From Origins to Contemporaneity: A Journey Through Antisocial Personality Disorder

Abstract

This narrative review article explores the complex evolution of the concept of psychopathy. Its objective is to examine its historical trajectory, from early religious interpretations to modern scientific advances. It highlights how society and the media have shaped stigmas and perceptions on the subject and provides a chronological analysis of pioneering cases and studies crucial to the understanding of this disorder. The methodology employed consists of a narrative literature review, conducted during the first semester of 2025. The databases used were the Virtual Health Library (VHL), SciELO, and Google Scholar. The descriptors applied were "psychopath," "psychopathy cases," "antisocial personality disorder," and "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)", (with its different editions). The study outlines a detailed chronological account of the contributions from the DSM-I (1952) to the DSM-5 (2013), emphasizing the shift in terminology (such as "sociopathy" to "Antisocial Personality Disorder - APD") and the development of diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, it revisits notable historical cases such as that of H. H. Holmes and examines the theories of key figures like Cesare Lombroso, Hervey Cleckley, and Robert Hare, emphasizing how psychopathic traits have been understood over time and underscores the ongoing research into distinguishing psychopathy as a psychological construct from APD as a clinical diagnosis.