Age-related change in personality disorder trait levels between early adolescence and adulthood: a community-based longitudinal investigation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate change in personality disorder (PD) traits between early adolescence and early adulthood among individuals in the community. METHOD: PD traits were assessed in 1983 (mean age = 14), 1985-86 (mean age = 16) and 1992 (mean age = 22) in a representative community sample of 816 youths. RESULTS: Overall, PD traits declined 28% during both adolescence and early adulthood. PD traits were moderately stable during the first 2-year interval, and were as stable as they have been reported to be among adults over similar intervals. PD trait stability declined slightly as the inter-assessment interval increased. Adolescents with PDs tended to have elevated PD traits during early adulthood. CONCLUSION: PD traits tend to decline steadily in prevalence during adolescence and early adulthood. However, adolescents with PDs often have elevated PD traits as young adults, and the stability of PD traits appears to be similar during adolescence and early adulthood.