Temporary separation from parents in early childhood and serious personality disorders in adult life.

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.