Psychopathy and suicidality in female offenders: mediating influences of personality and abuse

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2005 Dec;73(6):1065-73. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.73.6.1065.

Abstract

The influence of personality and childhood abuse on suicidal behaviors and psychopathy was examined among female prisoners. Scores on the affective/interpersonal component (Factor 1; F1) and the antisocial deviance (Factor 2; F2) component of psychopathy were obtained from the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (R. D. Hare, 1991). Suicide attempt and childhood physical and sexual abuse history were coded from interviews and prison files, and personality was assessed using the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (A. Tellegen, in press). Suicide attempts were positively associated with F2 and negatively associated with F1, and each factor accounted for unique variance in suicidality. Path analyses demonstrated that personality mediated the effects of physical abuse on F2, but sexual abuse accounted for unique variance in both suicide attempts and F2. Abuse and personality accounted for minimal variance in F1. These results are discussed in relation to the identification of individuals at risk for both self- and other-harm behaviors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / epidemiology*
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / psychology*
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Personality Inventory
  • Prevalence
  • Prisoners / psychology*
  • Prisoners / statistics & numerical data*
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology*
  • Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data*