personality disorders Flashcards
Enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment
and oneself
Personality
Exhibited across numerous social and personal contexts
personality traits are inflexible and maladaptive enough to cause significant distress and impairment of functioning
Personality Disorder
Personality Disorders are much higher among who?
sub-groups
1. Psychiatric patients - 50%
2. Criminals - up to 85%
3. Alcohol-dependent patients - up to 70%
4. Drug-dependent patients - up to 90%
epidemiology of personality disorders
- Male overall - some types MC in females
- younger
- poorly educated
- unemployed
what is Personality Disorders’s Impact on Patients
↑ risk of many comorbidities and negative outcomes
- Reckless or impulsive behavior
- Physical injury from fights or accidents
- Suicide attempts
- Unplanned pregnancies
- High risk sexual behaviors - Psychiatric comorbidities
- Anxiety disorder, mood disorder, and/or substance use
- Less favorable responses to treatment - Functional impairment
- Self-care, occupational, social - Noncompliance with treatment
screenings for personality disorder
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF)
- Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III)
which personality disorder screening has
338 T/F grouped into 10 scales
Developed to aid with mental disorder diagnosis but often used to get an idea of personality
MMPI-2-RF
which personality disorder screening has
175 T/F covering 4 scales
Information on personality style and patterns
Based off psych pts, not general pts
MCMI-III
how does personality disorder affect clinical relationships?
- Challenging to develop provider-patient rapport
- Patients often externalize difficulties
- Believe their own behavior is appropriate - More likely to see problems with:
- Patient distrust or irritability
- Poor communication skills
- Dependency and/or excessive demands - Increased risk of:
- After-hours phone calls and visits
- Angry outbursts from patient
- Repeated visits or hospital admissions
- Signing out AMA
- Noncompliance with medical treatment
how to improve patient-provider relationship with personality disorder
Develop and modify treatment plan with input from patient and caretakers
Present treatment plan carefully, without judgement
Step away from case if needed
Be aware of personal bias
Choose therapists experienced with personality disorders
how to improve communication in clinical relationship with personality disorder
Guidelines about when and how to contact the clinician
May be efficient to have patient call and speak to a nurse
in clinical relationships, be aware that personality disorder patients tend to:
- Have a greater sensitivity to side effects
- Take more of a drug than prescribed
- Be more likely to take alternative treatments
- Be at a higher risk for illicit substance use and alcohol
which cluster of personality disorder
Often do not seek tx unless dealing with acute problems
High levels of mistrust and interpersonal discomfort
Strong affirmation and careful handling can help rapport
Cluster A - schizotypal, schizoid, paranoid
which cluster of personality disorder
Often test and push limits of professional relationship
Power struggles, provocative behavior, self-harm gestures
Use caution not to cross appropriate boundaries while building relationship
Often the most challenging to maintain a therapeutic relationship
Cluster B - borderline, narcissistic, antisocial, histrionic
which cluster of personality disorder
More likely to take responsibility for their problems
More likely to readily engage in a dialogue to try to solve problems
Can be sensitive, stubborn, and need frequent affirmation
Cluster C - dependant, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive
which personality disorder
suspicious; overly sensitive; mistrustful; secretive; hyperalert
Paranoid - cluster A
which personality disorder
shy; introverted; withdrawn; avoids close relationships
Schizoid - Cluster A
which personality disorder
superstitious; socially isolated; suspicious; eccentric behaviors and speech
Schizotypal - Cluster A
Paranoid Personality Disorder is MC in who?
psychiatric inpatients
Slightly more common in women
Paranoid Personality Disorder
etiology is uncertain, but is seen in …
Increased in patients with parents who had irrational outbursts of anger
More common in pts with (+) FMHx of schizophrenia or delusional disorder, persecutory type
pt shows
Generalized distrust or suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent
they’re exhibiting cardinal symptoms of what disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Feel they have been treated unfairly
Project blame to others
Hold long-lasting grudges
Read hidden meaning into benign remarks or events
Preoccupied with doubts about trustworthiness of others
Often no successful intimate relationships
High autonomy - hostile to those who they think are trying to control them, sometimes to the point of violence
emotionally, how are paranoid personality disorders?
