Chapter 6: Personality Disorders Flashcards
What is the general descriptor of a personality disorder?
- Inflexible or maladaptive behavior patterns.
- Cause significant personal distress.
- Impaired functioning.
When do personality disorders typically become evident?
In adolescence and early adulthood, but continue on through much of adult life.
What is the biggest difficulty with treating personality disorders?
Traits become so ingrained in an individual that they are highly resistant to change.
What are the three clusters of personality disorders listed by the DSM? Describe each.
Cluster A: odd and eccentric.
Cluster B: overly dramatic, emotional, erratic.
Cluster C: anxious or fearful.
What disorders belong to Cluster A?
Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal.
What is a paranoid personality disorder? Prevalence? Gender-specificty?
Cluster A disorder is characterized by persistent suspiciousness of the motives of others, but not to the point of holding clear cut delusions.
Prevalence in 2.3-4.4%
More common in men.
What is a schizoid personality disorder? Prevalence?
Cluster A disorder characterized by detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression, described as a ‘loner’.
Prevalence in 3.1-4.9%
How are people with schizoid personality disorder typically described?
Distant and aloof.
What is a shizotypal personality disorder? Prevalence?
Cluster A disorder characterized by acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behavior.
Contain paranoid thinking.
Prevalence is 3%.
What are ideas of reference?
A form of delusional thinking in which a person reads personal meaning into the behavior of others or external events that are completely independent of the person.
(The 9/11 bombing was done to threaten ME, they are trying to find and hurt ME)
What disorders are categorized under Cluster B?
Antisocial personality disorder, Borderline personality disorder, Histrionic personality disorder, Narcissistic personality disorder.
What is Antisocial personality disorder?
Cluster B disorder characterized by a chronic pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.
What are the key characteristics of APD?
Low levels of anxiety in threatening situations, lack of guilt/remorse.
Superficial charm.
What is the prevalence of APD?
4.3%
What gender is APD most common in?
Men.
What is borderline personality disorder?
A cluster B disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and mood. Maintains a lack of control over impulses.
What are the key characteristics of BPD?
Uncertainties about self, loyalties, careers.
Fear of abandonment.
Black-and-White thinking.
Intense and shifting beliefs about others.
What is the prevalence of BPD?
1.6-5.9%
What disorder features a common engagement in self-mutilation as a means of manipulating others?
BPD.