Treatment of Psychopathy in Adolescents

• In Event: Physiological Correlates of Conduct Problems and Applications to Treatment

Abstract

Child psychopathy is a severe personality disorder that is characterized by interpersonal, affective and behavioral features including superficial charm, grandiosity, low levels of empathy and guilt as well as proneness to boredom and sensation seeking behavior. Youth with this constellation of traits have been found to engage in more institutional misconduct in detention and residential facilities, as well as more frequent and versatile offending. The current study aimed to examine if the delivery of the Positive Psychology Intervention in a group therapy format will be effective in reducing psychopathic traits in adolescents in an open trial. The study consisted of a baseline followed by a treatment phase. It was hypothesized that the PPI would result in an increase in positive affect and a decrease in psychopathic traits and that EEG assessment would also reflect change across the assessment. Participants included twelve adolescents in a clinical setting. The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 18 years old (M=16.25, SD=1.04). The results will present detail regarding the group effects for psychopathy and psychophysiological measurement from pre-treatment to post-treatment. Initial findings show a reduction in psychopathic traits and differences in the P3 EEG physiological assessment.

Authors

• Randall T. Salekin, University of Alabama

• Andrea Glenn, University of Alabama

• Abby Clark, University of Alabama

• C. Adam Coffey, University of Alabama