Psychopathy is a key to integrating dimensional personality disorder constructs and psychotherapy: toward a reformulation of personality and its disruption
- 1St. Olav’s University Hospital, Nidaros District Psychiatric Center (DPS)
Abstract
While the conceptualization of personality disorder (PD) moves toward a dimensional approach, the broader adoption within clinical practice appears slow. The lack of a unifying framework in diagnostic classifications might explain this issue. Here, psychopathy, arguably the most pervasive and treatment-resistant PD variant, is presented as a key to integrating dimensional PD constructs and psychotherapy. The Dynamic Model of Psychopathy Assessment and Treatment Framework (DMP-ATF) provides a coalescing structure that, by virtue of its characterization of pivotal developmental psychological processes, hypothetically transcends variations in population, age, and clinical severity, to situate PD within a universal context. The redefined and integrated psychopathy construct and its associated framework represent a meta-theoretical approach that can unify therapeutic models, techniques, and principles to advance psychotherapy integration based on dimensional PD constructs, while placing personality and its psychopathology within a common structure. A system for converting externalizing behaviors into self-conscious emotions and needs, while managing risk, is additionally provided. While these proposals are compatible with contemporary biopsychosocial and treatment-oriented PD models and a trending treatment optimism, they await empirical validation.
Related
- Protocol for a parallel-group superiority randomized controlled trial comparing Sage- a couple psychotherapy- to supportive individual psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder.
- Natural products targeting mitochondrial homeostasis: a four-dimensional framework integrating dynamics, mitophagy, pharmacokinetics, and translational safety
- Pop-Culture Psychopathy: How Media Exposure Affects Laypersons’ Recognition of Clinical Psychopathic Traits
- MDM-DDI: a drug–drug interaction prediction framework integrating multi-dimensional molecular features and memory-augmented networks
- The Genetic Architecture of Self-Reported Psychopathy in Adults
BibTeX
@article{gullhaugen2026psychopathy,
title = {{Psychopathy is a key to integrating dimensional personality disorder constructs and psychotherapy: toward a reformulation of personality and its disruption}},
author = {Aina Gullhaugen},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1937903},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1937903/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Psychopathy is a key to integrating dimensional personality disorder constructs and psychotherapy: toward a reformulation of personality and its disruption
AU - Aina Gullhaugen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1937903
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1937903/full
AB - While the conceptualization of personality disorder (PD) moves toward a dimensional approach, the broader adoption within clinical practice appears slow. The lack of a unifying framework in diagnostic classifications might explain this issue. Here, psychopathy, arguably the most pervasive and treatment-resistant PD variant, is presented as a key to integrating dimensional PD constructs and psychotherapy. The Dynamic Model of Psychopathy Assessment and Treatment Framework (DMP-ATF) provides a coalescing structure that, by virtue of its characterization of pivotal developmental psychological processes, hypothetically transcends variations in population, age, and clinical severity, to situate PD within a universal context. The redefined and integrated psychopathy construct and its associated framework represent a meta-theoretical approach that can unify therapeutic models, techniques, and principles to advance psychotherapy integration based on dimensional PD constructs, while placing personality and its psychopathology within a common structure. A system for converting externalizing behaviors into self-conscious emotions and needs, while managing risk, is additionally provided. While these proposals are compatible with contemporary biopsychosocial and treatment-oriented PD models and a trending treatment optimism, they await empirical validation.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -