Duration of early maternal separation and prediction of schizotypal symptoms from early adolescence to midlife

Early childhood experiences influence the capacity for healthy social and emotional development. The present study uses longitudinal data to determine whether early maternal separation predicted the subsequent development of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) symptoms assessed repeatedly from early adolescence over the following 20 years. Within this community sample (N = 766), multilevel linear regression analyses revealed the duration of separation from mother in the first 2 years of life predicted elevated SPD symptoms. This relationship was specific to children with mother-reported early angry emotional behavior. These results provide support for the role of early childhood psychosocial risk factors in the development of subsequent schizophrenia spectrum symptoms in emotionally vulnerable children.