BackgroundAlthough it is widely assumed that avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) originates in childhood, there is little prospective research to substantiate this claim. We therefore aimed to determine whether presumed childhood risk factors predict AvPD traits at 16 years.MethodsA population‐based sample (n = 1,077; 50.9% female) from the 2003 and 2004 birth cohorts in Trondheim, Norway was examined biennially from 4 to 16 years. The number of AvPD traits at the age of 16 was assessed with the structured clinical interview for DSM‐5 personality disorders and regressed on the intercept and growth in child risk and protective factors until the age of 14.ResultsThe prevalence of AvPD at the age of 16 was 3.2% (95% CI: 2.2–4.1). Higher levels and an increased number of social anxiety symptoms over time, as well as increased negative affectivity/neuroticism, predicted a higher number of AvPD traits. When the levels and changes in these factors were adjusted for, less and decreasing extraversion forecasted more AvPD traits, as did declining self‐worth, higher levels of parental AvPD traits, and increased onlooking behavior.ConclusionsNeuroticism, low extraversion, social anxiety symptoms, passive onlooking behavior, and low self‐worth predicted a higher number of AvPD traits in adolescence, as did more AvPD traits in parents. Efforts to enhance self‐worth, reduce social anxiety, and promote peer interaction among onlooking children may reduce the development of AvPD traits in adolescence.

中文翻译：

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青春期回避型人格障碍特质的童年预测因子：一项七波出生队列研究


背景尽管人们普遍认为回避型人格障碍 （AvPD） 起源于儿童时期，但几乎没有前瞻性研究来证实这一说法。因此，我们旨在确定假定的儿童风险因素是否能预测 16 岁时的 AvPD 特征。方法来自 2003 年和 2004 年挪威特隆赫姆出生队列的人群样本 （n = 1,077;50.9% 女性） 从 4 岁到 16 岁每两年检查一次。通过 DSM-5 人格障碍的结构化临床访谈评估 16 岁时 AvPD 特征的数量，并根据儿童风险和保护因素的截距和增长进行回归，直到 14 岁。随着时间的推移，较高的水平和增加的社交焦虑症状数量，以及消极情感/神经质的增加，预示着 AvPD 特征的数量增加。当调整这些因素的水平和变化时，较少和减少的外向性预示着更多的 AvPD 特征，自我价值下降、父母 AvPD 特征水平较高和旁观行为增加也是如此。结论神经质、低外向性、社交焦虑症状、被动旁观行为和低自我价值感预示着青春期 AvPD 特征的数量较高，父母的 AvPD 特征也较多。努力提高自我价值、减少社交焦虑和促进旁观儿童之间的同伴互动可能会减少青春期 AvPD 特征的发展。