title: Self-reported psychopathic traits among non-referred Finnish adolescents: psychometric properties of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory and the Antisocial Process Screening Device.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In general psychiatric services, cost-benefit screening instruments for psychopathic traits in adolescents are needed. The aim of the present study was to study the psychometric properties of the Finnish versions of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI) and the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD-SR) in community youth. As gender-specific differences exist in psychopathic traits, we analyzed the data separately in girls and boys.
  
  
  METHODS
  The YPI and the APSD-SR were administered to 372 9th graders (174 boys and 198 girls) with a mean age of 15.06 years (SD 0.28). Cronbach's alphas were used to study internal consistency. The factor structures of the self-assessments were studied using both Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both self-assessments, boys scored significantly higher in the total scores, Interpersonal and Affective dimension scores as well as in most sub-dimensions. In the YPI, the alpha values for total and dimensional scores ranged from 0.55 to 0.91 in boys and from 0.74 to 0.89 in girls and, in the APSD-SR, respectively, from 0.38 to 0.78 and from 0.29 to 0.78. In CFA, the three-factor model produced poor fit for both self-assessments. For the ten sub-dimensions of the YPI, the PCA suggested two factors. Extending the model into three components showed sub-dimension loadings according to the original dimensions. For the APSD-SR, the PCA revealed a five-factor structure in the male sample and a six-factor one in the female group. When limiting the model to a three factor- model, we obtained a structure, which resembled the original dimensions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the YPI and the APSD-SR are promising tools of screening for psychopathic features in Finnish community youth. The YPI turned out to be slightly better than the APSD- SR in both reliability and factor structure. However, the original three-factor models did not find support. Both self-assessments were somewhat weak for tapping the callous-unemotional traits of the psychopathic character, but, again, the YPI worked better than the ASPD-SR. Both self-assessments revealed significant gender differences in psychopathic character traits.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 282, 00029 HUS Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshukova
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Medicine, 33014 Tampere, Finland ; Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital, 33380 Pitkäniemi, Finland.
authors.forename: Riittakerttu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaltiala-Heino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland ; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland ; Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Jouko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miettunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland ; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland ; Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marttila
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 442, 00029 HUS Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Eeva T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Aronen
authors.affiliation: Adolescent Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland ; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mauri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marttunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland ; Hospital District of Central Ostrobothnia, Mariankatu 16-20, 67200 Kokkola, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaivosoja
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatry, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Kellokoski Hospital, 04500 Kellokoski, Finland.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lindberg
keywords: Adolescence; Psychometric properties; Psychopathic traits; The Antisocial Process Screening Device; The Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory