Personality disorder and psychopathy as predictors of psychosocial and criminological outcome in mentally disordered offenders

Abstract

Ninety-five patients discharged from a specialist Personality Disorder (PD) service were prospectively assessed for Axis II disorders and Psychopathy. Sequential regression models tested the ability of different conceptual definitions of PD and Psychopathy to predict criminological and psychosocial outcome over a mean follow-up of 4.16 years. Trait definitions of PD modestly predicted criminological outcome. After controlling for age, IQ and PD, time to first reconviction after entering the community was predicted by PCL-R Factors 1, 2, and previous convictions. Psychosocial outcome was predicted by PCL-R with high scores on the affective-interpersonal Factor 1 providing strongest prediction of poor psychosocial outcome.