A Systematic Review of Primary and Secondary Callous-Unemotional Traits and Psychopathy Variants in Youth

Craig, Stephanie G.; Goulter, Natalie; Moretti, Marlene M.

doi:10.1007/s10567-020-00329-x

Cited by 70 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Social cognition is frequently impaired in movement disorder ( 316 ) and an impaired motor system will likely impair self-other distinction through loss of feedback between motor resonance and emotional processes ( 317 ). In relation to primary and secondary effects, primary psychopathy is thought to involve a fundamental deficit in affective empathy and therefore high self-other distinction, whereas secondary psychopathy may involve indirect symptoms or those arising through a coping strategy ( 318 ). It is possible that some of the signs and symptoms presented here that are suggestive of high self-other distinction constitute primary rather than secondary effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transdiagnostic Relevance of Self-Other Distinction to Psychiatry Spans Emotional, Cognitive and Motor Domains

Eddy

2022

Front. Psychiatry

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Self-other distinction refers to the ability to distinguish between our own and other people's physical and mental states (actions, perceptions, emotions etc.). Both the right temporo-parietal junction and brain areas associated with the human mirror neuron system are likely to critically influence self-other distinction, given their respective contributions to theory of mind and embodied empathy. The degree of appropriate self-other distinction will vary according to the exact social situation, and how helpful it is to feel into, or remain detached from, another person's mental state. Indeed, the emotional resonance that we can share with others affords the gift of empathy, but over-sharing may pose a downside, leading to a range of difficulties from personal distress to paranoia, and perhaps even motor tics and compulsions. The aim of this perspective paper is to consider how evidence from behavioral and neurophysiological studies supports a role for problems with self-other distinction in a range of psychiatric symptoms spanning the emotional, cognitive and motor domains. The various signs and symptoms associated with problematic self-other distinction comprise both maladaptive and adaptive (compensatory) responses to dysfunction within a common underlying neuropsychological mechanism, compelling the adoption of more holistic transdiagnostic therapeutic approaches within Psychiatry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transdiagnostic Relevance of Self-Other Distinction to Psychiatry Spans Emotional, Cognitive and Motor Domains

Eddy

2022

Front. Psychiatry

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“…The 37-item Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-First Edition (RCMAS; Reynolds & Richmond, 1978) is a standardized youth self-report measure of anxiety that is commonly used to subtype primary and secondary variants of CU traits (Craig et al, 2021). RCMAS items were at an 8-year-old reading level (Reynolds & Richmond, 1978).…”

Section: Anxietymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, it explores whether antisocial youth with different variants of CU traits, known as primary and secondary CU variants, differ in their age of delinquency onset and the time lag to their first official charge. Primary and secondary CU variants are thought to differ in their developmental pathways to CU traits and antisocial behavior, with primary CU traits originating from atypical biological and temperamental factors and secondary CU traits developing as a result of exposure to early childhood adversity and being characterized by high anxiety levels (see Craig et al, 2021, for a review).…”

Section: Overview Of the Present Study And Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Callous–unemotional traits linked to earlier onset of self-reported and official delinquency in incarcerated boys.

