[Personality disorders and schizophrenic psychoses]

We analysed two aspects of personality abnormality detected before the disorder became diagnostically apparent: potential genetic disposition, assessed using family and adoption studies, and premorbid constitution, which we outlined using retrospective and prospective studies. Current continuum models of the schizophrenic spectrum suggest that genetic disposition and premorbid constitution overlap to some extent, an area which ought to be better defined psychopathologically. In this overview, we determined a group of symptoms-bizarre behaviour, alogia, social withdrawal, and subclinical thought disorders-which are relevant for both schizotypal personality disorders and early schizophrenia. The topic of so-called reactive psychoses is examined to find an interface between personality abnormality and psychosis.