How do you clinically evaluate sociopaths & psychopaths?

Question

Is there a checklist or diagnostic procedure by which you identify sociopaths and psychopaths? What is it?

Answer 1

Well the real "bible" of the mental health field is the DSM IV. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a handbook for mental health professionals that lists different categories of mental disorder and the criteria for diagnosing them, according to the publishing organization the American Psychiatric Association. It is used worldwide by clinicians and researchers as well as insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and policy makers. It has attracted controversy and criticism as well as praise.

As for diagnosing sociopathy and psychopathy, you first of all need to adjust your terminology.

sociopath was in the DSM III-R, but removed from the DSM IV. it was replaced with a broader category called Antisocial personality disorder. It is a psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR recognizable by the disordered individual's disregard for social rules and norms, impulsive behavior, and indifference to the rights and feelings of others. The World Health Organization's ICD-10 diagnostic manual uses dissocial personality disorder instead. The concept psychopathy (not to be confused with psychosis) generally denotes a related but more severe personality disorder.

Sociopathy is sometimes claimed to be a less formal synonym for this disorder based on terminology from an older edition of the DSM. Various experts have co-opted the terms psychopathy and sociopathy inconsistently to mark differences in meaning they believe are theoretically important although there is a consensus that both terms refer to personality disorders with prominent norm-breaking and socially disruptive behavior.[citation needed]

At the same time sociopathy was reclassified, so too was psychopahty also to anti social personality disorder. Psychopathy is currently defined in psychiatry and clinical psychology as a condition characterized by lack of empathy [1] [2] or conscience, and poor impulse control [3] [4] or manipulative behaviors.[5] It is a term derived from the Greek psyche (soul, breath hence mind) and pathos (to suffer), and was once used to denote any form of mental illness, often being confused with psychosis.

Though in widespread use, psychopathy has no precise equivalent[6] in either the DSM-IV-TR, where it is most strongly correlated with antisocial personality disorder, or the ICD-10, where it is correlated with dissocial personality disorder. Some experts are working toward listing psychopathy as a unique disorder. However, only a minority of diagnosable psychopaths are violent offenders [7] [8]. The manipulative skills of some of the others are valued for providing audacious leadership [9]. Some have argued that psychopathy is adaptive in a highly competitive environment, because it gets results for both the individual and the corporations [10] they represent [11].

In current clinical use, psychopathy is most commonly diagnosed using the checklist devised by Emeritus Professor Robert Hare. He describes psychopaths as "intraspecies predators [12] [13] who use charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence [14] [15] [16] to control others and to satisfy their own selfish needs. Lacking in conscience and in feelings for others, they take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without guilt or remorse" [17]. "What is missing, in other words, are the very qualities that allow a human being to live in social harmony."[18]

And http://www.criminalprofiling.com/Can-Criminal-Psychopaths-be-Identified_s194.html says this about it

Can Criminal Psychopaths be Identified?
Posted by Buffy on: Wednesday 31 October 2001

In 1941 psychiatrist Hervey Cleckley published the first edition of his influential book, The Mask of Sanity. The book was one of the first works to describe the psychopath. Four decades later, researchers continue to refer to the "muddy waters" of psychopathy.

However, there is general consensus among clinicians regarding the essential characteristics of the psychopath. There is also a growing body of research, particularly in Canada, that highlights the importance of identifying psychopaths in our criminal populations. The evidence suggests that psychopaths represent a subgroup of offenders who may be prone to violent or aggressive acts and exhibit high reconviction rates.

While terms such as antisocial personality, sociopath, and psychopath have been used interchangeably, the term "psychopath" now refers to a more stringent diagnosis. Psychopathy describes individuals who display impulsiveness, callousness, insincerity, pathological lying and deception, egocentricity, poor judgement, an impersonal sex life, and an unstable life plan.

Not all psychopaths are offenders. However a substantial proportion of criminals are psychopaths. Estimates range from 18% to 40% of offenders, depending on the sample.

More specifically, researchers have found that the incidence of psychopathy is higher as the security level of the prison increases; psychopaths fare poorer in treatment; they are poorer risks for conditional release; tend to have longer, more varied and more serious criminal histories; they are more consistently violent than nonpsychopaths; and their use of violence appears to be less situational and more directed towards particular goals than the type of violence displayed by nonpsychopaths.

Identifying Psychopaths

Procedures used to make a diagnosis of psychopathy have included global impressions of staff, offender responses to self-report personality tests, and rating scales or checklists that are completed by staff. The latter two procedures are probably the most promising methods for diagnosing psychopaths. A good example of this type of tool is the Psychopathy Checklist. Developed by University of British Columbia psychologist Dr. Robert Hare, the checklist was first introduced in 1980. Since then a number of improvements have been incorporated in the scoring procedures.

The Psychopathy Checklist consists of 22 items (e.g. callousness, impulsivity) which were modelled after the psychopathy criteria originally proposed by Cleckley. In order to complete the checklist, the clinician, usually a psychologist, must conduct a detailed interview and a comprehensive review of the offender's file. Recent analyses of the checklist items have demonstrated that the Psychopathy Checklist measures not only the lack of empathy described by Cleckley (1982), but also factors related to their chronic, unstable lifestyle and social deviance.


What this really means is that people who fit the common defintion of psychopath, and sociopath, are often able to mask their intentions, and there is NO readily relaible measure of if a person is a psychopath.

This is the current diagnostic tool used in the DSM IV to determine if someone has antisocial personality disorder (which can lead to psychopaths and sociopaths.)

Diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV-TR)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV, a widely used manual for diagnosing mental and behavioral disorders, defines antisocial personality disorder as a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:

1. failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
2. deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
3. impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4. irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
5. reckless disregard for safety of self or others
6. consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor financial obligations
7. lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

The manual lists the following additional necessary criteria:

* The individual is at least 18 years of age.
* There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
* The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia or a Manic Episode.

[edit] Mnemonic

A mnemonic that can be used to remember the criteria for antisocial personality disorder is CORRUPT[3][4]:

* C - cannot follow law
* O - obligations ignored
* R - remorselessness
* R - recklessness
* U - underhandedness
* P - planning deficit
* T - temper

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do you clinically evaluate sociopaths & psychopaths?
Is there a checklist or diagnostic procedure by which you identify sociopaths and psychopaths? What is it?

Answer 3

Sociopath Diagnosis

Answer 4

With a greater reliance on information provided by
those working or dealing in intimate settings with
the individual coupled with mannerisms displayed
by the individual in therapy. These people have a
tendency to mimic behavior appropriate to the
setting and seldom display the type of evidence
needed to conclusively diagnos a sociopath, however
it is there under a thin surface and if you pay close
attention to their ramblings, that is allowing them to
talk at length when they chose, you will hear things
here and there that are certainly not normal or in
sync with rational thought.

Answer 5

I'm not a psychologist, but I took it in college & have known a few. From my personal experience, sociopaths just don't fit in with normal society. Psychopaths are dangerous.