Childhood Traumatic Experiences and ICD-11 Model of Personality Disorders: a Study Among Croatian Psychiatric Patients.

Childhood traumatic experiences have been implicated in the development of personality disorders (PDs), but research within the recent ICD-11 PD framework is still lacking. We aimed to explore the effects of various types of early trauma on the ICD-11 PD severity and maladaptive personality domains. In this cross-sectional study, 398 adult psychiatric patients (57% females; 32% PD) filled out the following self-report instruments: the ICD-11 Personality Disorder Severity Scale, the Personality Assessment Questionnaire for ICD-11, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form. PD patients had significantly higher scores on all five childhood trauma subscales compared to non-PD patients. Childhood emotional traumas were more strongly associated with PD severity and maladaptive domains compared to physical/sexual traumas. Emotional abuse was an independent predictor of PD severity. Further, emotional abuse was uniquely predictive of personality domains Negative affectivity and Disinhibition, emotional neglect was a unique predictor of domain Detachment, while physical abuse was uniquely predictive of domain Anankastia. These regressions were controlled for the influence of sociodemographic factors. Our findings highlight a particularly high occurrence of early adversity in PD patients, and offer new insights into the specific role of various childhood traumata in ICD-11 PD severity and maladaptive personality domains.