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Abstract Objectives Mental, personality and substance use disorders are over represented among prisoners and aggressive individuals. The psychopathological and biological markers linked to mental functioning remain still unclear. In particular, the role of trace elements in mental illness is still matter of debate. Here, we investigated whether trace elements are correlated to specific psychopathological phenotype groups. Methods Axis I and II disorders, aggression, impulsivity, adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) indices and serum levels of zinc, copper and cadmium were evaluated in 160 male prisoners. Results Using latent class analysis we could subdivide prisoners into three distinct psychopathological classes: Class 1 characterized by low prevalence of aggression, personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine); Class 2 represented by low prevalence of aggression and high prevalence of personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence; Class 3 defined by high prevalence of aggression, personality disorders and substance abuse/dependence. Serum levels of zinc were higher in Class 2 and 3 compared to Class 1. Moreover, Class 3 was associated with higher scores of impulsivity and ADHD indices. Conclusion Our results suggest that impulsivity but also adult ADHD indices are related to aggressive behaviour, and higher zinc levels are linked to personality disorders and addictions, but not to aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]