title: Antisocial and psychopathic personalities in a sample of addicted subjects: differences in psychological resources, symptoms, alexithymia and impulsivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are two constructs not interchangeable. Compared to the ASPD, psychopathy is characterized by lack of anxiety, low withdrawal, and high levels of attention seeking.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample of this study included 76 subjects with a substance use disorder. Subjects were aged between 18 and 59 years old (M=32.87, SD=9.36). With respect to level of education 3 subjects are elementary school graduates, 49 have a middle school diploma, 21 own a high school diploma, and 3 participants have a bachelor's degree. We administered the following measures: a) Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R); b) Psychological Treatment Inventory (PTI); c) 20-Item-Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20); d) Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the significant correlations between the Psychopathic Index (PPI-R total score), and the measures administered are listed below: PPI-R total score and Deviance (r=.482, p<.001), PPI-R total score and Hypomania (r=.369, p < .001), PPI-R total score and Unresolved attachment (r=.293, p<.001), PPI-R total score and Manipulativeness (r=.550, p<.001), PPI-R total score and the TAS-20 total score (r=.230; p<.001), PPI-R total score and Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) factor (r=.250, p<.001), PPI-R total score and Attentional Impulsiveness (r=.409, p<.001); PPI-R total score and Motor Impulsiveness (r=.526, p<.001). Results of MANOVAs between the two groups also revealed significant differences on several variables analyzed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that addicted subjects with psychopathic tendencies are more likely to experience negative emotions and have a peculiar cognitive style with respect to antisocial addicts. These results partially confirm those ones of previous studies underlining that psychopathic population is generally characterized for a major need for stimulation, poor behavioral controls, lack of realistic long-term goals, impulsivity, irresponsibility.
authors: University of Florence, Italy.
authors: Alessio
authors: A
authors: Gori
authors: Kore University of Enna, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.craparo@unikore.it.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Craparo
authors: Cooperativa Incontro, Pistoia, Italy.
authors: Giuseppe Iraci
authors: GI
authors: Sareri
authors: University of Palermo, Italy.
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Caretti
authors: University of Florence, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Giannini
authors: University of Florence, Italy.
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Meringolo
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult