In the wake of several high profile killings by offenders identified as 'psychopathic', Herschel Prins reviews the problematic conceptualisation of psychopathic disorder, provides historical context to the debate, and identifies aetiology and some key characteristics of the condition. He proffers suggestions for practice, concluding both that the concept of psychopathic disorder remains clinically useful; and that it is an essential prerequisite to effective management.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
American Psychiatric Association (1993) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, IV. Washington DC.
2.
Bailey, J. and MacCulloch, M. (1992) 'Patterns of Reconvictions in Patients Discharged Directly to the Community from a Special Hospital: Implications for After-Care' , in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry3, pp. 445-461.
3.
Bavidge, M. (1989) Mad or Bad? Bristol: Classical Press.
4.
Berrios, G. (1993) 'Personality Disorders: A Conceptual History', in Tyrer, P. and Stein, G. (eds) Psychopathic and Anti-Social Personality Disorders. London: Gaskell Books .
5.
Blackburn, R. (1988) 'On Moral Judgements and Personality Disorders: The Myth of Psychopathic Personality Revisited', in British Journal of Psychiatry153, pp. 505-512.
6.
Blackburn, R. (1993) The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice. Chichester: John Wiley .
7.
Cavadino, M. (1998) 'Death to the Psychopath', in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry9, pp. 5-8.
8.
Cleckley, H. (1976) The Mask of Sanity (Fifth ed). St. Louis: C.V. Mosby.
9.
Coid, J.W. (1989) 'Psychopathic Disorders', in Current Opinion in Psychiatry2, pp. 750-756.
10.
Coid, J.W. (1992) 'DSM-III Diagnosis in Criminal Psychopaths: A Way Forward, in Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health2, pp. 78-94
11.
Coid, J.W. (1993) 'Current Concepts and Classifications in Psychopathic Disorder' in Tyrer, P. and Stein, G. (eds) Personality Disorder Reviewed . London: Gaskell Books.
12.
Collins, J. (1991) 'The Treatment of Psychopaths', in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry2, "pp. 103-110.
13.
Cope, R. (1993) 'A Survey of Forensic Psychiatrists' Views on Psychopathic Disorder', in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry4, pp. 214-235.
14.
Cordess, C. (1993) 'Understanding: Exoneration and Condemnation', in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry4, pp. 423-426.
15.
Davis L. (1997) Three Hands in the Fountain. London: Century.
16.
Department of Health (1998) Modernising Mental Health Services: Safe, Sound and Supportive. London: Department of Health.
17.
Department of Health and Home Office (1994 ) Report on the Working Group on Psychopathic Disorder. London: Department of Health and Home Office.
18.
Dolan, B. and Coid, J. (1993) Psychopathic and Anti-Social Personality Disorders . London: Gaskell Books.
19.
Egger, S.Q. (1990) Serial Murder: An Elusive Phenomenon. London: Praeger.
20.
Fallon, P.Q.C.Bluglass, R., Edwards, B. and Daniels, G. (1999) Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Personality Disorder Unit, Ashworth Special Hospital. (Two Vols. and Executive Summary. CM 4194 (I and II. London: Stationery Office.
21.
Gunn, J. (1992) 'Personality Disorders and Forensic Psychiatry' , Criminal Behaviour
22.
and Mental Health2, pp. 202-211.
23.
Hare, R.D., Strachen, C.E. and Forth, A.E. (1993) 'Psychopathy and Crime: A Review', in Howells, K. and Hollin, C.R. (eds), Clinical Approaches to the Mentally Disordered. Chichester: John Wiley.
24.
Hare, R.D. (1993) Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. London: Pocket Books.
25.
Higgit, A. and Fonagy, P. (1993) 'Psychotherapy in Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Disorders', in Tyrer, P. and Stein, G. (eds), Personality Disorder Reviewed . London: Gaskell Books.
26.
Hodgins, S. (1993) Mental Disorder and Crime. London: Sage.
27.
Home Office and Department of Social Security ( 1975) Report of the Committee on Mentally Abnormal Offenders, ('The Butler Report'), Cmnd. 6244. London: HMSO.
28.
Johns, J.H. and Quay, H.C. (1962) 'The Effect of Social Reward on Verbal Conditioning in Psychopathic and Neurotic Military Offenders', in Journal of Consulting Psychology26, pp. 271-220.
29.
Lewis, Sir Aubrey (1974) 'Psychopathic Personality: A Most Elusive Category' , in Psychological Medicine4, pp. 133-144.
