Personality constellations of adolescents with histories of traumatic parental separations.

Consistent with attachment theory and a developmental psychopathology framework, a growing body of research suggests that traumatic parental separations may lead to unique pathways of personality adaptation and maladaptation. The present study both examined personality characteristics and identified personality subtypes of adolescents with histories of traumatic separations. Randomly selected psychologists and psychiatrists provided data on 236 adolescents with histories of traumatic separations using a personality pathology instrument designed for use by clinically experienced observers, the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure. Using a Q factor analysis, five distinct personality subtypes were identified as follows: internalizing/avoidant, psychopathic, resilient, impulsive dysregulated, and immature dysregulated. Initial support for the validity of the subtypes was established on the basis of axis I and axis II pathology, adaptive functioning, developmental history, and family history variables. The personality subtypes demonstrated substantial incremental validity in predicting adaptive functioning, above and beyond demographic variables and histories of other traumatic experiences.