This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (167)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related article  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Pediatrics  • Child Abuse  • Violence and Human Rights  • Violence and Human Rights, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Jeffrey G. Johnson, PhD; Patricia Cohen, PhD; Jocelyn Brown, MD; Elizabeth M. Smailes, MA; David P. Bernstein, PhD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56:600-606.

Background  Data from a community-based longitudinal study were used to investigate whether childhood abuse and neglect increases risk for personality disorders (PDs) during early adulthood.

Methods  Psychosocial and psychiatric interviews were administered to a representative community sample of 639 youths and their mothers from 2 counties in the state of New York in 1975, 1983, 1985 to 1986, and 1991 to 1993. Evidence of childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect was obtained from New York State records and from offspring self-reports in 1991 to 1993 when they were young adults. Offspring PDs were assessed in 1991 to 1993.

Results  Persons with documented childhood abuse or neglect were more than 4 times as likely as those who were not abused or neglected to be diagnosed with PDs during early adulthood after age, parental education, and parental psychiatric disorders were controlled statistically. Childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect were each associated with elevated PD symptom levels during early adulthood after other types of childhood maltreatment were controlled statistically. Of the 12 categories of DSM-IV PD symptoms, 10 were associated with childhood abuse or neglect. Different types of childhood maltreatment were associated with symptoms of specific PDs during early adulthood.

Conclusions  Persons in the community who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect are considerably more likely than those who were not abused or neglected to have PDs and elevated PD symptom levels during early adulthood. Childhood abuse and neglect may contribute to the onset of some PDs.

From Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Drs Johnson, Cohen, Brown, and Ms Smailes), and Fordham University, Bronx, NY (Dr Bernstein).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLE

Childhood Victimization and the Development of Personality Disorders: Unanswered Questions Remain
Cathy Spatz Widom
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56(7):607-608.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Early intervention for adolescents with borderline personality disorder using cognitive analytic therapy: randomised controlled trial
Chanen et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2008;193:477-484.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Childhood Maltreatment and Cluster B Personality Pathology in Female Serious Offenders
Loper et al.
Sex Abuse 2008;20:139-160.
ABSTRACT  

Relationship of Abuse History to Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Symptoms: Some Possible Mediating Mechanisms
Leserman and Drossman
Trauma Violence Abuse 2007;8:331-343.
ABSTRACT  

Traumatic Events and Posttraumatic Stress in Childhood
Copeland et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:577-584.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Environment and Schizophrenia: Environmental Factors in Schizophrenia: Childhood Trauma--A Critical Review
Morgan and Fisher
Schizophr Bull 2007;33:3-10.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

An evaluation of screening questions for childhood abuse in 2 community samples: implications for clinical practice.
Thombs et al.
Arch Intern Med 2006;166:2020-2026.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Personality disorders as disorganisation of attachment and affect regulation
Sarkar and Adshead
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2006;12:297-305.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Parenting Behaviors Associated With Risk for Offspring Personality Disorder During Adulthood.
Johnson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006;63:579-587.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Randomized Trial of the Early Start Program of Home Visitation
Fergusson et al.
Pediatrics 2005;116:e803-e809.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sexual Abuse History: Prevalence, Health Effects, Mediators, and Psychological Treatment
Leserman
Psychosom. Med. 2005;67:906-915.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Psychodynamic Approaches to Personality Disorders
Gabbard
Focus 2005;3:363-367.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Borderline Personality Disorder From the Perspective of General Personality Functioning
Trull et al.
Focus 2005;3:453-464.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Psychobiology of Neglect
De Bellis
Child Maltreat 2005;10:150-172.
ABSTRACT  

Mind, Brain, and Personality Disorders
Gabbard
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:648-655.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Women Living With a History of Physical and/or Sexual Abuse, Substance Use, and Mental Health Problems
Nehls and Sallmann
Qual Health Res 2005;15:365-381.
ABSTRACT  

Assessing adolescent personality pathology
Westen et al.
Br. J. Psychiatry 2005;186:227-238.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder in Veterans of Operation Desert Storm
Axelrod et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:270-275.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Discriminative Validity and Clinical Utility of an Abuse-Neglect Interview for Adolescents With Conduct and Substance Use Problems
Crowley et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1461-1469.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Association Between Self-reported Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adverse Psychosocial Outcomes: Results From a Twin Study
Nelson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2002;59:139-145.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Relationship of Childhood Abuse to Impulsivity and Suicidal Behavior in Adults With Major Depression
Brodsky et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2001;158:1871-1877.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Childhood Abuse and Lifetime Psychopathology in a Community Sample
MacMillan et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2001;158:1878-1883.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Murmurs of discontent: treatment and treatability of personality disorder
Adshead
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2001;7:407-415.
FULL TEXT  

Association of Maladaptive Parental Behavior With Psychiatric Disorder Among Parents and Their Offspring
Johnson et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:453-460.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Childhood Depression and Adult Personality Disorder: Alternative Pathways of Continuity
Kasen et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001;58:231-236.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Incremental Progress in Developmental Psychopathology: Simply Complex
Am. J. Psychiatry 1999;156:1495-1498.
FULL TEXT  

Childhood Victimization and the Development of Personality Disorders: Unanswered Questions Remain
Widom
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1999;56:607-608.
FULL TEXT