The relationship between early life events and DSM III personality disorders

The relationship between early childhood events and DSM III personality disorders was examined in 82 non-psychotic psychiatric outpatients. Early loss of a parent or living in a family where there was overt marital discord was associated with having a greater chance of developing DSM III Cluster B personality disorders (narcissistic, antisocial, borderline, histrionic) as adults. It was also related to an increased number suicide attempts as adults. Those patients who suffered an early loss of a parent through death had a significantly higher percentage of antisocial personality and suicide attempts as adults. Patients who as adults had a DSM III Cluster B personality disorder were significantly less likely than comparison patients to have had an early loss of a parent. This finding of a lower chance of a personality disorder if there were a loss of a parent was also significant for histrionic personality disorder when it was analyzed separately. Some theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.