Personality Disorders

Question 1

What are personality disorders?

Answer 1

Personality disorders are recognised by
persistent and enduring patterns of
behaviour that are often destructive and
nearly always characterised by maladaptive and inflexible ways of coping with stress. These are the hardest people to work with in mental health.

Question 2

What is the difference between personality disorders and personality traits?

Answer 2

We all have personality traits, these are our unique personal characteristics that differentiate us from each other, we are for example helpful, kind, a bit obsessional, a bit paranoid etc. These traits manifest as ‘disorder’ when they are significantly harmful to our social and occupational well-being. (The behaviour is so extreme that it effects life).

Question 3

Symptoms of personality disorder

tend to diminish at what age?

Answer 3

40 years of age

Question 4

How many groups of personality disorders are there?

Answer 4

Three- group A, B and C

Question 5

What is clustered into group A?

Answer 5

paranoid
 schizoid
 schizotypal personality disorders
 Individuals whose behaviour appears odd or
eccentric.
 Border between psychosis and reality

Question 6

What is clustered into group B?

Answer 6

antisocial,
o borderline,
o histrionic,
o narcissistic personality disorder
Behaviour appears dramatic,
emotional or erratic

Question 7

Describe paranoid personality disorder:

Answer 7

The person has expectations of being harmed
or exploited without sufficient reason
 There is an unwillingness to confide in others
 Perceive hidden, demeaning or threatening
messages in innocent remarks or comments
by others
 There is a tendency to bear grudges
 Perceive attacks upon their character or
reputation that are not apparent to others
 Suspicion regarding the fidelity of their partner

Question 8

Describe schizoid personality disorder:

Answer 8

The person neither enjoys nor desires close
relationships
 There is a preference for solitary activities
 There is little interest in sex
 There is indifference to either praise or
criticism
 Emotional frigidity is apparent
The person exhibits evidence that they are
experiencing ideas of reference
 ‘odd’ beliefs, thinking, speech
 There is evidence of some paranoid ideation
 There is social anxiety
 They lack a social network/friends

Question 9

Describe antisocial personality disorder:

Answer 9

The person is at least 18 years old
 Exhibit a disregard for the law and the
rights of others
 Exhibit reckless, aggressive, deceitful and
impulsive behaviour
 Do not show remorse
 There is an inability to sustain
employment/study

Question 10

Describe borderline personality disorder:

Answer 10

The person is terrified of abandonment and
actively attempts to avoid it
 Experience intense and unstable moods
 Form intense and unstable relationships
 Experience disturbances of identity
 Engage in impulsive self-destructive
behaviours
 Exhibit recurrent suicidal behaviour
 Experience chronic feelings of emptiness and
transient paranoia

Question 11

Describe Histrionic personality disorder:

Answer 11

The person craves being the centre of
attention and engages in selfdramatisation/physical
appearance to attain
this
 Displays inappropriately sexually seductive
behaviour
 Speech used to impress others but lacks
depth
 Tendency to exaggerate the degree of
intimacy that they share with others
 Tendency to be easily led by others

Question 12

Describe narcissistic personality disorder:

Answer 12

The person brims with self-importance and
grandiosity
 There is a preoccupation with fantasies of
success, power, genius and/or beauty
 There is a profound belief that one is
special
 Often display arrogance, need to be
admired, lack empathy and tend to
exploit others for their own benefit

Question 13

Describe Cluster C personality disorders:

Answer 13

o avoidant
o dependent
o obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder
Individuals who appear anxious
or fearful

Question 14

Describe avoidant personality disorder:

Answer 14

The person fears disapproval, rejection and
ridicule and so avoids occupations and social
situations where this may occur
 There is avoidance of intimate relationships
due to the same fears
 There is preoccupation with fear of shame,
rejection and ridicule
 Embarrassment and/or anxiety experienced
in social situations
 Feelings of inferiority and reluctance to take
risks

Question 15

Describe dependant personality disorder:

Answer 15

The person is unable to make decisions or
initiate projects without considerable advice,
reassurance and direction
 There is difficulty with expressing disapproval
 The person experiences discomfort when
alone and fears isolation
 Confidence is lacking
 The person has an urgent need to establish a
new relationship for support and care when
an existing relationship ends

Question 16

Describe Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder:

Answer 16

The person has a preoccupation with details,
rules, schedules and organisation
 Perfectionism interferes with the completion of
tasks
 Displays over-conscientiousness, inflexibility,
rigidity and stubbornness
 Tends to hoard possessions and reluctant to
spend
 Tendency to prefer work rather than to
socialise

Question 17

Describe schizotypal personality disorder:

Answer 17

 The person exhibits evidence that they are
experiencing ideas of reference
 ‘odd’ beliefs, thinking, speech
 There is evidence of some paranoid ideation
 There is social anxiety
 They lack a social network/friends

Question 18

What group is most likely to self harm?

Answer 18

Group B

Question 19

What can the nurse do to help with recovery?

Answer 19

Being non-judgemental, using a team response, empathy, using therapeutic therapies to enable recovery.