Personality characteristics of adult survivors of preterm birth and childhood sexual abuse

Background Early life experiences may alter personality outcomes across the lifespan. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors appear to have a particular personality ‘type’ marked by increased levels of cautiousness and social conformity. It is, however, unclear if the experience of child sexual abuse (CSA) can alter this outcome. Methods We utilized data from a prospective, longitudinal, birth cohort of ELBW survivors to examine the personality characteristics in the third and fourth decades of life of those exposed to CSA versus those who were not. Results At age 22–26 years, ELBW survivors who had experienced CSA were less likely to display social conformity (p Conclusions ELBW survivors who have experienced CSA appear less likely to socially conform, are less cautious, and may experience higher levels of neuroticism in their 20s and 30s than those who were not exposed. These findings support the possibility that significant childhood experiences may lead to stable alterations in personality through the fourth decade of life.