Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is assigned to individuals who disregard the rights of other individuals without any form of remorse. People suffering from this disorder are habitual criminals and have a high propensity to be arrested and prosecuted. Such individuals may hurt other through their actions or manipulate them in manners which are considered unethical and immoral based on social norms. People with APD have an impaired moral conscience and only consider their own desires when making decisions, notwithstanding the negative consequences their deeds will have on others. however, even though the terms sociopath or psychopath are used synonymously in the context of the disorder, they can be differentiated due to genetic and environmental factors.
Outside clinical definitions, an antisocial person is one who prefers to be socially isolated. However, this is not the case in the context of psychology. Anti-social in psychological terms means going against social norms and laws. Ironically, individuals who suffer from such a disorder tend to be attractive and charismatic. There are also experts at gaining the sympathy of others, especially when they are on the wrong ( House, 2017) . Various studies suggest that antisocial individual are more intelligent when compared to other people. They can manipulate people without guilt and gain pleasure from the suffering of others. In order to understand how the disease can be treated and managed, it is important to analyze its symptoms criteria under the DMS 5.
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According to the DSM-5, there are four diagnostic criteria. In criterion A, there are 7 sub features. The criterion states that the person in question must have disregarded the rights of others from the age of 15 years according to the 7 sub features. They include engaging un criminal behavior, lying, manipulation and deception, impulsive behavior, aggression and irritability, disregarding the wellbeing and safety of others, lack of remorse, and a consistent patterns of irresponsible behavior. The other diagnostic criteria according to the DSM-5 include that the person should be 18 years and over but the conduct would have been observed before 15 years ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013) . Finally, it dictates that the antisocial behavior is not a result of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
According to the DSM-5, APD cannot be diagnosed before the person in question reaches 18 years. If a person displays anti-social behavior during adolescence, then the correct diagnosis would be conduct disorder. The prevalence of the disorder is 0.02% to 3.3% when the criteria from preceding DSM editions are considered (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
DSM-5 identifies several risk factors for APD. For example, having a biological relative with the disease increases chance of getting the disorder. It is also more prevalent in males. Behavioral scientists have widely debated is APD is a genetic disorder or if it is influenced by social and environmental factors. Some research has indicated that APD is a genetic predisposition, there is some neuroanatomical differences between antisocial people and the rest of society (Vaughn, Salas-Wright, DeLisi, & Qian, 2015 ) . For example, a study identified unoccupied connections in the parietal and frontal lobes of antisocial subjects. This affects the ability of an individual to resolve conflicts and control themselves. Furthermore, there is evidence of the influence of the environment in the prevalence of antisocial behavior. For example, people who internalize messages from peers and parents with antisocial predispositions.
Treatment
Unlike other conditions, the DSM-5 does not provide any treatment suggestions for APD. Experts have failed to come to a consensus about an effective way to manage APD. One of the suggestions that have been put forward is that people suffering from the disorder need to be incarcerated to prevent them from causing harm in the society (Vaughn, et al., 2015 ) . Other suggestions include that they should be placed in parole or monitored constantly to ensure that they are contained. The suggestions are deemed to be controversial since people in a democracy cannot be incarcerated or placed in some monitoring program before they are guilty of a crime.
Some experts also argue that some degree of training might go a long way to help APD patients to learn empathy. They can be shown how their actions affect other people and be encouraged to be more sympathetic and accommodating. Some studies have also proposed religion as a possible method of addressing the disorder. Converting to a religion may enable an individual to find strong convictions about morals and assist them to integrate successfully in the society (House, 2017). However, the role of religion in the treatment of the disorder has not been well studied and documented, meaning that future research is warranted.
As mentioned earlier, some sections of behavioral scientists have proposed incarceration as a possible method of treatment. However, it is not an effective deterrent for antisocial behavior. People suffering from APD have difficulty learning from their mistakes since they are rigid when it comes to decision making. Most people suffering from APD do not respond to deterrence and punishment since they do not feel as part of the society and do not ascribe to the norms and values of a community. Antisocial people may see themselves to be above the rest of society, and hence their laws and rules do not apply to them. They do not want to be limited by the confines and rules of the society. Therefore, incarceration may only se4rve to reinforce their belief that they are not part of the society, and their uniqueness makes them a target.
There have also been suggestions by DSM-5 and other sources that an individual suffering from APD may stop exhibiting antisocial behavior and belief systems once they reach the age of 40 despite these claims, there is not tangible evidence to support the claims substantially. In addition, some experts state that antisocial behavior results in long term emotional battering that may encourage them to change in the long term. They will be physically incapable to commit crimes after years of abuse and neglect. However, their physical incapability does not mean that they abandon their antisocial beliefs. Finally, some studies also indicate that CSC (Cognitive Self Change) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) have had some marginal success in modifying behavior of antisocial behavior ( House, 2017) . Based on these conclusions, it is clear that further studies are needed to find an effective cure or treatment method for APD.
In conclusion, Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is assigned to individuals who disregard the rights of other individuals without any form of remorse. People with APD have an impaired moral conscience and only consider their own desires when making decisions, notwithstanding the negative consequences their deeds will have on others. Despite extensive documentation of the disorder by the DSM-5, there is still no consensus about the cure and further research is needed to explore treatment options.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
House, S. et al. (2017). Preliminary Study of Testosterone and Empathy in Determining Recidivism and Antisocial Behavior. Journal of Forensic Sciences . Vol. 62 Issue 5, p1360-1365. 6p. DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.1346
Vaughn, M., Salas-Wright, C., DeLisi, M., & Qian, Z. (2015). The antisocial family tree: family histories of behavior problems in antisocial personality in the United States. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology . Vol. 50 Issue 5, p821-831. 11p. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-014-0987-9.
