Antisocial Personality Disorder
Ezgi ILDIRIMa , Hanife Başak ALTUNBEKa
aİstinye University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, İstanbul, Türkiye
Ildırım E, Altunbek HB. Antisocial personality disorder. Tunç P, ed. Personality or Disorder? Personality Disorders. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2025. p.27-34.
ABSTRACT
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is defined by a consistent pattern of violating the rights of others, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse. This study seeks to explain ASPD and investigate its origins from a psychodynamic perspective. ASPD presents significant challenges both clinically and socially due to its complex origins, which include genetic, neurobiological, psychological, and environmental influences. From a psychodynamic viewpoint, ASPD arises from a breakdown in personality integration, characterized by superego deficits, weakened ego defenses, and impaired object relations. Addressing ASPD effectively requires a holistic approach that targets both the behavioral manifestations and the underlying psychological issues. Combining contemporary research with traditional psychodynamic principles can help clinicians design interventions that enhance empathy, strengthen impulse control, and reinforce ego functioning, ultimately promoting healthier personality development and social adaptation. The study provides an explanatory perspective on ASPD from a psychodynamic viewpoint.
Keywords: Antisocial personality disorder; psychoanalytic theory; structural model of personality; personality disorders
Kaynak Göster
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