Research Article

Psychopathy and Axis I psychiatric disorders among criminal offenders: relationships to impulsive and proactive aggression

  1. Marc T. Swogger1,*,
  2. Zach Walsh2,
  3. Rebecca J. Houston3,
  4. Sarah Cashman-Brown1,
  5. Kenneth R. Conner1,4

Article first published online: 10 NOV 2009

DOI: 10.1002/ab.20330

Issue

Aggressive Behavior

Aggressive Behavior

Volume 36, Issue 1, pages 45–53, January/February 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Swogger, M. T., Walsh, Z., Houston, R. J., Cashman-Brown, S. and Conner, K. R. (2010), Psychopathy and Axis I psychiatric disorders among criminal offenders: relationships to impulsive and proactive aggression. Aggr. Behav., 36: 45–53. doi: 10.1002/ab.20330

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York

  2. 2

    Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia–Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada

  3. 3

    Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, New York

  4. 4

    Canandaigua VA Center of Excellence, Rochester, New York

*Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 DEC 2009
  2. Article first published online: 10 NOV 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 3 OCT 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 8 JUL 2009
  5. Manuscript Received: 16 MAR 2009

Funded by

  • NIH. Grant Number: P20 MH071897

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Keywords:

  • aggression;
  • violence;
  • psychopathy;
  • psychopathology;
  • impulsive aggression

Abstract

Both psychopathology and aggression are heterogeneous constructs. Determining which forms of psychopathology relate to risk for different classes of aggressive behavior has implications for risk recognition and management. This study examined the relationships of impulsive aggression (IA) and proactive aggression (PA) to psychopathy and symptoms of several Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Axis I disorders in a sample of criminal offenders. Results replicated prior findings from community samples of a broad relationship between psychopathology and IA. PA was related only to psychopathy. An interaction was found whereby IA was associated with impulsive–antisocial traits of psychopathy only for individuals with moderate to high levels of generalized anxiety. Results indicate that assessing and treating several Axis I disorders in offenders may decrease risk for IA. Moreover, current findings raise the possibility that generalized anxiety is a key, modifiable component of the relationship between IA and impulsive–antisocial traits. Aggr. Behav. 36:45–53, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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