defensive, oversensitive, secretive, suspicious, hyperalert, with limited emotional response
during exam, how would Paranoid Personality Disorder behave?
formal, businesslike, skeptical, mistrustful, poor eye contact or fixated eye contact
tx for Paranoid Personality Disorder
- pharm - little data; can try low-dose antipsychotics
- If acute decompensation and frank delusions = antipsychotics - Therapy - difficult due to mistrust and suspicion
prognosis of Paranoid Personality Disorder
- Pts usually have more adaptive capacity than other
personality disorders with severe social detachment - Under stress - withdraw, avoid attachments
- Can become overtly psychotic
Schizoid Personality Disorder is MC in who?
men - may be more severe too
Rare in clinical setting - avoid others
cause of schizoid personality disorder
Uncertain
1. Possible genetic predisposition
2. Pregnancy during famine may be a risk factor
3. May be related to environment devoid of nurturing
4. May be related to autism
Detachment from relationships, introversion, and restricted range of emotional expression
these are cardinal symptoms of?
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Does not necessarily cause distress to patient
Does not desire or enjoy close relationships, including family
Preference for solitary pursuits with no emotional involvement
Pleasure in few, if any, activities
Few to no intimate relationships and little apparent interest in others
Intact reality testing but often impaired interpretation of social interactions
how are Schizoid Personality Disorder emotionally?
distant, shy, introverted, withdrawn, avoid forming relationships with others
how do Schizoid Personality Disorder present on exam
formal, stiff, aloof, difficult to engage, no obvious desire to get to know others, impaired social skills
tx for Schizoid Personality Disorder
- Pharmacologic - little data
- If associated anxiety/depression = antidepressants - Therapy - often do not feel distressed
- Family/Group - can help clarify other’s expectations for pt and allow for social skill development; however pt will usually have minimal interaction
- Individual - pt often does not feel necessary due to no distress; emotional detachment can limit efficacy; however may have some usefulness
prognosis Schizoid Personality Disorder
Pts often have social detachment fairly early in life
Less likely to have anxiety/depression than most personality disorders
Avoiding situations that tax their social skills can help
epidemiology of Schizotypal Personality Disorder
3% (general population)
1. Up to 30% of general psychiatric pts have 1+ traits
2. Seen with mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders
3. Slightly more common in men
cause of Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Likely genetic link to schizophrenia
Much MC in relatives of schizophrenic pts
Believed to have similar etiologies with schizophrenia
Peculiar thoughts, speech and behavior, magical beliefs, and social difficulties
are cardinal symptoms for what personality disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Negative or poor rapport
Social dysfunction, social anxiety, and often social isolation
Often have depression and anxiety symptoms
No delusions or hallucinations; may experience illusions
Fascinated by unusual ideas but will consider other ideas if contradictory facts are presented
how are Schizotypal Personality Disorder emotionally
eccentric, superstitious, suspicious, social anxiety
how do Schizotypal Personality Disorders present on exam
inappropriate or constricted affect, odd beliefs, odd speech mannerisms, often go off on tangents
May have paranoid ideas (not delusions), believe clinician is judging/uncaring
tx for Schizotypal Personality Disorder
- Pharm - may try low-dose antipsychotics
- Mood stabilizers such as lithium may also be useful - Therapy
- Group - can help with social skill development
- Individual - supportive approach; emphasis on reality testing and recognizing cognitive distortions
prognosis of Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Anywhere from 10-25% progress to schizophrenia
Poor prognosis associated with paranoid ideation, social isolation, magical thinking, functional decline
Manipulative; selfish; lacks empathy; explosive anger; legal problems
what personality disorder
Antisocial