Associations between childhood trauma and personality disorder traits: A cross-sectional study in the general population

Background

Childhood trauma (CT)including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as neglectis a well-documented risk factor for the development of personality pathology. While prior research has established a general association between CT and personality disorders (PDs), the differential impact of specific trauma subtypes on individual PD traits remains insufficiently explored, particularly in non-clinical populations.

Objective

This study examined whether higher CT levels are associated with increased PD trait severity and whether distinct CT subtypes predict specific PD traits, independent of psychological distress and demographic factors.

Method

A community sample of 2,077 Italian adults (aged 18–65) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Assessment of DSM-IV Personality Disorders (ADP-IV), and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). Correlational and multiple regression analyses controlled for age, gender, education, marital status, and psychological distress.

Results

Higher levels of CT were significantly associated with increased overall severity of personality pathology, independent of psychological distress. Emotional abuse emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor, particularly in relation to borderline, paranoid, avoidant, and depressive traits. Physical neglect showed unique associations with antisocial and dependent traits. Other trauma subtypes demonstrated weaker or less consistent relationships with PD traits.

Conclusions

Emotional abuse appears to have a pervasive impact on maladaptive personality traits. These findings support trauma-informed assessment approaches and highlight the importance of incorporating developmental history into the conceptualization and treatment of personality pathology. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and inform prevention strategies.