Personality Disorders Flashcards by Veronica Haughey

What is personality?

Cluster of relatively predictable patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that is generally consistent across time and onset

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How is personality defined?

Generally multi-dimensional spectrum rather than rigidly-defined categories
5 factor model = openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness

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What is a personality disorder?

Individual’s characteristic and enduring patterns of inner experience and behaviour markedly from the culturally expected and accepted range

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What aspects do personality disorders manifest in?

Cognition, affectivity, impulse control and interpersonal functioning

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What is cognition?

Ways of perceiving things and forming attitudes and images

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What is affectivity?

Range, intensity and appropriateness of emotional response

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What is interpersonal functioning?

Relating to others

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What are some features of personality disorders?

Pervasive behaviour = inflexible and maladaptive
Personal distress or adverse impact on social areas
Can’t be explained by another adult mental disorder

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Why are traits and disorders sometimes confused?

Some people may have traits that can sometimes cause problems

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When is something classed as a disorder?

Only a disorder if pervasive, causes distress and/or impairs functioning

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What are some rating scales of personality disorders?

ZAN-BPD, Personality assessment schedule, Personality disorders questionnaire, Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory, Borderline personality questionnaire, International personality disorder examination

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What is the Personality assessment schedule?

Semi-structured interview of personality pathology from trait perscpetive

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What is the Personality disorders questionnaire (PDG-4)?

100 item true or false questionnaire

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What is the Borderline personality questionnaire?

80 true or false statements

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How common are personality disorders?

10.6% of population have personality disorder
1 in 3 psychiatric outpatients have PD
1 in 2 psychiatric inpatients have PD

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What is the classification of personality disorder under the DSM V?

Cluster A = paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal
Cluster B = antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
Cluster C = avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive

What is the classification of personality disorders under the ICD-10?

Cluster A = paranoid, schizoid
Cluster B = dissocial, emotionally unstable (impulsive or borderline), histrionic
Cluster C = anxious, dependent, anankastic

What is needed to diagnose paranoid PD?

At least 4 = Excessive sensitivity to setbacks
Tendency to bear grudges
Suspiciousness and tendency to misconstrue friendly actions of others as hostile
Combative and tenacious sense of personal rights outkeeping of the actual situation
Recurrent suspicions, without justification, about fidelity of partner
Persistent self-referential attitude, associated particularly with excessive self-importance
Preoccupation with unsubstantiated conspiratorial explanations of events in the world

What is the criteria for schizoid PD?

At least 4 = Few, if any, activities provide pleasure
Emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity
Limited capacity to express warm feelings or anger
Indifferent to either praise or criticism of others
Little interest in having sexual experiences with others
Almost always chooses solitary activities
excessive preoccupation with fantasy
Neither desires, nor has, any close friends
Marked insensitivity to prevailing social norms

What is the criteria for schizotypal PD?

At least 5 = Ideas of reference
Odd beliefs or magical thinking
Unusual perceptual experiences
Odd thinking and speech
Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
Inappropriate or constricted effect
behaviour or appearance that is odd 
Lack of close friends other than 1st degree relatives 
Excessive social anxiety

What is the criteria for dissocial PD?

At least 3 = callous unconcern for feelings of others
Irresponsible and disregard for social norms
Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships
Very low threshold for aggression and tolerance for frustration
Incapacity to feel guilt or to profit from adverse experiences
Marked proneness to blame others

What is dissocial PD commonly mistaken for?

Psychopathy

What are the two factors of psychopathy?

Factor 1 = interpersonal/affective

Factor 2 = social deviance (lifestyle, antisocial)

What are some interpersonal features of a psychopath?

Grandoise self-worth, pathological lying, manipulative, superficial charm

What are the affective features of a psychopath?

Lack of remorse, shallow affect, lack of empathy, failure to accept responsibility for actions

What are the lifestyle aspects of a psychopath?

Need for stimulation, prone to boredom, parasitic lifestyle, lack of realistic long term goals, impulsivity, irresponsibility

What are some antisocial aspects to psychopaths?

Poor behavioural controls, early behavioural problems, juvenile delinquency, criminal versatility

What is the criteria for impulsive emotionally unstable PD?

At least 3 = Tendency to act unexpectedly, without consideration of consequences Quarrelsome behaviour and conflict with others Liability to outbursts of anger or violence Difficulty maintaining any course of action that offers no immediate reward Unstable mood

What is the criteria for borderline emotionally unstable PD?

3 from impulsive criteria and 2 = Chronic empty feeling Intense and unstable relationships Excessive efforts to avoid abandonment Recurrent threats or acts of self harm Disturbances in and uncertainty about self-image

What is the criteria for histrionic PD?

At least 4 = Suggestable Self-dramatisation/exaggerated expression of emotions Shallow or labile affectivity Continually seeks excitement and attention seeking Inappropriately seductive Overly concerned with physical attractiveness

What is the criteria for narcissistic PD?

At least 5 = Grandoise logic of self importance Sense of entitlement Fixation with fantasies of infinite success Interpersonally oppressive behaviour Credence that they are extraordinary No form of empathy Desire for unwarranted admiration Display of egotistical behaviour Resentment of others/conviction that others are resentful of them

What is the criteria for anankastic PD?

At least 4 = Excessive doubt and caution Perfectionism that interferes with task completion Preoccupation with details, rules or schedule Excessive conscientiousness Undue preoccupation with productivity Pedantic to adherence to social norms Rigidity and stubbornness Unreasonable reluctance to allow others to do things

What is the criteria for anxious PD?

At least 4 = Persistent pervasive feelings of tension Belief that they're inferior Excessive preoccupation about being socially rejected Unwillingness to get involved with people unless certain of being liked Restrictions in lifestyle because of need of security Avoidance of activities that involve interpersonal contact for fear of rejection

What is the criteria for dependent PD?

At least 4 = Feeling helpless when alone Encouraging others to make most important decisions Subordination of needs to those of others on whom they depend on Unwillingness to make even reasonable demands on people they depend on Preoccupation with fears of being left alone Limited capacity to make everyday decisions without excessive advice and encouragement