Lecture 16 Flashcards
What is the APA definition of personality disorder?
o “Enduring patterns of inner experience and behaviour that deviate markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, are pervasive and inflexible”
What are the 4 areas that deviance can be reflected in?
o Cognition
o Affect
o Interpersonal functioning
o Impulse control
What are the features of deviant cognition?
o Perception
o Interpretation
o Formation of images and attitudes
What are the features of deviant affectivity?
o Range
o Intensity
o Appropriateness of emotions
What are the features of deviant interpersonal functioning?
o Relating to others (Dyads-Triads-Groups)
o Handling interpersonal situations
What are the features of lack of control?
o Impulses
o Gratification of needs
How are personality disorders deviations?
- Extreme or significant deviations from the way an individual in a given culture perceives, thinks, feels, and relates to others
o Deviant from the culture’s normative range – culturally appropriate in the cultural context
When do personality disorders generally onset?
- Onset in adolescence or early adulthood
Are personality disorders stable/unstable?
Stable
How long can personality disorders go on for?
Long duration
Do personality disorders have only one specific trigger?
o Not limited to one specific “triggering” stimulus, stressor or situation
What is the evolutionary perspective of personality disorders?
- The evolutionary perspective o Ineffectiveness ♣ Suboptimal functioning in: • Self-preservation • Ecological adaptation • Reproductivity ♣ Inflexible strategies that lead to pervasive fitness reduction or failure o Uncooperativeness ♣ Frictional features that frustrate social goals, resulting in fitness costs
What are the 3 considerations of a general differential diagnosis of a personality disorder?
- General differential diagnosis
- Symptoms are not better accounted for by other mental (clinical) disorders (mainly psychoses, anxiety, depression or PTSD)
♣ Mimicry of personality traits
♣ Personality disorders should be premorbid
• Shouldn’t be a consequence of a clinical disorder - Not result of substance use (not exclusive associations)
- Not result of general medical condition (physiological effects)
- Symptoms are not better accounted for by other mental (clinical) disorders (mainly psychoses, anxiety, depression or PTSD)
How many specified personality disorders are in the DSM-V?
5
What are the 3 personality clusters?
- Cluster A (odd/eccentric)
- Cluster B (dramatic/emotional)
- Cluster C (anxious/fearful)
What are the features of Cluster A personalities?
- Symptoms similar to schizophrenia (atypical psychoses)
- High levels of (elements of) introversion and psychoticism
What are the features of Cluster B personalities?
- Highly variable behaviour, exaggerated emotional display
- High levels of trait impulsivity, BAS
What are the features of Cluster C personalities?
- High interpersonal deficits
- High levels of insecure attachment traits (anxiety deregulation), BIS
What are the 3 Cluster A personality types?
- Paranoid
- Schizoid
- Schizotypal
What is the Paranoid (Cluster A) personality type?
♣ Distrust and suspiciousness of others
♣ Unforgiving, preoccupied with unjustified doubts
♣ Optimal criterion: Suspect, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming or deceiving them
What is the Schizoid (Cluster A) personality type?
♣ Detachment from social relationships
♣ Restricted range of emotional expressions and anhedonia
• Extreme introversion – detach from others and self’s emotions
♣ Optimal criterion: Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family
What is the Schizotypal (Cluster A) personality type?
♣ Cognitive disturbances, odd thinking
♣ Excessive social anxiety, inappropriate affect
♣ Considered to be precursor to schizophrenia and some consider if there are no schizotypal traits then there will be no later schizophrenia
♣ Optimal criterion: Odd thinking and speech: Behaviour or appearance that is odd, eccentric or peculiar
How are optimal criteria useful in personality disorder diagnoses?
- Use optimal criterion as a useful mnemonic
o Take patient’s symptoms that they’re communicating, form impression of what disorder it could be, use optimal criterion then form diagnosis
What are the 4 Cluster B personality types?
- Antisocial
- Borderline
- Histrionic
- Narcissistic
What is the Antisocial (Cluster B) personality type?
♣ Disregard and violation of other’s rights
♣ Failure to conform to social norms
♣ Optimal criterion: Criminal, aggressive, impulsive, irresponsible behaviour
♣ Psychopath vs. sociopath
• “Psychopathic” exists as a classification
• Continuum: psychopathy sociopathy
o Sociopath is a psychopath that acts their traits in a social setting
• “Sociopathy”, as a construct, no longer exists
• Narcissism – element of psychopathy
What is the Borderline (Cluster B) personality type?
♣ Interpersonal and emotional instability/impulsivity
♣ Chronic feeling of emptiness, suicidal behaviour
♣ Optimal criterion: (Unreasonable) expectations of meeting personal goals, and/or maintaining close relations
What is the Histrionic (Cluster B) personality type?
♣ Excessive, emotionality (theatricality) and attention-seeking
♣ Suggestible, attention to physical appearance, inappropriate sexuality (nymphomania)
• “Nymphomania” used to be considered a disorder, now just a symptom
♣ Optimal criterion: Uncomfortable in situations in which they are not the centre of attention
What is the Narcissistic (Cluster B) personality type?
♣ Grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour) and need for admiration
♣ Preoccupied with success and power, interpersonally exploitive
♣ Optimal criterion: Grandiose sense of self-importance, need for admiration and lack of empathy
What are the 3 Cluster C personality types?
- Avoidant
- Dependent
- Obsessive-Compulsive
What is the Avoidant (Cluster C) personality type?
♣ Social inhibition and feelings of inadequacy
♣ Preoccupied with fear of being criticised, shamed or ridiculed
♣ Optimal criterion: Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, fearing criticism, disapproval or rejection
What is the Dependent (Cluster C) personality type?
♣ Submissiveness and clinging behaviour
♣ Unrealistic fear of being left alone, needs constant reassurance
♣ Optimal criterion: Needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his/her life
What is the Obsessive-Compulsive (Cluster C) personality type?
♣ Perfectionism and mental or interpersonal control
♣ Preoccupied with details, rules, order; excessive devotion to work
♣ Not the same as OCD
• Compulsion has different focus than OCD – compulsive on content, not repetition
• “Conscientiousness gone haywire”
♣ Optimal criterion: Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion
