Question

Describe the basic features of antisocial personality disorder. Why is psychotherapy with this population so likely to fail? Be sure to cite your references used in answering this discussion board

Answer 1

Anti social personality disorder (ASPD) is a personality disorder in which the individual exhibits disregard for rules and laws and people around them. Some of the basic features of ASPD are:

• Gross disregard for societies rules and norms
• Lying, manipulation and deceit for the benefit of ones own self
• Aggressive and violent behavior, characterized by lack of empathy
• Lack fo remorse for ones own actions
• Impulsive and reckless behavior which causes harm to one self as well others

Treatment

ASPD is one of the most difficult disorders to treat as medications cannot be used effectively to treat ASPD. Predominantly, for the treatment of ASPD, therapy is used, one of the most difficult aspect of therapy is that the client does not want to change or lacks the motivation to change. The client may often manipulate the therapist and lie to them in order to escape from the treatment, or they may even pretend that they are participating in the treatment when in actuality they are not.

References

McRae, L. (2013). Rehabilitating antisocial personalities: treatment through self-governance strategies. The journal of forensic psychiatry & psychology, 24(1), 48-70.

American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition