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Chapter 23 - Antisocial Personality Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

By
Morgan T. Deal  and
Juan J. Sosa
Edited by
Marsal Sanches  and
Jair C. Soares
Marsal Sanches
Affiliation:
McGovern Medical School, Texas
Jair C. Soares
Affiliation:
McGovern Medical School, Texas
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Summary

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a mental condition in which a person exhibits a pattern of repeated disregard for and violation of others’ rights. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) provides the framework for diagnosing ASPD. The prevalence rate of ASPD is high in prisons. Genetics, epigenetics, neuroscience, sociology, epidemiology, psychology, and other behavioral science fields have attempted to find a primary etiology. Despite decades of research, the precise etiology of ASPD has not been found, and its pathophysiology remains a complex question. The interaction between genes and the environment appears to be a significant factor in the development of ASPD. Brain imaging in subjects with ASPD has revealed structural brain changes in those with ASPD. Individuals with ASPD are challenging to manage for health care providers because of their complicated clinical presentation, high comorbidity of medical and mental disorders, lack of licensed pharmacotherapies for ASPD, and increased utilization of healthcare resources. ASPD requires tremendous effort from treating clinicians. Clinicians can successfully manage individuals with ASPD if they remain aware of the unique challenges of these patients while thoughtfully applying available research.

Keywords

antisocialpersonality disorderASPDpsychopathyconduct disorderaggressionirritability
Type
Chapter
Information
Fundamentals of Clinical Psychiatry
A Practical Handbook
 , pp. 232 - 238
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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