Personality traits and violent behavior: a comparison between psychopathic and non-psychopathic male murderers

Predictors of personality disorders in prisoners

Personality disorders can lead to difficult social or occupational functional processes rooted in chronic maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This study aimed to investigate factors of personality disorder in prisoners from the central prison of Sanandaj, Iran. We conducted a cross-sectional study, which included all prisoners in the central prison of Sanandaj, Iran. The study sample includes 343 prisoners, of which 329 were male, and 14 were female, selected by randomized multistage sampling method. Participants filled in Millon's multi-axis clinical questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Chi-square, multiple logistic regression, and bootstrap analysis. There were 183 participants without personality disorders (53.4%) and 99 participants (28.9%) with cluster B personality disorders (narcissistic, histrionic, anti-social, and borderline). Male gender (OR=0.07) and elementary education level (OR=0.18) have a significant relationship with cluster A personality disorders (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal). Cluster B has a significant relationship only with the elementary education level (OR=0.27). Cluster C (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder) has a significant relationship with male gender (OR=0.20), elementary education level (OR=0.30), unemployment (OR=2.64), theft crime types (OR=0.38) and disputes and assaults (OR=0.18). Based on these results, psychological and psychiatric interventions in prisoners are suggested.

Psychopathy, temperament, and character dimensions of personality as risk determinants of criminal recidivism in schizophrenia patients

There is considerable evidence on the role of personality traits in the risk of criminal recidivism among schizophrenia patients, besides conventional risk factors. We evaluated the effects of psychopathy and biopsychosocial personality model on general criminal recidivism in schizophrenia patients. Ninety-four male DSM-5 diagnosed schizophrenia patients were recruited and classified into three groups according to the number of offenses since diagnosis: reoffenders (n = 32), Initial offenders (n = 31), and nonoffenders (n = 31). All subjects were evaluated by the Turkish versions of Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R). In Reoffenders, all subscale scores of PCL-R and Novelty seeking were the highest, while Self-directedness and Cooperativeness were the lowest. PCL-R Total, Factor 1 and Factor 2 positively correlated with Novelty Seeking, and negatively correlated with Harm Avoidance, Self-directedness, and Cooperativeness in offender patients. For criminal recidivism in offender patients, high PCL-R Total and Novelty Seeking, low Harm Avoidance, Self-directedness, and Cooperativeness, being unmarried, presence of childhood adversity, and younger age at the first offense were found to be significant predictors in univariate analyses; multivariate regression models revealed PCL-R Total and Persistence as the only significant predictors. These results suggest that certain dimensional personality evaluations combined with potential historical, clinical, and forensic risk factors can be employed in forensic settings to screen offender schizophrenia patients at an increased risk of recidivism and to take necessary precautions against further criminal behavior.

Gambling disorder seeking treatment patients and tobacco use in relation to clinical profiles

OBJECTIVES

Tobacco smoking and gambling disorder (GD) often co-occur. However, few studies have assessed the extent to which cigarette smoking may serve to classify and/or better define GD behaviour profiles.

METHODS

Among a large sample of n = 3,652 consecutive treatment-seeking patients with GD (91% men). Smokers were compared to non-smokers across different sociodemographic, clinical, psychopathological and personality variables. The effect sizes for the means and the proportion differences between the groups were estimated. An evaluation of the smoking changes over the last 15 years was also performed.

RESULTS

From the total sample, 62.4% of gamblers reported tobacco use. A decreasing linear trend in tobacco use was observed within the studied period, women having a more irregular pattern. The use of tobacco was linked to the use of alcohol and other illegal drugs. Gamblers who smoke, as compared to those who don't, presented lower education levels, lower social position indexes and active employment. They were younger, with an earlier age of onset, shorter duration of the gambling behavior, higher GD severity, more psychological symptoms, higher scores in novelty seeking and lower scores in reward dependence, self-directedness and self-transcendence.

CONCLUSIONS

Gamblers seeking treatment who smoke display particular social, clinical, psychological, temperamental and character features different from non-smoking gamblers, suggesting that the presence or absence of comorbid smoking condition in GD should always be considered when developing an optimal treatment, as gamblers who smoke might need treatment strategies different from non-smoking gamblers.

Personality traits and risky behavior among motorcyclists: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Personality traits have been associated with a series of dysfunctional behaviors, ranging from violence to drug abuse and other risky behaviors. However, few studies have investigated motorcycle riders' personality traits, and no research using the psychobiological model of personality was found. Thus, we investigated the association between temperament and character traits and the occurrence of Motorcycle Accidents (MAs).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a randomly selected of 153 Brazilian motorcycle riders (116 male and 37 female) with a mean age of 31.8randomly selected from the driver's license register, between 2015 and 2018. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were used.

