Personality Disorders Flashcards
What are personality disorders?
Pervasive and inflexible patterns of behaviour or ways of relating to others
Why do disordered personality traits become evident?
Adolescence or early adulthood
What childhood behaviour problems are high risk for personality disorders?
Conduct disorder Depression Anxiety Hyperactivity Impulsivity Attention problems
What does ego-syntonic mean?
Behaviour or feelings that are perceived as natural or compatible parts of self
What does ego-dystonic mean?
Behaviour or feelings that are perceived to be foreign or alien to one’s self identity
What are cluster A personality disorders?
People who are perceived as odd or eccentric
- paranoid
- schizoid
- schizotypal
What are cluster B personality disorders
People whose behaviour is overly dramatic, emotional, or erratic
- antisocial
- borderline
- histrionic
- narcissistic
What are cluster C personality disorders?
People who often appear anxious or fearful
- avoidant
- dependent
- OCPD
What is a paranoid personality disorder?
Characterized by persistent suspiciousness of the motives of others, but not to the point of holding clear-cut delusions
What is the prevalence rate of paranoid personality disorder?
2.3%-4.4%
Who is diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder at a higher rate?
Men
What is schizoid personality disorder?
Characterized by detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression
What are some characteristics of schizoid personality disorder?
Described as a longer or an eccentric
Rarely express emotions
Distant and aloof
What is the prevalence rate of schizoid personality disorder
3.1%-4.9%
What is schizotypal personality disorder?
Characterized by acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behaviour
Paranoid thinking
What is the prevalence rate of schizotypal personality disorder?
3%
What are ideas of reference?
Form of delusional thinking in which a person reads personal meaning into the behaviour of others or external events that completely independent of the person
What is antisocial personality disorder?
Characterized by a chronic pattern of disregard for an violation of the rights of others
What are some characteristics of antisocial personality disorder?
Low levels of anxiety in threatening situations and a lack of guilt or remorse
Superficial charm
What is the prevalence rate of antisocial personality disorder?
4.3%
More common in men
High prevalence in the prison population
What is psychopathy?
Characterized by affective and interpersonal traits, such as shallow emotions, selfishness, arrogance, superficial charm, deceitfulness, manipulativeness, irresponsibility, sensation seeking, a lack of empathy, anxiety, and remorse combined with persistent violations of social norms, a socially deviant and nomadic lifestyle, and impulsiveness
What is borderline personality disorder?
Characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and mood and a lack of control over impulses
What are some characteristics of borderline personality disorder?
Fear of abandonment
Feelings toward others are intense and shifting
Tend to view other people as all good or all bad
What is the prevalence rate of borderline personality disorder?
1.6%-5.9%
What is self-mutilation?
Means of temporarily blocking or escaping from deep, emotional pain
Expression of anger
Means of manipulating others
What is histrionic personality disorder?
Characterized by excessive need to be the centre of attention and to receive reassurance, praise, and approval
Often appear overly dramatic and emotional
Who is diagnosed more frequently with histrionic personality disorder?
Women
What is narcissistic personality disorder?
Characterized by an inflated or grandiose sense of themselves and an extreme need for admiration
Self-absorbed and lack empathy
What is the prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder?
0%-6.2%
More than half of people diagnosed are men
What are some other characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder
Preoccupation with fantasies of success and power, ideal love, or recognition for brilliance or beauty
Sense of entitlement leads them to exploit others
Treat sex partners as devices for their own pleasure or to brace their self-esteem
What is avoidant personality disorder?
Characterized by avoidance of social relationships due to fears of rejection and criticism
Fear of public embarrassment
What is the prevalence of avoidant personality disorder?
2.4%
Equally common in men and women
What is dependent personality disorder?
Characterized by difficulties making independent decisions and by overly dependent behaviour
Excessive need to be taken care by others
Seek advice in making even the smallest decision
Who is diagnosed more frequently with dependent personality disorder?
Women
What is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
Characterized by rigid ways of relation to others, perfectionistic tendencies, lack of spontaneity, and excessive attention to details
What is the prevalence rate of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
2.1%-7.9%
Twice as common in men
What are some problems with the classification of personality disorders?
Lack of demonstrated reliability and validity
Overlap among disorders
Difficulty in distinguishing between variations in normal and abnormal behaviour
Sexist bias
What is the traditional psychodynamic theory of personality disorder?
Unresolved Oedipal conflicts
What are recent psychodynamic theories of personality disorders?
Focus on the development of self in explaining disorders