FAMILIAL AGGREGATION OF ADOLESCENT PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

Objective: A family study of DSM-III-R personality disorders was condu cted in the families of 66 clinically referred adolescents to examine the validity of personality disorder diagnoses in adolescents. Method: Semistructured interviews of Axis I and II disorders, including the S tructured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, were used to directly interview 66 clinically referred adolescents and the ir adult first-degree family members, combining family study and famil y history data. Results: The relatives of adolescents with avoidant pe rsonality disorder had an increased prevalence of avoidant and cluster A (schizoid, schizotypal, and paranoid) personality disorders. The re latives of adolescents with borderline personality disorder demonstrat ed increased rates of borderline and avoidant personality disorders, e ven after adjusting for comorbidity. Conclusions: The results of this study support the validity of Axis II diagnoses, particularly avoidant and borderline disorders, in adolescents.