Self-reported trauma, cortisol levels, and aggression in psychopathic and non-psychopathic prison inmates.
The relationship between self-reported traumatic childhood experiences, cortisol levels, aggression, and psychopathy was investigated in prison inmates (n=47) and healthy controls (n=27). Besides questionnaires, a brief salivary diurnal profile was measured. Results show that criminals (both psychopaths and non-psychopaths) demonstrate more traumatic childhood experiences than the control group. Within the group of criminals, psychopaths showed the lowest diurnal cortisol concentrations, whereas the non-psychopaths demonstrated highest daily average cortisol (DAC) scores. High levels of aggression were related to traumatic childhood experiences in non-psychopaths and control participants, but not in psychopaths. Although psychopathic offenders demonstrated low levels of cortisol, high levels of childhood traumatic experiences and high levels of aggression, cortisol was not a mediating factor between childhood traumatic experiences and aggression. Implications of the finding that psychopathic offenders displayed lower and non-psychopaths showed higher daily cortisol levels are discussed.
Cima
Maaike
M
Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Maaike.Cima@DMKEP.unimaas.nl <Maaike.Cima@DMKEP.unimaas.nl>
Smeets
Tom
T
Jelicic
Marko
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006854:Hydrocortisone