Validity of the psychopathy checklist-revised in male methadone patients

The psychopathy checklist-revised (PCL-R) has been shown to be reliable when used with male methadone patients, but validity has not been established in this population. This paper examines the PCL-R's validity in 251 male methadone patients. Correlations between the PCL-R and background variables, Axis I and Axis II disorders, and several self report measures of related constructs are evaluated. Correlations with Axis I disorders were low except for substance dependencies, but strong correlations between Cluster B personality disorders were found. Results provide evidence of construct validity for the PCL-R, particularly total and Factor 2 scores, in male methadone patients.