RESULTS

Of the 153 participants, 146 (95.4%) reported having been involved in previous accidents, with the main causes as follows: "other drivers' careless behavior" (34.9%); "personal disrespect of traffic rules" (18.5%) and "personal careless behavior" (20.6%). Motorcyclists exhibited higher scores for the temperament factors of novelty seeking and persistence and lower scores for harm avoidance and reward dependence in comparison to the Brazilian population). Considering the reason for motorcycle use, the group of riders that used their motorcycles for work exhibited more temperament factors associated with risk behaviors than those who did not. It was observed that 68.9% of them had low Harm Avoidance (HA) factor scores, whereas 72.1% had high Novelty Seeking (NS) factor scores.

DISCUSSION

The present study highlighted the influences of different personality traits on behaviors, decision-making and risk attitudes that can be potentially harmful to an individual and others. The results provided evidence that a lack of knowledge and experience in riding a motorcycle or any other vehicle, combined with personality traits, contribute to the adoption of risky behaviors that may act as triggers for most causes of Motorcycle Accidents.

Temperament and character in homicidal patients with schizophrenia

Background: Understanding the etiology of violence in patients with schizophrenia is an issue of great clinical and public importance. Although personality traits are an important aspect in determining complex behaviors of schizophrenia patients, there is a lack of research on the relationship between personality traits and violence, especially homicidal behavior, in this population. Aim: We aimed to compare temperament and character dimensions between homicidal and other mostly violent forensic patients with schizophrenia, and to determine which temperament and character dimensions are associated with homicidal behavior in these patients. Methods: We recruited 71 male forensic schizophrenia patients without concomitant substance dependence and antisocial personality disorder. The patients were divided into two groups according to trial documentation as: (1) Homicide and attempted homicide group (N 30; 42%), and (2) Other offenses group (N 41; 58%). Patients were assessed by means of the Temperament and Character Inventory and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Differences between groups were tested with t-test. Results: The two groups of patients were similar in their PANSS scores, but the homicidal men were significantly more likely to show higher harm avoidance (HA) scores than the less violent comparison men (t = 2,876, df-69, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Our results indicate that forensic schizophrenic patients with higher HA scores would show a greater risk of homicidal violence. Improved understanding of personality traits associated with such behavior is needed in order to prevent homicidal behavior. Importance of these results suggests that further study is needed.

Adolescent criminality: multiple adverse health outcomes and mortality pattern in Swedish men

BACKGROUND

To investigate the impact of adolescent violent and non-violent criminality and subsequent risk of morbidity and mortality in adulthood in a large Swedish cohort of young men conscripted for military service in 1969/70.

METHODS

The cohort consisted of 49,398 18-year-old Swedish conscripts followed up for morbidity and mortality up to the age of 55 years in Swedish national registers. Information about convictions for crime before conscription was obtained from national crime registers. Data from a survey at conscription were scrutinized to get information on potential confounders.

RESULTS

Hospitalization due to alcohol and drug related diagnoses and attempted suicide were significantly more evident in the violent group compared to non-violent criminals and non-criminals. More than one fifth (21.13%) of the young violent offenders, 12.90% of the non-violent offenders and 4.96% of the non-criminals had died during the follow-up period. In Cox proportional multivariate analyses, young violent offenders had twice the hazard (HR = 4.29) of all-cause mortality than the non-violent offenders (HR = 2.16) during the follow-up period. Alcohol and drug related mortality, suicide and fatal accidents were most evident in both violent and non-violent offenders.

CONCLUSIONS

Men with adolescent criminality received more inpatient care due to alcohol and drug related diagnoses and attempted suicide as adults. Mortality due to unnatural causes, alcohol, and drug related diagnoses, suicide and accidents was most evident in violent offenders, while these causes of death were much lower in non-criminals. Men with adolescent criminality are a high-risk group for multiple adverse health outcomes and for early death. Efforts for detection of substance use and psychiatric disorders in this group is important for the prevention work in both local- and community levels as well as national prevention programs.

Self-Transcendence in Mountaineering and BASE Jumping

The “extreme sports” of mountaineering and BASE Jumping are growing in popularity and are associated with significant risk of injury and death. In recent years there have also been increasing numbers of reports of reckless disregard and selfishness in the pursuit of mountaineering goals, including severe environmental degradation. Extant research has focused predominantly on personality variables that contribute to engagement, participation, and stress responsivity in these extreme sports. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) provides a comprehensive account of personality traits, measuring seven dimensions of personality that are moderately heritable and associated with distinct brain networks and psychological characteristics. One of these traits is Self-Transcendence, which is associated with spiritual ideas and experiences, such as searching for something elevated and greater than one's individual self. High Self-Transcendence can motivate people to act altruistically even if that requires personal sacrifices and hardship. This article draws on the extant research literature, which has consistently found that despite substantial heterogeneity in their individual personality profiles, mountaineers, and BASE jumpers are adventurous in temperament and highly self-controlled and organized in character. Between 75 and 85% of the character configurations observed in these populations are associated with low Self-Transcendence. The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of Self-Transcendence and its effect on individual personality profiles of extreme athletes, in particular in moderating potentially self- destructive, and regressive ethical and moral behaviors in mountaineering and BASE jumping.