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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThe exact causes of schizoid personality disorder are unknown, although a combination of genetic and environmental factors — particularly in early childhood — are thought to contribute to development of all personality disorders.
If you have schizoid personality disorder, you may have had a parent who was cold or unresponsive to emotional needs. Or, you may have been hypersensitive or thin-skinned in early adolescence and had these needs treated with annoyance or scorn.
A family history — such as having a parent who has any of the disorders on the schizophrenic spectrum — also increases your chances of developing the disorder.
References
- Schizoid personality disorder. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Skodol AE, et al. Specific personality disorders. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Blais MA, et al. Personality and personality disorders. In: Stern TA, et al. Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208922830-3/1022719999/1657/387.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04743-2..50041-X--cesec11_990. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Silk KR. Personality disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Cohen P. Child development and personality disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2008;31:477.
- Thylstrup BT, et al. "I am not complaining" — Ambivalence construct in schizoid personality disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2009;63:147.
- Skodol AE, et al. Positive childhood experiences: Resilience and recovery from personality disorder in early adulthood. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2007;68:1102.
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