Psychopathy is commonly viewed as a personality disorder defined by a cluster of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits and behaviours, including grandiosity, egocentricity, deceptiveness, shallow emotions, lack of empathy or remorse, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and a tendency to violate social norms. In our article, we outline standard methods for the assessment of psychopathy, its association with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), and its implications for clinical and forensic issues, including crime and violence, risk assessment, and treatment options.

/pdf/psychopathy-assessment-and-forensic-implications-n7irjajesr.pdf

Psychopathy: assessment and forensic implications

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2010.tb00296.x

WPA guidance on how to combat stigmatization of psychiatry and psychiatrists.

Sadistic personality disorder (SPD) has been underresearched and often misunderstood in forensic settings. Furthermore, personality disorders in general are the subject of much controversy in terms of their classification (i.e., whether they should be categorical or dimensional). The Sadistic Attitudes and Behaviors Scale (SABS; Davies & Hand, 2003; O'Meara, Davies, & Barnes-Holmes, 2004) is a recently developed scale for measuring sadistic inclinations. Derived from this is the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale (SSIS), which has proved to be a strong unidimensional measure of sadistic inclination. Through cumulative scaling, it was investigated whether the SSIS could measure sadism on a continuum of interest, thus providing a dimensional view of the construct. Further, the SSIS was administered along with a number of other measures related to sadism in order to assess the validity of the scale. Results showed that the SSIS has strong construct and discriminant validity and may be useful as a screening measure for sadistic impulse.

The psychometric properties and utility of the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale (SSIS).

The portrayal of mentally ill persons in movies and television programs has an important and underestimated influence on public perceptions of their condition and care. Movie stereotypes that contribute to the stigmatization of mentally ill persons include the mental patient as rebellious free spirit, homicidal maniac, seductress, enlightened member of society, narcissistic parasite, and zoo specimen. The authors suggest that mental health professionals can fight this source of stigma by increasing their collaboration with patient advocacy groups in monitoring negative portrayals of mentally ill people, using public information campaigns such as Mental Illness Awareness Week to call attention to the process of stigmatization, and supporting accurate dramatic and documentary depictions of mental illness.

Homicidal maniacs and narcissistic parasites: Stigmatization of mentally ill persons in the movies.

Stigma affects all aspects of mental disorders, and is the most important risk factor for promoting mental health. The aim of this study was to explore strategies effective in reducing the stigma toward people with mental disorders in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted from 2013 to 2016. All participants were recruited by purposive sampling method. The majority of them were stakeholders of mental health in Iran. Data were collected through eight individual interviews, two focus groups, and six written narratives. The data were collected, coded and analyzed simultaneously. Content analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative interview data. The major themes that emerged were: “Emphasis on education and changing attitudes”, “Changing the culture”, “Promoting supportive services”, “Role of various organizations and institutions”, “Integrated reform of structures and policies to improve the performance of custodians”, and “Evidence-based actions”. This study did not investigate the extent of stigma or its origins, rather it examines strategies appropriate for implementation in Iran. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for reducing the stigma attached to patients with mental disorders.

/pdf/strategies-to-reduce-the-stigma-toward-people-with-mental-rmfmw6mqhf.pdf

Strategies to reduce the stigma toward people with mental disorders in Iran: stakeholders' perspectives.

https://www.childpsych.theclinics.com/article/S1056-4993(05)00028-3/pdf

Jeremy R. Butler

Papers

Hollywood Portrayals of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Treatment: Implications for Clinical Practice

Sadistic personality disorder.

Adolescents, Media, and the Law: What Developmental Science Reveals and Free Speech Requires