personality disorders

Question 1

personality

Answer 1

characteristic way that a person thinks and behaves across situations.

Question 2

personality disorder

Answer 2

disrupted emotions, cognitions, and behaviours enduring across time and situations. includes emotional distress or impairment, but distress to self not necessary. no episodic features.

Question 3

cluster A personality disorders

Answer 3

characterized by odd and eccentric behaviours. 3 types:

1. paranoid personality disorder.
2. schizoid personality disorder.
3. schizotypal personality disorder.

Question 4

paranoid personality disorder

Answer 4

pervasive distrust and suspiciousness toward others, meeting 4/9 DSM criteria.

lifetime prevalence: 2-5%.

etiological: genetics, childhood maltreatment, negative cognitive schemas.

treatment: CBT (challenge assumptions and behaviours). treatment rarely sought out due to poor therapeutic alliance.

Question 5

schizoid personality disorder

Answer 5

pervasive detachment from social relationships and restricted range of emotion. (remember: sounds like void.)

lifetime prevalence: 3-5%.

etiological factors: genetics, childhood abuse, low density of dopamine receptors (?).

treatment: point out value of relationships, social skills training. rarely seek treatment because not distressed.

Question 6

schizotypal personality disorder

Answer 6

pervasive social and interpersonal deficits marked by discomfort with social relationships and cognitive or perceptual distortions or eccentric behaviour. meet 5/9 DSM criteria. aware of reality (different from schizophrenia.)

lifetime prevalence: 1-5%.

etiological: genetics, brain abnormalities (speech centre).

treatment: antipsychotic medications (limited effectiveness), increase social skills. treatment not usually effective.

Question 7

cluster B personality disorders

Answer 7

characterized by dramatic, emotional, and erratic behaviours. elevated impulsivity. most closely related to mood. 4 types:

1. antisocial personality disorder.
2. borderline personality disorder.
3. histrionic personality disorder.
4. narcissistic personality disorder.

Question 8

antisocial personality disorder

Answer 8

pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights of others as indicated by 3/7 DSM criteria. before 18 years, diagnosed with conduct disorder. psychopathy is subset.

lifetime prevalence: 1-3%.

etiological: genetics, underarousal hypothesis, fearlessness hypothesis, coercive/inconsistent parenting, low SES, childhood physical abuse (emotional shutdown).

treatment: some prevention programs to develop empathy, CBT. rarely sought out, may manipulate therapist.

Question 9

borderline personality disorder

Answer 9

pervasive instability of relationships, self-image, and affects as well as impulsivity as indicated by 5/9 DSM criteria. highly comorbid with mood disorders.

lifetime prevalence: 1-6%.

etiological: genetic contribution, early sexual or physical abuse, poor coping strategies.

treatment: medication (tricyclics, lithium, atypical antipsychotics), DBT. usually seek treatment for things other than personality disorder (ex depression).

Question 10

histrionic personality disorder

Answer 10

pervasive excessive emotionality and attention seeking as indicated by 5/8 of DSM criteria. controversy about whether real or not.

lifetime prevalence: 2%.

etiological: very little known. female form of antisocial personality disorder? all or nothing thinking.

treatment: lacking research. examine interpersonal relationships (identify short vs long term gains).

Question 11

narcissistic personality disorder

Answer 11

pervasive grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy as indicated by 5/9 DSM criteria. 75% men. can overlap with psychopathy.

lifetime prevalence: <1-6%.

etiological: failure to develop empathy, hypersensitive to evaluation.

treatment: decrease sense of grandiosity and sensitivity to evaluation, increase empathy.

Question 12

cluster C personality disorders

Answer 12

characterized by anxious and fearful behaviours. 3 types:

1. avoidant personality disorder.
2. dependent personality disorder.
3. obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Question 13

avoidant personality disorder

Answer 13

pervasive social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. highly comorbid with social anxiety disorder.

lifetime prevalence: 2%.

etiological: parental rejection, lack of love, increased behavioural inhibition.

treatment: graduated exposure to feared situations, social skills training in group.

Question 14

dependent personality disorder

Answer 14

pervasive and excessive need to be cared for leading to submission, clinging behaviour, and fears of separation.

lifetime prevalence: 0.5%.

etiological: genetic influences, excessive sociotropy (investment in personal relationships), lack of autonomy.

treatment: CBT (gain independence and personal responsibility).

Question 15

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Answer 15

pervasive preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental or interpersonal control. 20-30% comorbid with OCD, but lacks obsessive thoughts or compulsions and ego-dystonic features.

lifetime prevalence: 2-8%.

etiological: weak genetic contribution, parental reinforcement of conformity and neatness, high levels of perfectionism and rumination.

treatment: CBT, relaxation.