Assessing personality disorders of people who abuse family members

Introduction. Men’s violence against women continues to be a major public health issue worldwide. The long-term consequences require proper management of resources and a thorough screening protocol. The most extensive study on domestic violence was published in 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been updated regularly ever since. Purpose. The aim of this study was to outline a personality profile for people who could be considered domestic abusers and to provide statistical data on personality disorders that are most common among this group of the population. Materials and methods. The quantitative data were collected by administering two scales: SCID II and the Karolinska Scale. Inclusion criteria: People who are physically aggressive with family members. Exclusion criteria: People who are diagnosed with psychosis, or people who show aggression towards people other than family members. Results. We included 70 people who admitted to having committed acts of physical aggression directed towards family members and who agreed to take part in the study. The scales used were the Karolinska Scale and SCID II. We identified, using SCID II, DSM-IV TR, and ICD-10, the following personality disorders in the 70 intrafamilial aggressors: 10% antisocial personality disorder, 27% borderline personality disorder (of which 14% with impulsive emotional instability), 3% obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and 1.4% mixed personality disorder (anxious and paranoid). Conclusions. Being able to recognize a personality pattern shows great benefits for screening patients at risk of developing aggressive behavior directed towards family members, thus being a great tool in preventing long-term consequences associated with living in a hostile environment.