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Childhood intelligence predicts hospitalization with personality disorder in adulthood: evidence from a

Paul Moran1, Britt A F Klinteberg, G David Batty

  • 1Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, UK. paul.moran@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Journal of Personality Disorders
|October 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Low childhood intelligence (IQ) is linked to an increased risk of developing personality disorders (PD) in adulthood. This finding suggests IQ may be a significant factor in PD development.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Low pre-morbid intelligence quotient (IQ) is a known risk factor for severe mental illness.
  • The association between childhood intelligence and the development of personality disorders (PD) remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prospective association between childhood intelligence and the risk of personality disorders in adulthood.
  • To determine if lower IQ scores in childhood predict the later development of PD.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a population-based prospective cohort study design.
  • Linked childhood IQ scores with adult hospital discharge records.
  • Analyzed the association between IQ scores and PD hospitalization across the full IQ range.

Main Results:

  • Lower childhood IQ scores were significantly associated with a higher risk of hospitalization for PD.
  • An inverse relationship was observed: each one standard deviation increase in IQ reduced PD hospitalization risk (OR=0.60).
  • Statistical adjustments for confounding variables did not substantially alter the observed association.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood intelligence is a significant predictor of adult personality disorder hospitalization.
  • Low IQ may be an important contributing factor in the etiology of personality disorders.
  • These findings highlight the role of cognitive factors in the development of PD.

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