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A longitudinal twin study of borderline and antisocial personality disorder traits in early to middle adulthood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2015

T. Reichborn-Kjennerud ,
N. Czajkowski ,
E. Ystrøm ,
R. Ørstavik ,
S. H. Aggen ,
K. Tambs ,
S. Torgersen ,
M. C. Neale ,
E. Røysamb  and
R. F. Krueger
...Show all authors
T. Reichborn-Kjennerud*
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
N. Czajkowski
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
E. Ystrøm
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
R. Ørstavik
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
S. H. Aggen
Affiliation:
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, VA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
K. Tambs
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
S. Torgersen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
M. C. Neale
Affiliation:
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, VA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
E. Røysamb
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
R. F. Krueger
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
G. P. Knudsen
Affiliation:
Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
K. S. Kendler
Affiliation:
Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, VA, USA Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: T. Reichborn-Kjennerud, M.D., Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404 Nydalen, N-0403 Oslo, Norway. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) share genetic and environmental risk factors. Little is known about the temporal stability of these etiological factors in adulthood.

Method.

DSM-IV criteria for ASPD and BPD were assessed using structured interviews in 2282 Norwegian twins in early adulthood and again approximately 10 years later. Longitudinal biometric models were used to analyze the number of endorsed criteria.

Results.

The mean criterion count for ASPD and BPD decreased 40% and 28%, respectively, from early to middle adulthood. Rank-order stability was 0.58 for ASPD and 0.45 for BPD. The best-fitting longitudinal twin model included only genetic and individual-specific environmental factors. Genetic effects, both those shared by ASPD and BPD, and those specific to each disorder remained completely stable. The unique environmental effects, however, changed substantially, with a correlation across time of 0.19 for the shared effects, and 0.39 and 0.15, respectively, for those specific to ASPD and BPD. Genetic effects accounted for 71% and 72% of the stability over time for ASPD and BPD, respectively. The genetic and environmental correlations between ASPD and BPD were 0.73, and 0.43, respectively, at both time points.

Conclusion.

ASPD and BPD traits were moderately stable from early to middle adulthood, mostly due to genetic risk factors which did not change over the 10-year assessment period. Environmental risk factors were mostly transient, and appear to be the main source of phenotypic change. Genetic liability factors were, to a large extent, shared by ASPD and BPD.

Keywords

Antisocial personality disorderborderline personality disordergeneticslongitudinal studies
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 45 , Issue 14 , October 2015 , pp. 3121 - 3131
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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