Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a complex mental health condition with major implications for criminal justice and public policy due to its prevalence among incarcerated populations and the cost of its associated criminal behavior on society. This entry discusses the history of ASPD as [Page 206]a diagnostic condition and how it is represented in the official psychiatric nosology, its comorbidity and personality correlates, its relation with the construct of psychopathy, causal theories and neurobiological indicators, and perspectives on treatment.

ASPD is a well-known but commonly misunderstood clinical condition whose modern conceptualization reflects the culmination of decades of observation and empirical investigation. Although relatively uncommon in the general population—with about 3% of men and 1% of women meeting the criteria for diagnosis—ASPD is commonplace in correctional and ...