More women may be psychopaths than previously thought, says expert

Dr Clive Boddy says assessment skews towards obvious male traits but female psychopathy is more subtle

When it comes to a typical psychopath, the suited and booted Patrick Bateman from the novel American Psycho might spring to mind, but, according to one expert, the number of women with the neuropsychiatric disorder could be far greater than previously thought.

Psychopaths are generally considered to lack empathy and guilt, exhibit antisocial behaviour, lie frequently and be ruthless, narcissistic and manipulative.