Numerous studies have reported statistical associations between advers
e childhood experiences and psychopathology in adult Life, A range of
conceptual and methodological issues needs to be borne in mind in inte
rpreting these findings. Methodological issues include implications of
base rates of postulated risk and outcome measures, and the possibili
ty of third variable effects, Conceptually, further evidence is needed
on the aspects of early experience most Likely to contribute to risk
(acute vs chronic stressors: actively negative vs lack of positive exp
eriences; and the implications of cognitive processing of events): the
specificity of effects; possible mechanisms involved in mediating eff
ects in childhood, and approaches to testing them; and factors involve
d in persistence into adult life, There are good reasons to assume tha
t adverse early experience plays a contributory role in the genesis of
personality disorder, However, at this stage, evidence is still limit
ed on how this comes about.