Summary: Contrary to common belief that people mellow with age, this study finds that antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and psychopathic traits often persist—or even worsen—after age 50, causing substantial harm to partners, family members, and friends.
Source: University of Otago
New research shows that sociopathic patterns do not reliably diminish with age.
A study published in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology surveyed more than 1,200 informants—partners, family members, and friends—about people they believed displayed antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) or psychopathy and who were over age 50. The results challenge the widespread assumption that offenders “burn out” and become less harmful as they grow older.
Co-author Professor Martin Sellbom of the University of Otago’s Department of Psychology explains that the researchers deliberately focused on older adults with psychopathic traits to assess whether those traits decline with age. “There is a general idea that offenders burn out and change their antisocial ways. But this study shows that those with psychopathic traits very much remain the same past age 50, and some even become worse as they get older with respect to manipulation, deceit, and abuse,” he says.
Adopting a victim-centered approach, the research collected informant reports rather than relying on self-assessments from the individuals in question. “This research gives a voice to the victims of psychopathy, providing a general indication of the degree to which victims are affected. Most of the time we focus on the individuals with such traits, and their biased perspectives,” the authors note.
In total, 1,215 respondents completed the survey. Of the index individuals described by those respondents, 935 were rated as showing levels of disordered traits considered indicative of ASPD or psychopathy. Informants reported very high frequencies of problematic behaviors among those individuals: 99% were described as manipulative, 94% engaged in antisocial behavior, 93% were emotionally abusive, 89% were psychologically abusive, 58% were financially abusive, and 47% were violent.
Many respondents shared detailed narratives illustrating these behaviors in everyday life. One woman described her ex-husband: “The older he got, the more abusive he became. He lied, cheated, used, and stole. As he aged, he seemed to care less about hiding his behavior, and he seemed to openly enjoy being cruel.” Another respondent described her mother: “Nothing ever changed. She exploits, lies, throws tantrums, rages, abandons, pouts, defames, threatens, and would still be physically violent if she had the physical strength.”
The informants reported substantial material and physical harms tied to interactions with these older adults. Among those who reported on individuals meeting the threshold for putative ASPD/psychopathy, 68% said they had lost money, 45% had incurred debt as a result of the relationship, 26% experienced physical abuse or injury, and 27% reported having their lives threatened.
Psychological and emotional consequences were widespread and severe. The survey found that 88% of respondents experienced anxiety or depression linked to the relationship, 76% said stress from the involvement caused illness, 70% reported symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, and 31% had considered or attempted suicide. These figures underscore the deep, long-term impact that ongoing manipulation and abuse can have on victims’ mental health.
Donna Andersen, lead author and founder of Lovefraud Education and Recovery, emphasizes the practical implication of the study: people who hope a partner, family member, colleague, or friend will “grow out of” their sociopathic behavior after middle age should not rely on that expectation. “Anyone who is waiting for a senior sociopath to grow up or calm down—whether this person is a romantic partner, family member, work colleague or friend—should stop wasting their life and escape. He or she will not change,” Andersen says.
The study specifically asked informants who knew the individual both before and after age 50 whether manipulation, deceit, and antisocial actions had changed with age; 93% reported that these behaviors were just as bad or worse after age 50. The authors note that while some researchers have argued the formal diagnostic criteria may not fully capture how ASPD or psychopathy appears in older adults, the disorder itself appears to remain stable, even if certain behaviors shift in form over time. The current findings lend support to the conclusion that ASPD/psychopathy does not reliably remit in later life.
About this personality disorder and behavior research news
Author: Press Office
Source: University of Otago
Contact: Press Office – University of Otago
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Original Research: Closed access. “Surviving Senior Psychopathy: Informant Reports of Deceit and Antisocial Behavior in Multiple Types of Relationships” by Donna M. Andersen et al. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Abstract
Surviving Senior Psychopathy: Informant Reports of Deceit and Antisocial Behavior in Multiple Types of Relationships
Many clinicians and researchers have assumed symptoms of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) or psychopathy decline by middle age. To test this assumption, informants were surveyed about individuals over age 50 whom they believed displayed ASPD/psychopathic traits. A final sample of 1,215 respondents rated those individuals using traits aligned with early DSM-5 conceptualizations of ASPD. The results revealed high endorsements of traits linked to ASPD and widespread reports that these individuals continued to engage in antisocial behavior after age 50. Respondents reported significant material, physical, and psychological harm tied to those behaviors. Among informants who knew the person before and after age 50, 93% indicated manipulation, deceit, or antisocial behavior was as bad or worse after age 50. These findings support the view that ASPD/psychopathy remains a persistent and harmful pattern into older adulthood, even if certain behaviors manifest differently with age.