Psychopathy or folie raisonnante? Reviewing Interventions for Aggression and the I-You Relationship

This book explores possible therapies for treating aggression in people diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. In recent years, we have seen a growing number of very appealing short-term interventions. These therapies prioritized cognitive behavioral therapy modalities. Nevertheless, in tackling aggression, these interventions face several obstacles, one of which appears insurmountable especially when research measure psychopathy with the PCL (Psychopathy Checklist) developed by Hare: is psychopathy a disease, an untreatable psychiatric disorder?

The book conducts an extended systematic review of the studies which examine these interventions – more specifically those conducted among patients with diagnoses of substance use and personality disorders. It continues with an additional extended systematic review of studies examining psychopathy treatments. Ironically, these interventions mainly focus on addressing aggression, violence, and crime. It then revisits the psychopathic personality disorder as Cleckley introduced and defined it, and refocuses on the heart of the interpersonal relationship, the I-You relationship, as Buber introduced it.