Personality subtypes of individuals with traumatic childhood separations from attachment figures

The goal of this research (composed of three studies) was to examine personality characteristics and identify personality subtypes of adolescents and adults with childhood histories of traumatic separations from a parent. Previous work from attachment theory and developmental psychopathology suggest that distinct developmental trajectories may lead to different styles of personality adaptation in both adults and adolescents with a history of attachment disruption. Randomly selected psychologists and psychiatrists provided data on 236 adolescents and 201 adults with histories of traumatic separations using a personality pathology instrument designed for use by clinically experienced observers, the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-II and SWAP-II-A). Using a Q factor analysis, five distinct personality subtypes were identified in both the adolescent and adult sample (Studies 1 and 2). Subtypes common to both adults and adolescents included: internalizing/avoidant, psychopathic, and resilient. The adult sample included an emotionally dysregulated subtype, while within the adolescent sample two subtypes characterized by emotional dysregulation emerged: impulsive dysregulated and immature dysregulated. Finally, within the adult sample, a hostile/paranoid subtype was identified. In Study 3, initial support for the validity of the subtypes was established based on Axis I and Axis II pathology, adaptive functioning, developmental history, and family history variables. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of treatment and case formulation.