title: Temporary separation from parents in early childhood and serious personality disorders in adult life.
abstract: We have previously shown that the temporary separation of Finnish children from both parents during World War II predicted any serious mental, substance use, and personality disorders in adulthood. Here we examine if parental separation is a specific vulnerability factor for any- and dramatic personality disorders relative to other mental disorders. We extracted information on separations from the Finnish National Archives and psychiatric diagnoses from the national Hospital Discharge and Causes of Death-Registers. Of the 12,734 Helsinki Birth Cohort Study participants, 1,717 were separated, 1,487 had any mental, 194 any personality, and 77 dramatic personality disorders. In those who were separated, the risk of any serious personality disorders was significantly higher also among individuals with any serious mental disorders. The increased risks of any serious and dramatic personality disorders were particularly characteristic of individuals separated before the age of five, and that of dramatic personality disorder of separated men. Parental separation may thus be a specific vulnerability factor for serious personality disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. marius.lahti@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahti
authors.forename: Anu-Katriina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pesonen
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Räikkönen
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wahlbeck
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajantie
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osmond
authors.forename: David J P
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Johan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D047789:World War II