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Antisocial personality disorder: what else can be done?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

V. Falcao*
Affiliation:
Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Loures, Portugal
C. Pinto
Affiliation:
Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Loures, Portugal
M.J. Heitor
Affiliation:
Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Psychiatry And Mental Health Department, Loures, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is an under-researched mental disorder, and these patients are often excluded from mental healthcare and thus from studies. The consequences of antisocial behavior result in great burden for the patients, victims, family members and for society, and it is associated with criminality, substance use and relationship difficulties.

Objectives

The aim of this abstract is to review the current possibilities of treatment, and its efficacy.

Methods

We present a revision of the state of the art on treatment of ASPD, drawing from PubMed and using the keywords “Antisocial personality disorder” and “treatment”, in a time period ranging from 2011 to 2021, inclusive.

Results

There is little evidence of effective treatments for patients with ASPD and no intervention has been established as the treatment of choice for this disorder. Recent studies, found benefits from Mentalization-based treatment (MBT), that specifically targets the ability to recognise and understand the mental states of oneself and others, an ability compromised in these patients. Specifically, reduction of anger, hostility, paranoia, and frequency of self-harm and suicide attempts, as well as the improvement of negative mood, general psychiatric symptoms, interpersonal problems, and social adjustment were found.

Conclusions

ASPD is a condition that incurs substantial societal and individual costs. Although proper treatment is yet being discussed, MBT is a psychotherapeutic treatment that has shown some promising preliminary results. Thus, we believe that guidelines on the treatment of ASPD and possibilities for more systematical research, with prevention programs, is urgently needed.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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