Neo¹,

Kimonis²

2021

Law and Human Behavior

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Objective: Research shows that youth who engage in early delinquency have higher callous-unemotional (CU) traits than youth with a later start. This study extends prior research to determine the optimal delinquency onset age cutoff for identifying youth high versus low on CU traits and the average age of delinquency onset for youth with clinically significant CU traits. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that youth with childhood-onset delinquency would have higher CU traits than those with adolescent-onset delinquency. We hypothesized that youth with clinically significant CU traits would have an earlier delinquency onset than youth without CU traits. We explored differences in delinquency onset between antisocial youth categorized into low-anxious primary CU variant, high-anxious secondary CU variant, and low-CU/low-anxious control groups. Method: Participants were 456 adjudicated, incarcerated boys (M age = 16.24 years, SD = 1.33, range 12-19; 40.4% White, 39.7% Black, 13.8% Hispanic/Latino, 6.1% other race/ethnicity) in the United States. We measured age of delinquency onset using self-report and official records. Results: Boys who were 11 years old or younger when they first engaged in delinquency had higher CU traits than those who were 12 years old or older (η 2 p range = .009-.012), controlling for conduct problem severity and race/ethnicity. On average, boys with clinically significant CU traits first engaged in delinquency 1 year earlier (at 7.81 years old) than those without CU traits (η 2 p = .012). Low-anxious primary CU variants were 1 year younger at their first official charge (12.65 years old) than controls (η 2 p = .026). There were no statistically significant differences between low-anxious primary and high-anxious secondary CU variants. Conclusions: Elevated CU traits were over-represented among boys who were youngest at their first legal contact, suggesting that this may be an opportune time to identify this subgroup of youth to provide nuanced intervention to prevent later serious delinquency and criminal justice involvement. Public Significance StatementAntisocial youth with callous-unemotional traits begin engaging in arrestable behaviors at 7 years old, on average, and are likely over-represented among the youngest youth who come into contact with juvenile courts. This first point of contact with the justice system represents an opportune time to engage youth in tailored, intensive, multimodal, and evidence-based (TIMEly) interventions that target the unique risk factors involved in their developmental pathway to chronic criminality.

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“…As such, CU traits have been demonstrated as a serious risk factor for externalising behaviour problems and for a particularly persistent course of conduct disorder [27]. Emerging research suggests that high CU traits can be explained by two different variants [28]. Primary variants of CU traits are thought to emerge from genetic factors and are associated with insufficient arousal to emotional cues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Primary variants of CU traits are thought to emerge from genetic factors and are associated with insufficient arousal to emotional cues. Secondary variants are supposed to emerge from trauma experiences, leading to emotional numbing, avoidance and inhibition of empathy as reaction on traumatic environments [28]. While earlier studies propose that the problem behaviours in children with high levels of CU traits become rather irresponsive to parenting-in line with primary CU variants [29,30]-more recent evidence suggests the opposite: parental warmth in clinically-referred, conduct-disordered children with elevated CU traits led to a decrease in the risk for antisocial outcomes [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting and Child Behaviour Problems and the Moderating Effect of Child Callous Unemotional Traits in Foster and Biological Families

Schütte

Lohaus

Symanzik

et al. 2022

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

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The goals of the current study were to examine (i) differences in parenting between foster and biological parents, (ii) the longitudinal associations with children’s internalising and externalising problems and iii) the potential moderation of these by children’s callous-unemotional traits (CU traits). Data from 86 foster children (M = 4.44 years, male = 48%) and 148 biological children (M = 3.69 years, male = 49%) with their families were analysed in a longitudinal study with three measurement times. Parenting behaviour did not significantly differ between the foster and biological family groups. Significant longitudinal cross-lagged effects were found for parental warmth and support and children’s externalising problems. CU traits moderated the relationship between warmth and support and externalising problems of children. Findings suggest that parenting behaviours and child psychopathology do influence each other over time reciprocally and to a similar extent in both groups. However, there was also evidence for greater temporal stability of psychopathological symptoms and reduced responsivity to parental warmth in children with higher CU traits.

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A Systematic Review of Primary and Secondary Callous-Unemotional Traits and Psychopathy Variants in Youth

Cited by 70 publications

References 103 publications

The Transdiagnostic Relevance of Self-Other Distinction to Psychiatry Spans Emotional, Cognitive and Motor Domains

The Transdiagnostic Relevance of Self-Other Distinction to Psychiatry Spans Emotional, Cognitive and Motor Domains

Callous–unemotional traits linked to earlier onset of self-reported and official delinquency in incarcerated boys.

Longitudinal Associations Between Parenting and Child Behaviour Problems and the Moderating Effect of Child Callous Unemotional Traits in Foster and Biological Families

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