Genetics of personality disorders.
This article on genetic contributions to the etiology of personality disorders broadly follows the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification. Until recently, relatively few genetic studies of personality disorders as defined by this system had been published. The review begins by evaluating the current evidence for genetic influences on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders axis II disorders. Psychiatric genetics has for a long time been moving beyond simple quantitative genetic studies. One of the most exciting directions in psychiatric genetics is the rapidly developing field of molecular genetic studies, aiming to identify specific genes correlated with psychiatric phenotypes. Personality disorders, like most other psychiatric diagnostic categories, are etiologically complex, which implies that they are influenced by several genes and several environmental factors. The interplay between genes and the environment is receiving increasing attention, and is addressed in relation to both quantitative and molecular methods. Finally, future directions are discussed.
Reichborn-Kjennerud
Ted
T
Division of Mental Health, Department of Adult Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Box 4404 Nydalen, N-0403 Oslo, Norway. Ted.Reichborn-Kjennerud@fhi.no
D004777:Environment; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype