Personality Disorders Flashcards
What are the FOUR characteristics of personality disorders?
- Enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture
- The behavior/traits are pervasive and inflexible
- The traits have an onset in early adolescence or early adulthood
- They are stable over time and lead to significant distress or impairment (in social and occupational functioning)
__________ (Eccentric/Dramatic/Anxious) disorders are characterized as a pervasive pattern of abnormal cognition, self-expression, or relating to others
Eccentric Disorders (Cluster A)
__________ (Eccentric/Dramatic/Anxious) disorders are a pervasive pattern of violating social norms or the rights of others, impulsivity, excessive emotionality, grandiosity, or acting out
Dramatic Disorders (Cluster B)
__________ (Eccentric/Dramatic/Anxious) disorders are a pervasive pattern of abnormal fears involving social relationships, separation, or need for control
Anxious Disorders (Cluster C)
What are the five traits that are theorized to create personalities?
- Extraversion
- Agreeable
- Conscientiousness
- Neuroticism
- Openness to experience
What are three common behavioral co-morbidities that are typically associated with personality disorders?
Major Depression
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
T/F: Rates of unemployment, drug abuse, homelessness, divorce, domestic violence are higher in patients with personality disorder diagnoses
True
Is anti-social personality disorder more common in men or women?
Men
Is borderline personality disorder more common in men or women?
Women
Is obsessive-compulsive more common in men or women?
Its equally prevalent
The prevalence of personality disorders _______ (increases/decreases) with age.
Decreases
T/F: Smoking and substance abuse are less common in patients with personality disorders
False
Those traits are more common
Do patients with personality disorders often have insight into their maladaptive behaviors?
No
They often blame others for their troubles and do not seek help
T/F: Speaking to a patients family, friends, children, police, etc….is an important part of the history when working up a personality disorder
True
When working up a patient for personality disorders…..
Should you be quick to give out the diagnosis?
No
Remember to rule out other mental disorders or illnesses…..also many be have strong ‘quirks’ that are a part of their personality
When working up a patient for personality disorders….
Remember that these behaviors must _______ (persist/resolve) and have a ______ (negative/positive) imapct on their life
Persist
Negative
T/F: There are FDA approved pharmaceutical treatments for personality disorders
False
There are not
What are three ‘cluster A’ personality disorders?
“The Weirds”
Paranoid
Schizoid
Schizotypal
What is a unique characteristic of paranoid personality disorder?
Pervasive distrust and suspicion without significant evidence
T/F: Group therapy should be considered in treatment for paranoid personality disorder
False
Although treatment of paranoid personality disorder is mainly supportive……
When should pharmacological management be considered?
In the presence of mild psychotic symptoms (ex: depression)
What are unique characteristics of schizoid personality disorders?
- Inability to form personal relationships
- No sexual interest
- Flat Affect
- Solidarity
Do patients with schizoid personality disorder often seek help?
No
Why isn’t therapy typically successful in schizoid personality disorder?
Patients have a lack of insight for therapy
Having “magical beliefs”, unusual experiences, and odd speech and thinking are all defining characteristics of what personality disorders?
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
T/F: An important part of managing schizotypal is making them aware of the negative impact on their lives
True
What are two antipsychotics used in managing schizotypal personality disorder?
Risperidone
Olanzapine
What are three ‘cluster B’ personality disorders?
“The Wilds”
Antisocial
Borderline
Histrionic
Narcissistic
Reckless behavior, lack of remorse, criminal history, lying, and the inability to keep jobs are all characteristics of what personality disorder?
Antisocial personality Disorder
How old must a patient be to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder?
18 y.o.
***Otherwise it is considered conduct disorder
What patient ‘population’ is antisocial personality disorder common in?
Incarcerated
Homeless
Substance Abusers
T/F: Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder are worse early in its course, tends to recede with advancing age
True
What medications are used to treat aggression in antisocial personality disorder?
Lithium
Valproic Acid
What are the unique characteristics of borderline personality disorder?
Mood Instability Impulsive Self Mutilation Intense Interpersonal Relationships Fear of abandonment Chronic "emptiness"
__% of patients with borderline personality disorder will perform self harm/mutilation
75%
__% of patients with borderline personality disorder will successfully commit suicide
10%
T/F: Therapy has not shown any benefit in treating borderline personality disorder
False
It has shown benefit (CBT, 20-week STEPPS)
What are unique characteristics of histrionic personality disorder?
Excessive emotionally and attention seeking behavior
Wanting to be the center of attention
Initially gregarious and charming but becomes demanding and vain
T/F: Patients with histrionic personality disorder often seek out medical attention frequently
True
What is the best management option for histrionic personality disorder?
Therapy if they are agreeable
- CBT
- Group therapy for tackling the provocative or attention seeking behaviors
What are unique characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder?
Lack of empathy Grandiosity Hypersensitivity to evaluation Inflate their accomplishments Exploit other for personal gain
Patients with narcissistic personality disorder often have a sense of _______ (regret/remorse/entitlement)
Entitlement
What is the mainstay of management for narcissistic personality disorder?
Therapy
What are three ‘cluster C’ personality disorders?
“The Wimps”
Avoidant
Dependent
Obsessive-Compulsive
Are patients with avoidant personality disorder more likely to be introverted or extroverted?
Introverted
Patients with avoidant personality disorder have a fear of being _________.
Embarrassed
T/F: Patients with avoidant personality disorder are typically unwilling to get involved with people unless quite certain of being liked
True
Patients with avoidant personality disorder have _____ (high/low) self esteem
Low-self esteem
What is the mainstay of avoidant personality disorder?
Therapy
Social Skills Training
What medications can be useful in treating avoidant personality disorder?
BZDs when re-entering social situations
Sometimes SSRIs
Patterns of relying on others (typically parents) for emotional, financial, life support is a characteristic of what personality disorder?
Dependent Personality Disorder
What is a theorized cause of dependent personality disorder?
Over-protectiveness and parental authoritarianism as a child
What is the best management option for dependent personality disorder?
Therapy
T/F: Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is similar to OCD
False
They are different from one another
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is characterized by perfectionism that ________ (interferes/enhancing) the patients ability to even complete the work
Interferes
In what patient population is obsessive compulsive personality disorder more common in?
Highly Educated
T/F: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder will ultimately lead to OCD
False
It will not
What is the mainstay of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder treatment?
Therapy
When would SSRIs be beneficial in managing obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
To help with ritualistic tendencies
