Personality Disorders

Question 1

Personality disorder definiton

Answer 1

Enduring stable ways of interacting with the environment
Inflexible and maladaptive
Can be ego syntonic (positive experience) or ego dystonic (negative experience)

Question 2

3 clusters of personality disorders

Answer 2

Cluster A: odd or eccentric
Cluster B: dramatic, emotional, erratic
Cluster C: fearful or anxious

Question 3

Cluster B disorders

Answer 3

Antisocial personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Histrionic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder

Question 4

Antisocial personality disorder

Answer 4

Pervasive pattern of disregard for the feelings of others and violations of the rights of others
Lack remorse
Irresponsible, impulsive, and deceitful
At least 18 years old
Often end up either in jail or as a CEO of a company

Question 5

Features related to antisocial personality disorder

Answer 5

Psychopathy (personality trait-based)
Criminality (people with APD are more likely to end up in jail)
Conduct disorder (child version of APD)

Question 6

Antisocial personality disorder causes and contributors

Answer 6

Underarousal hypothesis: cortical arousal is low (less activity in part of brain that creates emotions)
Cortical immaturity hypothesis: cerebral cortex is underdeveloped, causing long range planning to be compromised
Fearlessness hypothesis: less sensitivity to pain and danger cues
Emotional functioning: poor at identifying negative emotions and less sensitive to emotion inductions

Question 7

Treatment of antisocial personality disorder

Answer 7

Unlikely to seek treatment (ego syntonic disorder)
Goal: improve positive behavior and empathy
What actually happens: increases antisocial behavior (learn how to lie better and how not to get caught from other people in group)

Question 8

Borderline personality disorder

Answer 8

Pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect
Very intense relational attachment: when other person tries to pull away, person with this disorder becomes really upset
Impulsivity
Fear of abandonment
Interpersonal paranoia (always think that others are talking badly about you)
Parasuicidal behavior (self-injury that isn’t severe enough to kill)
Black and white thinking

Question 9

Borderline personality disorder causes and contributors

Answer 9

Invalidating early environment (parents don’t pay enough positive attention to kid)
Early trauma/abuse, often sexual

Question 10

Treatments for borderline personality disorder

Answer 10

SSRIs provide short term relief
Dialectical behavior therapy: target self-harm behavior and develop sense of trust with patient (help him/her to know that he/she won’t be abandoned)

Question 11

Histrionic personality disorder

Answer 11

Pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking
Dramatic
Sexually provocative
Impulsive
Shallow emotions
Poor boundaries: may come on to people inappropriately

Question 12

Narcissistic personality disorder

Answer 12

Pervasive pattern of grandiosity and need for admiration
Lack of empathy
Preoccupation with fantasies of success
Attitude of entitlement
Sensitive to criticism
Narcissistic rage: lashing out at person who attacks ego

Question 13

Cluster A disorders

Answer 13

Paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Not psychotic symptoms, but some features of them

Question 14

Paranoid personality disorder

Answer 14

Pervasive pattern of unjustified mistrust and suspicion
Doubt loyalty of friends and spouse
Perceive that people are attacking character
Not severe enough for psychosis

Question 15

Schizoid personality disorder

Answer 15

Pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and lack of desire for them
Limited range of emotions: indifferent to praise or criticism
Not severe enough to be psychosis

Question 16

Schizotypal personality disorder

Answer 16

Pervasive pattern of social/interpersonal deficits
Discomfort with close relationships (awkward, but still desired)
Perceptual distortions (see things differently than other people)
Eccentricities (lack of adherence to social norms)
Behavior/dress odd and unusual
Not severe enough to be psychosis

Question 17

Cluster C disorders

Answer 17

Avoidant personalty disorder
Dependent personality disorder
Obsessive compulsive personality disorder

Question 18

Avoidant personality disorder

Answer 18

Pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to evaluation
Avoidant of relationships
Fearful of rejection
Views self as socially inept

Question 19

Dependent personality disorder

Answer 19

Pervasive pattern of an excessive need to be cared for
Clingy and fearful of separation
Difficulty making minor life decisions
Goes to extreme lengths for nurturance
Feels helpless when alone

Question 20

Obsessive compulsive personality disorder

Answer 20

Pervasive preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control
Focuses on details, rules, and lists: more focused on organizing task than doing task itself
Does things the “right” way
Miserly
Not OCD!