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Are patients deemed ‘dangerous and severely personality disordered’ different from other personality disordered patients detained in forensic settings?
Author(s) -
Howard Rick,
Khalifa Najat,
Duggan Conor,
Lumsden John
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
criminal behaviour and mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1471-2857
pISSN - 0957-9664
DOI - 10.1002/cbm.827
Subject(s) - psychopathy , psychopathy checklist , personality , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , personality disorders , forensic psychiatry , antisocial personality disorder , poison control , injury prevention , medicine , medical emergency , social psychology
ABSTRACT Background In 1999, the UK government initiated a programme for the assessment and treatment of individuals deemed to have ‘dangerous and severe personality disorder’ (DSPD). After over 10 years of specialist service development, it is not clear whether DSPD patients represent a distinct group. Aims The aim of this study was to establish whether people admitted to DSPD hospital units could be distinguished in presentation or personality traits from people with personality disorder admitted to standard secure hospital services. Methods Thirty‐eight men detained in high‐security hospital DSPD units were compared with 62 men detained in conventional medium or high security hospital units, using the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL‐R) and other standard personality disorder, clinical and offending measures. Results Compared with their counterparts in standard services, the DSPD group had higher scores on PCL‐R psychopathy, significantly more convictions before age 18 years, greater severity of institutional violence and more prior crimes of sexual violence. Regression analysis confirmed that only PCL‐R Factor 1, reflecting core interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy, predicted group membership. Conclusion The DSPD group emerged as having higher psychopathy scores, but as there is currently no evidence that the core personality features of psychopathy are amenable to treatment, there is little justification for treating high‐psychopathy forensic patients differently from those with other disorders of personality. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.