title: Psychopathy and traumatic stress.
abstract: This study examined the relationship between psychopathy and traumatic stress. First, a sample of 48 male patients in a security hospital was assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist (Hare, 2003) and the Stanford Acute Stress Reactions Questionnaire (SASRQ; Cardena, Classen, Koopman, & Spiegel, 1996). Linear regression analyses suggested that the affect deficit component of psychopathy was the best negative predictor of avoidance, dissociation, and re-experiencing symptoms. The 13 highest-scoring psychopathy participants were then compared to the 13 lowest-scoring participants. Psychopaths differed from controls in terms of number but not type of traumatic events. They obtained significantly lower SASRQ total score, reflecting a lower level of traumatic symptomatology. The results are discussed in connection with the emotional deficit component of psychopathy.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Defense Sociale, 94 rue Despars, Tournai, Belgium. Thierry.pham@crds.be
authors.forename: Thierry H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Pham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D001530:Belgium; D004644:Emotions; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040701:Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult