Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2021

Abstract

Examining psychopathic traits at the factor or facet level has revealed that various aspects of psychopathy may be differentially related, even in opposing directions, to important outcomes (e.g., intelligence, emotion regulation). Empirical work on relations between psychopathy and internalizing disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, has provided evidence for a positive association with antisocial traits. However, findings for the affective domain have been more equivocal. The current study (N = 732) sought to replicate past findings of the positive association of antisocial psychopathic traits with higher levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms, and to further explore associations between affective traits of psychopathy and these disorders using two measures of psychopathy. Results confirmed prior findings of a positive correlation between antisocial features and self-reported PTSD/Depression symptom severity, but they did not provide evidence for any association with affective traits. Future research using longitudinal designs is needed to begin establishing temporal ordering of the psychopathy–internalizing relationship.

Copyright Statement

This document was originally published in:

Kavish, N., Boisvert, D., Cooke, E.M., Lewis, R.H., Woeckener, M., Wells, J., & Armstrong, T.A. (2021). Further Evaluation of the Associations Between Psychopathic Traits and Symptoms of PTSD and Depression in a Nonclinical Sample. Journal of Personality Disorders, 35(3), 469-480,

Copyright 2021, Guilford Press. Reprinted with permission of The Guilford Press. Copyright restrictions may apply. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi_2020_34_467

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