Gender Differences in Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Explanation of Theories of Unequal

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GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER Gender Differences in Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Explanation of Theories of Unequal Diagnosis Gender Differences in Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Explanation of Theories of Unequal Diagnosis This paper will discuss the Cluster B personality disorder known as antisocial personality disorder. More specifically, it will attempt to explain various theories formulated about the difference in prevalence in male and female populations and why men are so much more likely to receive a diagnosis. Before we can begin to discuss the reasons that the disorder is more commonly diagnosed in men, we must first understand some background information on the disorder itself. Antisocial personality disorder was first introduced as a disorder in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association (Moran, 1999). Its overall prevalence is about 3% and 1%, in the male and female populations respectively, according to the DSM-IV-TR. Other studies report varying percentages. If the population is a prison, forensic, or substance abuse treatment setting, the prevalence is even higher (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In a number of studies, the prevalence rate was found to be as high as 40-60% in the male prison population. The disorder is marked by a persistent pattern of disregard for the rights of others. This, in addition to the repeated violation of others’ rights, is able to be traced back to childhood or early adolescence and continues to be evidenced in adulthood. The diagnostic criteria are as follows. There must be evidence of at least three of the following occurring since the age of 15... ... middle of paper ... ...in the diagnosis of histrionic and antisocial personality disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(2), 301-305. Moran, P. "The epidemiology of antisocial personality disorder ." Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 34.5 (1999): 231-242. Print. Prentice, D. A. and Carranza, E. (2002), What Women and Men Should Be, Shouldn’t Be, Are Allowed to Be, and Don’t Have to Be: The Contents of Prescriptive Gender Stereotypes. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26: 269–281. Raine, A., Lencz, T., Bihrle, S., LaCasse, L., & Colletti, P. (2000). Reduced prefrontal gray matter volume and reduced autonomic activity in antisocial personality disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 57, 119-127. Silverthorn, P., & Frick, P.J. (1999). Developmental pathways to antisocial behavior: the delayed-onset pathway in girls . Development and Psychopathology, 11, 101-126.

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