Childhood temperament and its association with adult psychiatric disorders in a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Childhood temperament and its component factors have previously been shown to be associated with depression and anxiety disorders in later life. Studies have also suggested possible links between childhood temperament and later psychosis. Aims To investigate the association between childhood temperament and its individual component factors, measured at age 5, and later psychiatric disorders. Method Using a sample from a Finnish birth cohort (N = 1014), we used logistic regression models to examine associations between maternal reported childhood temperament at age 5, and later psychiatric diagnosis, ascertained through linkage with the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR). Results Individuals with a childhood temperament rated as difficult at age 5 had almost 5-times the odds of developing a psychotic disorder in adulthood compared to those with a temperament rated as average by their mothers (OR = 4.91, 95% CI = 1.51–15.91). The individual temperament factors of approach withdrawal, adaptability and quality of mood were each independently associated with later psychotic disorder while the factors of regularity and threshold were associated with increased risk for mood disorders. Conclusions This study reports association between early childhood temperament and risk for psychosis and suggests that early childhood temperament may be a good target for early intervention to reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders.