7: Personality Disorders

Question 1

what are the 5 criteria for personality disorders in the DSM-4?

Answer 1

Enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviours
deviate from cultural expectations
Are pervasive and inflexible
Cause distress or impairment
Not due to another disorder, drugs, intoxication etc

Question 2

what are the 3 type A personality disorders

Answer 2

Paranoid
Schizoid
Schizotypal

Question 3

what characterises a cluster A personality disorder?

Answer 3

A - odd or eccentric

Question 4

what characterises a cluster B personality disorder?

Answer 4

B - dramatic, emotional & erratic

Question 5

what characterises a cluster C personality disorder?

Answer 5

C - anxious, fearful

Question 6

what are the 4 type B personality disorders?

Answer 6

Antisocial
Borderline
Histrionic
Narcissistic

Question 7

what are the 3 type C personality disorders?

Answer 7

Avoidant
Dependant
Obsessive-Compulsive

Question 8

what is the issue with co-occurrence across personality disorder clusters?

Answer 8

frequencies of cross-cluster comorbidities questions the validity and utility of the diagnostic groups

Question 9

what characterises paranoid PD?

Answer 9

Paranoia; mistrust of others; has irrational suspicions.
Pre-occupied with doubts; reluctance to confide; misinterprets innocent remarks, and holds grudges against peop

Question 10

what characterises schizoid PD?

Answer 10

Detachment from interpersonal relationships; emotional coldness; indifference to praise/criticism of others.
Has few friends; chooses solitary activities.

Question 11

what characterises Schizotypal PD?

Answer 11

Distortions in thinking, feelings and perceptions e.g. ideas of reference (eg the radio is talking about them), magical thinking, perceptual illusions.
Discomfort in social situations; suspicions and paranoia.

Question 12

what characterises antisocial (dissocial) PD?

Answer 12

Lack of empathy and remorse; disregard for others.
Failure to conform to norms/laws; impulsivity; deceitfulness; irresponsibility, and disregard for safety of self/others

Question 13

what characterises borderline PD?

Answer 13

Unstable personal relationships; frantic attempts to avoid real/imagined abandonment; lack of well-formed identity; feelings of emptiness/worthlessness; Instability of feelings.
Frequent suicidal, self-harming, self-mutilating behaviours; Impulsivity in self-damaging behaviours.

Question 14

what characterises histrionic PD?

Answer 14

Excessive need for approval; need to be centre of attention. Shallow/over-dramatic emotions; sees relationships as more intimate than they are.

Question 15

what characterises narcissistic PD?

Answer 15

Inflated self-importance and sense of entitlement; belief they are special; seeks attention and admiration from others.
Fantasises of success; arrogance; envy of others; low in empathy.

Question 16

what characterises avoidant PD?

Answer 16

Social inhibition; avoids and withdraws from social situations.
Low self-worth; fear rejection, disapproval and criticism; feel socially-inept; reluctant to engage in new things for fear of embarrassment.

Question 17

what characterises dependant PD?

Answer 17

Persistent psychological dependence on others; lack confidence in ability to take responsibility; has difficulty doing things alone.
Tends to agree with others; seeks out new relationships.

Question 18

what characterises obsessive-compulsive PD?

Answer 18

Preoccupation with orderliness, rules, moral codes, caution and perfectionism; excessive devoted to work; inflexibility and overly-conscientious.
Not the same as OCD

Question 19

define: continuity hypothesis

Answer 19

there is no discontinuity between normality and illness.

Question 20

how do cluster A personalities correlate within OCEAN?

Answer 20

low levels of extraversion - agree with socially withdrawn nature

Question 21

how does antisocial PD correlate within OCEAN?

Answer 21

low levels of empathy and disregard for others

Question 22

which facets of OCEAN was OCPD associated with?

Answer 22

high competence, order, dutifulness, achievement-striving, deliberation
- all conscientiousness

Question 23

which facets of OCEAN was avoidant PD associated with?

Answer 23

low gregariousness
low assertiveness
- low extraversion
high anxiety
high self-consciousness
high vulnerability
- high neuroticism

Question 24

which facets of OCEAN was dependent PD associated with?

Answer 24

high anxiety
high self-consciousness
high vulnerability
- high neuroticism
high altruism
high compliance
high modesty
- high agreeableness

Question 25

which facets of OCEAN was schizoid PD associated with?

Answer 25

low warmth
low gregariousness
low positive emotionality
- low extraversion

Question 26

what were the suggested changes to PD diagnostics made by the DSM-5?

Answer 26

Assess personality facet profile (NEO-PI-R).
Assess personality-related social/occupational impairments and distress.
If dysfunction & distress clinically significant – diagnose PD.
determine if the profile matches with PD category descriptor - just use symptoms not diagnosis

Question 27

which 6(+1) of the 10 original PDs remain in the DSM5?

Answer 27

borderline
obsessive-compulsive
avoidant
schizotypal
antisocial
narcissistic
trait specific

Question 28

what personality trait predisposes someone to dissociation?

Answer 28

suggestibility

Question 29

how does the post-traumatic model explain DID?

Answer 29

Dissociation of consciousness to escape initial trauma.
Dissociation becomes a response mechanism for future stress.

Question 30

how does the social-cognitive model explain DID?

Answer 30

Symptoms emerge as a product of therapy
Hypnosis and leading questions cause patient to reinterpret experiences.
Mood swings expressed as multiple personalities.
A culture-bound phenomenon (not ‘faking’).
Suggestibility increases susceptibility .
Accounts for clustering of cases and rise in prevalence and severity.