Childhood Maltreatment Associated With Adult Personality Disorders: Findings From the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study

TLDR

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect are frequently implicated in the development of personality disorders, yet research on childhood histories of most PD groups remains limited. This multisite study assessed self‑reported abuse and neglect histories among 600 patients with borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, obsessive‑compulsive PDs or major depressive disorder without PD. Participants completed self‑report measures of childhood maltreatment across multiple sites, enabling comparison between PD and non‑PD groups. High rates of maltreatment were found among PD patients (73 % abuse, 82 % neglect), with borderline PD showing the strongest association, and other PDs linked to specific maltreatment types even after controlling for borderline PD.

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect are frequently implicated in the development of personality disorders (PDs); however, research on the childhood histories of most PD groups remains limited. In this multisite investigation, we assessed self-reported history of abuse and neglect experiences among 600 patients diagnosed with either a PD (borderline, schizotypal, avoidant, or obsessive-compulsive) or major depressive disorder without PD. Results indicate that rates of childhood maltreatment among individuals with PDs are generally high (73% reporting abuse; 82% reporting neglect). As expected, borderline PD was more consistently associated with childhood abuse and neglect than other PD diagnoses. However, even when controlling for the effect of borderline PD, other PD diagnoses were associated with specific types of maltreatment.