| US women's sex role has changed in recent decades, permitting new expectations about allowable behaviors for women. Increased behaviors matching diagnostic criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) have been observed in women, but it has been difficult to quantify increases. This study therefore obtained national population statistics on various forms of criminal behavior and bankruptcy for US women from 1980 through 2009, allowing estimates of five ASPD diagnostic criteria: violation of social norms, aggression, disregard for safety, irresponsibility, and lacking remorse. Adjusting for population increases, national population data suggest a dramatic rise in ASPD behaviors among US women. Increases for every diagnostic criterion were observed between 1980 and 1990, ranging from 8% to 1514%, with three of five behaviors continuing to increase into the 2000s. Greatest increase in both decades occurred in financial irresponsibility, with women's bankruptcies increasing 15 times from 1980 to 1990, and more than doubling in the 2000s. Mean increase across all five criteria was 340% between 1980 and 1990, continuing into the 2000s. A 67% median increase across the two decades is smaller but notable. This sizable swelling in ASPD behaviors, documented with objective national population data, likely indicates a large increase in traits and diagnoses of ASPD among US women. Because ASPD impacts society greatly in human consequences and resource use, results suggest cause for national concern, and needs to better understand the forces driving these changes and formulate policy to address them. |
