Altered role of the concept of psychopathy in forensic psychiatry

During the early 20th century, psychopathy referred to "borderland states" between normality and mental illness, corresponding to the current personality disorders. In psychiatric assessment, a significant proportion of psychopaths were considered to be not of sound mind, i.e. of diminished responsibility in contemporary language, which in most cases also led to shorter punishments. Psychopathy as diagnosis was abandoned in 1969, after which use has been made of the terms disorders of character and, later on, personality disorders. Nowadays, personality disorders can have a punishment-shortening effect only if they come close to a psychotic disorder. A psychopathy assessed by using current methods may even result in a longer verdict.