrenia. The study concluded that psychopathy and psychopathic traits are prevalent among male prisoners in England and Wales but lower than in most previous studies using selected samples. However, most correlates with psychopathic traits were similar to other studies. Psychopathy identifies the extreme of a spectrum of social and behavioral problems among prisoners.
AB - Most research into psychopathy among prisoners is based on selected samples. It remains unclear whether prevalences are lower among European populations. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychopathy, and the distribution and correlates of psychopathic traits in a representative national sample of prisoners. Psychopathy was measured using the revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) in a second stage, cross-sectional survey of prisoners in England and Wales in 1997 (n = 496). Poisson regression analysis was carried out to examine independent associations between correlates and PCL-R total and factor scores. The prevalence of categorically diagnosed psychopathy at a cut off of 30 was 7.7% (95%CI 5.2-10.9) in men and 1.9% (95%CI 0.2-6.9) in women. Psychopathic traits were less prevalent among women. They were correlated with younger age, repeated imprisonment, detention in higher security, disciplinary infractions, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, and schizoid personality disorders, and substance misuse, but not neurotic disorders or schizophrenia. The study concluded that psychopathy and psychopathic traits are prevalent among male prisoners in England and Wales but lower than in most previous studies using selected samples. However, most correlates with psychopathic traits were similar to other studies. Psychopathy identifies the extreme of a spectrum of social and behavioral problems among prisoners.
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Prisoners
KW - Psychopathy
KW - Sampling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67349263401&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.02.008
DO - 10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.02.008
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 19345418
AN - SCOPUS:67349263401
SN - 0160-2527
VL - 32
SP - 134
EP - 141
JO - International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
JF - International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -