Antisocial personality, also known as psychopathy or sociopathy, is a disorder in which the person doesn't understand the difference between the good and the bad and ignores others' rights and feelings. Its prevalence is of a 3% in the general population, being more common between men than women and it tends to appear during teenage years or early adulthood.
Its causes are multifactorial, including genetic, environmental and psychological factors.
Symptoms range from breaking social rules and the law, a lack of empathy, irresposibility, impulsivity, manipulation and deceit. People with antisocial personality disorder have difficulty maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships and can have a violent tendency.
The diagnosis is reached through a complete clinical history done by a psychiatrist or psychologist, which is the person that confirms that the DSM-5 classification criteria are met. Moreover, laboratory testing and physical examinations can also be done to rule out other medical affections that may be contributing to the symptoms.
Treatment includes psychotherapy and medication to treat anxiety and depression associated symptomatology.
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