A Dimensional Perspective on the Associations between Personality Disorder and Childhood Adversity

This study explores relations between personality disorder (PD) and childhood adversity, specifically childhood maltreatment and/or trauma. Although convincing evidence of a link between these constructs has been established, previous research focus has been almost exclusively on categorical PD diagnoses, particularly borderline PD, with little examination of their constituent pathological personality traits. Incorporating a trait-dimensional framework into research on personality and childhood maltreatment/trauma provides additional useful information about the relations among these constructs. Understanding how negative experiences in childhood relate to later personality pathology has implications for implementing treatment strategies among individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment and/or trauma, and deepens our knowledge about the development of specific personality traits that cause difficulties for individuals with PD.