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. 2021 Aug 5:12:661044.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661044. eCollection 2021.

Prevalence of Psychopathy in the General Adult Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ana Sanz-García  1 , Clara Gesteira  1 , Jesús Sanz  1 , María Paz García-Vera  1
Affiliations

Prevalence of Psychopathy in the General Adult Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ana Sanz-García et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to systematically and meta-analytically review the scientific literature on the prevalence of psychopathy in the general adult population. A search in PsycInfo, MEDLINE, and PSICODOC identified 15 studies published as of June 2021. Altogether, 16 samples of adults totaling 11,497 people were evaluated. Joint prevalence rates were calculated using reverse variance heterogeneity models. Meta-regression analyses were conducted to examine whether the type of instrument, sex, type of sample, and country influenced prevalence. The meta-analytical results obtained allow us to estimate the prevalence rate of psychopathy in the general adult population at 4.5%. That being said, this rate varies depending on the participants' sex (higher in males), the type of sample from the general population (higher in samples from organizations than in community samples or university students), and the type of instrument used to define psychopathy. In fact, using the PCL-R, which is currently considered the "gold standard" for the assessment and definition of psychopathy, the prevalence is only 1.2%. These results are discussed in the context of the different theoretical perspectives and the existing problems when it comes to defining the construct of psychopathy.

Keywords: PCL-R; general population; meta-analysis; prevalence; psychopathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of the process of searching and selecting studies on the prevalence of psychopathy in the general adult population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the prevalence (in proportions) of psychopathy in the general population.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Indicators to evaluate the skewness of the results of the studies and detect the presence of publication biases: Doi chart and LFK index obtained in studies on the prevalence of psychopathy in the general population.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Forest plot of the prevalence (in proportions) of psychopathy in the general population depending on the type of instrument used to measure psychopathy: PCL-R vs. other instruments.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot of the prevalence (in proportions) of psychopathy in the general population depending on the type of sample evaluated: organizations, community, or university students.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plot of the prevalence (in proportions) of psychopathy in the general population based on gender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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