Antisocial personality disorder

Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Antisocial personality disorder is a type of chronic mental illness in which your ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are dysfunctional. When you have antisocial personality disorder, you typically have no regard for right and wrong. You may often violate the law and the rights of others, landing yourself in frequent trouble or conflict. You may lie, behave violently, and have drug and alcohol problems. And you may not be able to fulfill responsibilities to your family, work or school.

Antisocial personality disorder is sometimes known as sociopathic personality disorder. It's also sometimes referred to as psychopathy. But some researchers believe that antisocial personality disorder and psychopathic personality are different conditions.

References
  1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
  2. MacManus D, et al. Personality disorders. Medicine. 2008;36(8):436-441.
  3. Pfohl B. Personality disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
  4. Kiraly B. Patient information handout. Mental illness: Taking care of yourself. American Academy of Family Physicians. 2008;78(3). https://secure.aafp.org/login. Accessed Aug. 1, 2008.
  5. Staying well when you have a mental illness. Mental Health America. http://www.nmha.org. Accessed July 2008.
  6. Goldstein RB, et al. Lack of remorse in antisocial personality disorder: Sociodemographic correlates, symptomatic presentation, and comorbidity with Axis I and Axis II disorders in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2006;47(4):289-297.
  7. Devens M. Personality disorders. Primary Care. 2007;34(3):623-640.
  8. Ward R. Assessment and management of personality disorders. American Family Physician. 2004;70(8):1505-1512.
  9. Andrade JT. The inclusion of antisocial behavior in the construct of psychopathy: A review of the research. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2008;13:328-335.
  10. De Clercq B, et al. Childhood antecedents of personality disorder. Current Opinion Psychiatry 2007;20(1):57-61.
  11. Paris J. Clinical trials of treatment for personality disorders. The Psychiatry Clinics of North America. 2008;31(3):517-526.
  12. Davidson KM, et al. Cognitive behaviour therapy for violent men with antisocial personality disorder in the community: An exploratory randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine. In press. 2008.
  13. Gelhorn HL, et al. DSM-IV conduct disorder criteria as predictors of antisocial personality disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2007;48(6):529-538.
  14. Skodol AE., et al. Personality disorders. In: Hales RE. et al. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. 2008.

DS00829

Oct. 9, 2008

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger