A longitudinal study of personality disorders in individuals with and without a history of developmental language disorder.
Traditionally developmental language disorders (DLDs) have been studied with focus on psycholinguistic and cognitive implications, and little is known of the long-term psychosocial outcomes of individuals diagnosed with a DLD as children. The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence rates and types of personality disorders (PDs) in a clinical sample of 469 individuals diagnosed as children with DLD, with PDs in 2,345 matched controls from the general population without a known history of DLD, using data from the nation-wide Danish Psychiatric Central Register (DPCR). The average observation time was 34.7 years, and mean age at follow-up was 35.8 years. Of the 469 individuals with DLD, 23 (4.9%) were known in DPCR with a PD diagnosis, compared with 51/2,345 (2.2%) in the control group (P =0.0007). Variables at assessment in childhood (gender, IQ, presence of a receptive language disorder, and degree of receptive and expressive language disorder) were not associated with a PD diagnosis in the DPCR at follow-up. Our results provide additional support to the notion that DLD is a marker of increased vulnerability to the development of a PD in adulthood and emphasizes that more research is needed to understand the links between a diagnosis of DLD in childhood and a PD in adult years.
Mouridsen
Svend Erik
SE
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400, Copenhagen, Denmark. sem01@bbh.hosp.dk
Hauschild
Karen-Marie
KM
D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors