B3.062 Personality Disorders in Psychiatry Flashcards
what is personality
way of understanding normal human behavior and information processing
affects cognition, emotion, and behavioral responses
provides stability and tendencies across setting and contexts
nature
emphasis on biological factors to predispose people to certain traits or personality features
nurture
emphasis on psychological, social, and environmental factors to help express, inhibit, or reinforce underlying predispositions toward tendencies of thinking, feeling and behaving
what evidence is there for personality disorders having a strong genetic influence
higher concordances between monozygotic twins than dizygotic twins
what is a personality disorder
when personality features are extreme or skewed they can be maladaptive and represent a disorder that requires treatment
APA definition of personality disorder
enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself that are exhibited in a wide range of important social and personal contexts, and are inflexible and maladaptive, and cause either significant functional impairment or subjective distress
general symptoms of a personality disorder
frequent mood swings stormy relationships social isolation angry outburst suspicion and mistrust of others difficulty making friends a need for instant gratification poor impulse control alcohol or substance abuse
what types of problems are personality disorders frequently comorbid with
mood disorders anxiety disorders adjustment problems substance abuse frequent ER visits social problems illegal activities poor, inflexible coping strategies
core features of personality disorders
present by adolescence (age 15)
pervasive and inflexible
associated with impaired functioning (social, occupational, or other important area)
cluster A disorders
“odd or eccentric”
paranoid
schizoid
schizotypal
cluster B disorders
"dramatic, emotional, and erratic" borderline narcissistic histrionic antisocial
cluster c disorders
“anxious, avoidant, fearful”
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
dependent personality disorder
avoidant personality disorder
paranoid personality disorder
characterized by a pattern of irrational suspicion and mistrust of others, interpreting motivations as malevolent
schizoid personality disorder
lack of interest and detachment from social relationships, and restricted emotional expression
“autistic thinking”
schizotypal personality disorder
a pattern of extreme discomfort interacting socially, distorted cognitions and perceptions, behavioral eccentricities
“magical thinking”
thought to be “akin” to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders
what are some common themes among cluster B disorders
commonly seen in emergency settings
externalizing
individuals get in trouble and physical harm due to their choices