Psychologiczno-psychiatryczna problematyka psychopatii a potrzeby i praktyka opiniodawstwa w procesie stosowania prawa
Psychological and psychiatric aspects of psychopathy versus the practice of opinion making in the application of law

Summary/Abstract: Of all the interesting topics in the field of forensic psychology, psychopathy probably generates the most fascination. The research showed that the term psychopathy could be legitimately used because of the existing diagnosis differences between discerned personality types. The review refers to the construct of psychopathy which is of increasing relevance for forensic psychiatry and psychology, especially empiric studies on legal prognosis and predictors of opinion making and therapeutic efficacy. Psychopathy is related to early‑onset delinquency, number and severeness of violent crimes, number of sexual victims in rapists, and unfavorable legal prognosis. Recent research has also indicated that the treatment of psychopaths is complicated by low levels of motivation and high rates of attrition. In psychological and psychiatric‑diagnostic terms, psychopathy is related to substance abuse and dependency and to cluster A and B personality disorders, especially to antisocial and borderline. More so, as the behavioral component proves least important in explaining the intensity of psychopathic traits and lawbreaking.

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