How to tell if people you know are psychopaths

“We all have – to a greater or lesser extent — aspects of our personality that are psychopathic”, Dr Pemberton says.

One in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year, according to the mental health charity Mind (Getty/iStock)

Mental health is attracting widespread public attention with celebrities, politicians and even royalty keen to share more about their struggles. One in four people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year, according to the mental health charity Mind, but while the issue is more frequently discussed, there are still disorders that remain stigmatised.

'Antisocial Personality Disorder', widely known as psychopathy, remains widely misunderstood or avoided, confined to the realms of horror films and James Bond villains rather than everyday situations.

However, the disorder is more prevalent the scary movies would have us think according to psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton.

"We all have – to a greater or lesser extent — aspects of our personality that are psychopathic," Dr Pemberton told MailOnline.

Antisocial, the medical term for psychopathic, personality disorder is defined as having unpredictable, erratic and overtly dramatic behaviours.

According to the NHS, a diagnosis can be made if any three of the following criteria apply to the person’s everyday personality:

• Repeatedly breaking the law
• Repeatedly being deceitful
• Impulsive behaviour or being incapable of planning ahead
• Being irritable and aggressive
• Having a reckless disregard for their safety or the safety of others
• Being consistently irresponsible
• Lack of remorse  

Dr Pemberton adds that indicators such as cold or uncaring behaviour, being superficially charming and getting bored or frustrated easily, could also point to signs of concern. Mind specifies that such traits can be indicated for example by finding it hard to stay in the same job for long or putting yourself in risky or dangerous situations without considering the consequences.

Recognising such traits is usually possible by a person’s late teens and early twenties when personalities are fully formed. However, recent studies by the University of South Wales and Kings College London have identified antisocial behaviour traits in babies as young as five weeks.

The NHS adds that while antisocial behaviours are at their most extreme and challenging in the early twenties, by the time the person reaches their 40s, the condition may have improved.

Difficulties with empathy and an unwillingness to accept responsibility are also key indicators in recognising the disorder.

"We tend to assume all psychopaths are cold, brutal, callous murderers with no regard for the feelings of others," Dr Pemberton says.

After working with patients who have the disorder, Dr Pemberton says he began to realise that the disorder was more ubiquitous than expected.

"While someone can appear psychologically normal in straightforward interactions, they can still have profound underlying problems," he says.

But Dr Pemberton explains that psychopathic aspects of our personality can in fact help us to become more focused on our priorities.

"Sometimes we need to be a little callous and self-centred — to cut ties with someone who’s upset you, for example, or challenge people despite it being socially awkward to do so," he adds.

The ability to prioritise needs above those of your competitors or colleagues can often lead to promotions and once workers have risen to the top positions, the capacity to frequently fire people is a prerequisite.

"But, ultimately, it is incredibly difficult to form longstanding relationships with them," he adds.

Treatments for antisocial personality disorders include behavioural therapies and antidepressants, according to the NHS.

The disorder affects how someone thinks, feels and empathises with others, meaning that greater awareness could be a viable solution for improving how we relate to each other.