30.
Lewis, G. and Appleby, L. (1988) 'Personality Disorder: The Patients Psychiatrists Dislike', in British Journal of Psychiatry153, pp. 44-49.
31.
Maier, G.J. (1990) 'Psychopathic Disorders: Beyond Counter-Transference' , in Current Opinion in Psychiatry3, pp. 766-769
32.
Pinel, P.H. (1806) A Treatise on Insanity. New York: Hafner.
33.
Prichard, J.C. (1835) Treatise on Insanity. London : Gilbert and Piper.
34.
Prins, H. (1988) 'The Status of Personality Disorder' in Current Opinion in Psychiatry1, pp. 184-187.
35.
Prins, H. (1995) Offenders, Deviants or Patients? (Second edn.) London: Routledge.
36.
Prins, H. (1998) 'Characteristics of Forensic Psychiatrists: A Modest Survey', Journal of Forensic Psychiatry9, pp. 139-149.
37.
Rawnsley, K. (1984) 'Psychiatry in Jeopardy', British Journal of Psychiatry145, pp. 573-578.
38.
Rieber, R.W. and Green, M.R. (1988) The Psychopathy of Everyday Life. Unpublished manuscript (quoted in Egger, S.Q. ( 1990) Serial Murder: An Elusive Phenomenon, p.225. London: Praeger.)
39.
Roth, Sir Martin (1990) 'Psychopathic (Sociopathic) Personality'. In Bluglass, R. and Bowden, P. (eds), Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry . London: Churchill Livingstone .
40.
Schneider, K. (1958) Psychopathic Personalities. (Tr. Hamilton, M.) London: Cassell.
41.
Scott, P.D. (1960) 'The Treatment of Psychopaths', in British Medical Journal2, pp. 1641-1646.
42.
Scott, P.D. (1975) Has Psychiatry Failed in the Treatment of Offenders ? London: Institute For the Study and Treatment of Delinquency.
43.
Skett, S. and Stepney, J. (1995) 'Personality Disorders: Research Up-Date' in Forensic Up-Date 43, pp. 3-12. Leicester: British Psychological Society.
44.
Stein, G. (1993) 'Drug Treatment in Personality Disorders' in Tyrer, P. and Stein, G. (eds), Personality Disorder Reviewed. London: Gaskell Books.
45.
Stone, M.H. (1993) 'Long-Term Outcomes in Personality Disorders', in Tyrer, P. and Stein, G. (eds) Personality Disorder Reviewed. London: Gaskell.
46.
Szasz, T. (1987) Insanity: The Idea and Its Consequences. Chichester: John Wiley.
47.
Tennent, G., Tennent, D., Prins, H. and Bedford, A. (1990) 'Psychopathic Disorder: A Useful Clinical Concept ?' in Medicine, Science and the Law30, pp. 39-44.
48.
Tennent, G., Tennent, D., Prins, H. and Bedford, A. (1993) 'Is Psychopathic Disorder a Treatable Condition ?' in Medicine, Science and the Law33, pp. 63-66.
49.
Treves-Brown, C. (1977) 'Who is the Psychopath?' in Medicine, Science and the Law17, pp. 56-63.
50.
Tyrer, P. (1989) 'Clinical Importance of Personality Disorder', in Current Opinion in Psychiatry2, pp. 240-243.
51.
Tyrer, P. (1998) 'Feedback for the Personality Disordered', in Journal of Forensic Psychiatry9, pp. 1-4
52.
Vetter, H. (1990) 'Dissociation, Psychopathy and the Serial Murderer ' in Egger, S. (ed) Serial Murder: An Elusive Phenomenon. London: Praeger.
53.
Wambaugh, J. (1989) The Blooding. London: Bantam Books.
54.
Watts, D. and Morgan, G. (1994) 'Malignant Alienation: Dangers for Patients Who Are Hard to Like', in British Journal of Psychiatry164, pp. 11-15.
55.
Whiteley, J.S. (1994) 'In Pursuit of the Elusive Category', in British Journal of Psychiatry Review of Books7, pp. 14-17.
56.
Winnicott, D.W. (1949) 'Hate in the Countertransference', in International Journal of Psychoanalysis30, pp. 69-74.
57.
Wootton, Baroness (1959) Social Science and Social Pathology. London: Allan and Unwin.
58.
World Health Organisation (1992) The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: WHO.
