DSM-5 antisocial personality disorder: predictive validity in a prison sample.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Criminology

Background:

• Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is often cited in legal settings as a predictor of future violence.
• However, research on the predictive validity of ASPD for institutional misconduct is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if ASPD diagnosis or symptom counts predict institutional misconduct in prisoners.
• To assess the predictive utility of ASPD for general, aggressive, and violent infractions.

Main Methods:

• Adult male and female offenders (n=353) from US prisons were assessed for ASPD using the SCID-II.
• Diagnostic information and official disciplinary records were collected over a 1-year period.
• Misconduct was categorized as general, aggressive, or violent.

Main Results:

• ASPD diagnoses and adult symptom counts did not significantly predict any form of institutional misconduct.
• The symptom of remorselessness showed no association with future prison misconduct.
• Childhood conduct disorder symptoms had modest predictive utility.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not support the use of ASPD diagnoses to predict institutional misconduct in prison.
• Testimony regarding ASPD as an indicator of future threat in incarcerated individuals lacks substantial scientific foundation.
• The predictive validity of ASPD for violence risk in correctional settings requires further investigation.