Are all features of psychopathy associated with decreased health? Psychopathy, dysfunctional family characteristics, and health problems in convicts

Abstract

Previous research suggested that psychopathy is related to diminished physical and mental health. However, this link could be specific to psychopathic lifestyle and antisocial behavior, while manipulative characteristics and emotional superficiality could be unrelated or even positively related to physical and mental health. Furthermore, psychopathic features could mediate the link between detrimental family characteristics and health problems. We tested these hypotheses in a sample of male convicts (N = 224). Psychopathy was explored via a rating method (PCL-R). Dysfunctional family characteristics were extracted from participants' prison files. Finally, self-reported biographical data was used to estimate problems in physical and mental health. Behavioral psychopathy tendencies and especially impulsive and erratic behavior turned out to be positively related both to physical and mental health problems. On the other hand, Interpersonal and Affective psychopathy features were mostly unrelated or negatively related to health problems. Finally, Antisocial and especially Lifestyle characteristics turned out to be significant mediators of the link between dysfunctional family characteristics and health problems. Research results showed that narrow psychopathy facets are differentially related to health status. Psychopathic lifestyle and criminal behavior are positively related with problems in physical and mental health, while manipulative characteristics and affective shallowness are associated with better health. The results are in accordance with the concept of successful psychopathy and evolutionary accounts on psychopathy. Key words: psychopathy, physical and mental health, family dysfunctions, successful psychopathy, human evolutionary ecology Highlights:• We explored the relations between psychopathy, dysfunctional family, and health.• Factor 2 psychopathy traits (Lifestyle and Antisocial) were positively related to health problems. • Factor 1 traits (Interpersonal and Affective) were negatively related to health problems. • Factor 2 traits mediated the relations between dysfunctional family relations and health problems.

Longitudinal Associations Between Primary and Secondary Psychopathic Traits, Delinquency, and Current Dating Status in Adolescence

“…Furthermore, from an evolutionary perspective, these findings align with the argument that there is an asymmetry in life history trade-offs between the different factors of psychopathy. Secondary psychopathy seems to encourage devoting significantly more resource toward short-term mating effort, at least in young adults ( McDonald et al, 2012 ), at the expense of personal health and the well-being of offspring ( Međedović & Kujačić, 2020 ). Secondary psychopathy also appears to be uniquely associated, at least in young adult women, with a range of risk-taking behavior, including maintaining more than one long-term relationship simultaneously ( Lyons, 2015 ).…”

Is it good to be bad? An evolutionary analysis of the adaptive potential of psychopathic traits

“…However, the use of different samples (men vs. women; reproductive vs. post-reproductive individuals) could be partially responsible for these inconsistent findings. On the other hand, psychopathic scores, especially in the lifestyle-antisocial domain, predict higher individual and offspring mortality and morbidity (Beaver et al, 2014a ; Hudek-Knežević et al, 2016 ; Jonason et al, 2015 ; Međedović & Kujačić, 2020 ; Neumann et al, 2012 ), as well a potential decrease in fecundity (Jonason & Lavertu, 2017 ). This is most likely due to irresponsible, reckless and impulsive behavioural tendencies which can result in negative health outcomes and decreased longevity.…”

Health Service Utilization in Adolescents Following a First Arrest: The Role of Antisocial Behavior, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Juvenile Justice System Processing

“…As noted previously, CU traits form the affective component of psychopathy. In research on adults, this facet of psychopathy has been negatively associated with health problems (Hudek-Knežević et al, 2016 ; Međedović & Kujacic, 2020 ). Further, in a study of adolescent detainees, the affective facet of psychopathy was negatively related to anxious-depressive behavior (Sevecke et al, 2009 ).…”