Health 29 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Experts Warn of Growing Psychopathy and Sociopathy Threat
Mental health specialists in Uganda are raising concerns about the increasing prevalence of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), known as psychopathy or sociopathy, amid a 71% surge in overall mental health cases from 2021 to 2024. They stress the need for community awareness to spot early signs and provide support, as these conditions often stem from trauma and require professional management. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/magazines/healthy-living/experts-sound-alarm-over-rise-in-psychopathy-sociopathy-in-uganda-5440946
Uganda faces a hidden mental health challenge as antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), often called psychopathy or sociopathy, gains ground behind the more visible issues of anxiety and depression. Experts note that reported mental health cases rose over 71% between 2021 and 2024, with nearly one in four adults and children affected, per the State of Uganda Population Report 2025.
Psychopathy involves a lack of empathy, remorse, and manipulative traits, while sociopathy features disregard for laws and others’ rights. Vivian Olgah Kudda, clinical psychologist and Uganda Counselling Association secretary, highlights how families often dismiss early behaviors, only seeking help too late.
At Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, over 500 patients are treated daily, but reintegration fails when communities reject the recovered. Dr. Kudda explains ASPD is manageable, not always curable, requiring psychologists, psychiatrists, and sometimes hospitalization.
Dr. Faith Nakalema, a counselling psychologist, links ASPD to childhood trauma and aggression modeled in families. She urges support over judgment, emphasizing families, schools, and communities’ roles in prevention or worsening.
“Everybody looks okay until a deep conversation reveals otherwise,” Dr. Nakalema says, advocating standardized assessments. Stressors like job loss or illness can trigger decline, leading to isolation and tragedy if ignored.
Experts call for community education to recognize signs, countering misconceptions like bewitchment. Professionals aim to bridge clinical care with societal acceptance.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)