Self-assessed limited prosocial emotions do not distinguish community youth with psychosocial problems from those without them

Abstract

Background: In DSM 5, conduct disorder was expanded with the new specifier ‘with limited prosocial emotions (LPE)’. These callous-unemotional traits have been emphasized as the ‘core’ of psychopathy syndrome providing greater information about current and future impairment. Individuals with callous-unemotional traits have shown elevated levels of impairment, and these traits have been suggested to serve as a useful indicator for psychiatric vulnerability and psychosocial maladjustment also among community youth.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of LPE in a sample of Finnish mid-adolescent community youth, and to determine whether adolescents with and without LPE differ from each other in general psychopathology. Methods: A classroom survey was conducted among 9th graders at secondary schools (n = 446). The Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report (APSD-SR) was used to assess LPE. The adolescents’ general psychopathology was assessed using the Youth Self Report (YSR).

Results: Almost 10% of the adolescents met the criteria for LPE. Youth with LPE did not differ significantly from those without LPE on the Total Problems Score or on externalizing psychopathology. Only one statistically significant difference emerged in group comparisons; adolescents with LPE scored significantly lower on somatic complaints than their counterparts without LPE.

Conclusions: LPE are a common phenomenon among community youth, and the specifier—as measured with a self-assessment—does not distinguish adolescents with psychosocial problems from those without them. More research is obviously needed to elucidate the role of LPE in juveniles.

Keywords:

• Limited prosocial emotions
• adolescents
• community
• psychopathology

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the authorities of Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Kellokoski Hospital.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Funding

This study has been funded by Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District's state funding for university-level health research [Y201511201], [Y201611201].