Objective:

To characterize trends, contributors, collaboration networks, core themes, and frontiers in research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and personality disorders (PDs).

Approach:

• Data Collection: English-language publications on ACEs and PDs were retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed.
• Analysis Methods: Bibliometric analyses were performed using R, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to examine trends, authors, institutions, and keyword co-occurrence.

Key Findings:

• ACEs–PDs research has shown sustained growth, particularly after 2000.
• The United States is the leading country in publication output and citation impact.
• Key contributors include Harvard University, the University of London, and Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, along with prominent researchers like Zanarini M and Fonagy P.
• Core themes identified include childhood adversity, personality disorders, and psychiatric comorbidity.
• Research hotspots have expanded to include emotion dysregulation, non-suicidal self-injury, social support, functional connectivity, and early intervention.

Interpretation:

The study maps the development and knowledge structure of ACEs–PDs research.

Limitations:

• The study is limited to English-language publications.
• It does not account for non-English research contributions.

Conclusion:

Future research should focus on longitudinal and cross-cultural designs, considering various aspects of ACEs.