Cluster A Personality Disorders Flashcards
What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?
A distinct pathological entity independent of cultural factors, characterized by pervasive patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating to others.
It is not a transient state related to group dynamics.
How many common features compose the diagnostic criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder?
Seven common features, with at least four required for diagnosis.
List three common features of Paranoid Personality Disorder.
- Suspects others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving them
- Preoccupied with unjustified doubts about loyalty of friends
- Reads hidden meanings into benign remarks
What is the significance of ego-syntonic in Paranoid Personality Disorder?
The key features are consistent with the individual’s self-image, making them less likely to see themselves as disturbed.
What are the defense mechanisms commonly used by individuals with Paranoid Personality Disorder?
- Projection
- Projective Identification
What is the goal of psychotherapeutic work with paranoid patients?
To help them shift their perceptions of the origin of their problems from an external locus to an internal one.
True or False: Patients with Paranoid Personality Disorder often recognize their psychiatric disturbances.
False
What is the defining characteristic of Schizoid Personality Disorder?
A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression.
How many diagnostic criteria features must be present for Schizoid Personality Disorder?
At least four of the seven common features.
List three features of Schizoid Personality Disorder.
- Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships
- Almost always chooses solitary activities
- Shows emotional coldness or flattened affectivity
What is Schizotypal Personality Disorder characterized by?
Social and interpersonal deficits, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric behavior.
How many features must be present for a diagnosis of Schizotypal Personality Disorder?
At least five of the nine common features.
List three features of Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
- Ideas of reference
- Odd beliefs or magical thinking
- Excessive social anxiety associated with paranoid fears
What is the relationship between Schizotypal Personality Disorder and schizophrenia?
Schizotypal is genetically linked to schizophrenia and is considered a muted version of it.
What type of therapy do schizoid patients often benefit from?
Dynamic group psychotherapy.
Fill in the blank: The therapist’s task with schizoid patients is to ‘_______’ the patient’s frozen internal object relations.
[thaw]
What is a common challenge therapists face when treating withdrawn schizoid patients?
Emotional distance and silence from the patient.
True or False: Schizotypal Personality Disorder patients often seek therapy proactively.
False
What is a notable physical behavior among schizoid and schizotypal individuals?
Long periods of exercise.
How do schizoid patients often use exhibitionism?
As a defense against the fear of giving.
What are the common perceptions of patients with Paranoid Personality Disorder regarding their environment?
They have remarkably accurate perceptions but impaired judgments about those perceptions.
What is the role of low self-esteem in Paranoid Personality Disorder?
It leads to a keen sense of attunement to issues of rank and power.
What is one significant risk when treating paranoid patients?
They pose a particular threat of violence to psychiatrists.
