The relationship between childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and conduct problems and adult psychopathy in male inmates

Two categories of childhood problems frequently implicated in the development of adult psychopathy are conduct problems (CP) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Three perspectives regarding the relationship between childhood symptomatology and adult antisocial outcomes were examined: the conduct-problem mediation, the independent prediction, and the comorbid subtype positions. Relationships between self-report measures of childhood CP and ADHD and interviewer-rated psychopathy scores (PCL-R) were examined for 275 Caucasian and African-American male inmates. Although both childhood CP and ADHD were associated with PCL-R Total and Antisocial Lifestyle (Factor 2) ratings, the influence of ADHD was largely mediated by CP. Although there was evidence for a slight independent contribution of ADHD to the antisocial lifestyle aspects of psychopathy, there was little evidence congruent with the comorbid subtype position: The higher psychopathy ratings of individuals in the comorbid group relative to those of other groups appeared attributable to additive rather than interactive influences of childhood CP and ADHD. Finally, neither set of childhood symptoms was helpful in understanding core emotional/interpersonal aspects of psychopathy (Factor 1).