Chapter 13 - Personality disorders Flashcards
Five factor model
Personality theory which proposes that any individual’s personality is organised along five broad dimensions: neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Schizotypal personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of inhibited or inappropriate emotion and social behaviour as well as aberrant cognitions and disorganised speech.
Paranoid personality disorder
Pervasive, unwarranted mistrust and suspicion of others.
Schizoid personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of lack of interest in and avoidance of interpersonal relationships as well as emotional coldness in interactions with others.
Narcissistic personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of experiencing inflated thoughts on one’s own worth as well as an obliviousness to others’ needs and an exploitative, arrogant demeanour.
Histrionic personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of excessive emotionally and an intense need for attention and approval, which is sought by means of overly dramatic and seductive behaviour.
Borderline personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of unstable mood, self-concept, interpersonal relationships and impulse control.
Antisocial personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous and/or ruthless behaviour predicated upon disregard for the rights of others and an absence of respect for social norms.
Psychopathy
Set of personality traits including superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, a tendency towards boredom and need for stimulation, pathological lying, an ability to deceive others and be manipulative, and a lack of remorse; similar to antisocial personality disorder but with less emphasis on behaviour.
Dependent personality disorder
Pervasive need to be cared for and fear of rejection, which leads to total dependence in and submission to others.
Avoidant personality disorder
Pervasive anxiety, sense of inadequacy and fear of being criticised that leads to the avoidance of most social interactions with others and to restraint and nervousness in social situations.
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Pervasive rigidity in one’s activities and interpersonal relationships; includes characteristics such as emotional constriction, extreme perfectionism and anxiety resulting from even slight disruptions to one’s routine.
Epigenetic
Related to influences on gene expression that do not involve change in DNA sequencing.
Schema
Cognitive framework for organising information about the world.
Schema therapy
Type of psychological treatment originally developed by Jeffrey Young for the treatment of personality disorders; it focuses on helping clients change their early maladaptive schemas, that is, certain psychological themes (such as emotional deprivation) that developed during childhood or adolescence.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
Type of psychological treatment originally developed by Marsha Linehan for borderline personality disorder; combines cognitive-behavioural Zen techniques in four modules including mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation.
Cochrane reviews
Systematic review of research in human healthcare and policy.
Cognitive analytic therapy
Type of psychological treatment developed by Anthony Ryle that combines concepts from cognitive and psychoanalytic therapies.
Mentalisation
Capacity to think about one’s own mental state and the mental state of others.
Antipsychotic medications
Drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Class of antidepressant drugs (such as fluoxetine) that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.
Adoption study
Study of the heritability of a disorder by finding adopted people with a disorder and then determining the prevalence of the disorder among their biological and adoptive relatives in order to separate contributing genetic factors from environmental factors.
Testosterone
Main hormone produced by the testes.
Orbitofrontal cortex
Part of the cortex that lies next to the cavity containing the eye.
Amygdala
Part of the brain’s limbic system that is thought to regulate emotions.
Social skills training
Behavioural technique that aims to help clients with problems in interacting and communicating with others.
Twin study
Study of the heritability of a disorder by comparing concordance rates for the disorder between monozygotic and dizygotic twins.
Concordance rate
Probability that both members of a twin pair will develop the same disorder.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
Three components of the neuroendocrine system that work together in a feedback system interconnected with the brain’s limbic system and cerebral cortex.
Cortisol
Hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that helps the body respond to stressors, inducing the fight or flight response.
Family study
Study of the heritability of a disorder involving identifying people with a particular disorder and people without the disorder and then determining the disorder’s frequency within each person’s family.
Meta-analysis
Statistical technique for summarising results across several studies.
Separation anxiety disorder
Disorder of childhood characterised by abnormal fear of worry over becoming separated from one’s caregiver as well as clinging behaviour in the presence of caregivers
Heritability
Percentage indicating the degree to which genes contribute to the development of a disorder.
