Firesettings, psychopathology and antisociality

Firesetting, which is the action to set fire intentionally, is a complex issue for clinical assessment and because of its impact on individual, social and environmental levels. From a psychopathological perspective, firesetting is thought to be related to the antisocial domain or to be a manifestation of Pyromania. The present study aims to provide an examination of empirical evidences towards the relationship between firesetting behaviors, antisociality and psychopathology in order to shed light on the psychological peculiarity of the fire-setting phenomena and to draw preliminary indications for intervention and future research. Results underline that firesetters share common characteristics with criminal populations. In particular, aspects related to the antisociality domain in firesetters are similar to those observed in inmate convicted for property offences. However, the examination of the role played by psychopathology in firesetters evidences some similarities with violent offenders. Moreover, psychopathological features in firesetters seems to show some specificities compared to the more general offender population. In the conclusion section, forensic and clinical implications are discussed and future line of research are delineated.