Childhood antecedents of personality disorder

Given the substantial continuity of personality and axis I psychopathology from childhood to adult life, the present review explores whether and how recent research findings support the notion that personality disorders have their developmental precipitants in childhood. Potential childhood personality disorder antecedents will be reviewed from different research areas to enhance an insight into the genesis of a major set of adult psychiatric disorders with profound impact on the daily life.

There exists increasing evidence that personality disorders have their origins in early years of life at the observable symptomatic, biological, and genetic levels. A clear need for prospective (behavior genetic) studies, however, exists that will ultimately verify how and when childhood personality disorder features turn into adult maladaptive trait patterns. It is further suggested that these designs require a comprehensive taxonomy for the description of personality disorder antecedents in a developmentally appropriate way.

The call for a developmental perspective on adult personality disorders in recent debates on the construction of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, has created new avenues for an integrative longitudinal perspective on personality disorders and should stimulate child psychiatrists to consider the significance of emerging personality disorder symptoms at a young age.