Personality disorders Flashcards
1
Q
What is the definition of Personality Disorders?
A
- Deeply ingrained and enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from expectations in individual’s culture is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time and leads to distress or impairment
2
Q
What is the epidemiology of Personality disorder?
A
- Most prevalent PD is dissocial (3%) followed by histrionic (2-3%) and paranoid (0.5%-2.5%)
- 8 personality disorders in existence
- Minimum age is 18 years.
- Need to see the patient for a year before diagnosis.
3
Q
What is the aetiology of Personality Disorder?
A
- Biological factors can be genetic and neurodevelopmental
- Environmental factors encompass both adverse social circumstances and difficult childhood experiences such as abuse.
- Poor parenting and parental deprivation are also risk factors of PD
4
Q
What are the types of Clusters?
A
- Cluster A (weird): Paranoid, Schizoid
- Cluster B (wild): Emotionally unstable (borderline), Dissocial (antisocial), Histrionic
- Cluster C (worriers): Dependent, Avoidant (anxious), Anankastic (obsessional)
5
Q
What are features of Paranoid Personality Disorder?
A
- Hypersensitivity and an unforgiving attitude when insulted
- Unwarranted tendency to question loyalty of friends & partners. Reluctance to confide in others
- Preoccupation with conspirational beliefs and hidden meaning
- Unwarranted tendency to perceive attacks on their character
- Envious
6
Q
What are clinical features of Schizoid Personality Disorder?
A
- Indifference to praise and criticism
- Preference for solitary activities
- Lack of interest in sexual interactions
- Lack of desire for companionship
- Emotional coldness
- Few interests
- Few friends or confidants other than family
7
Q
What are clinical features of Emotionally unstable/Borderline personality disorder?
A
- Efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
- Unstable interpersonal relationships which alternate between idealization and devaluation
- Unstable self-image
- Impulsivity in potentially self-damaging area (e.g. Spending, sex, substance abuse)
- Recurrent suicidal behaviour
- Affective instability
- Chronic feelings of emptiness
- Difficulty controlling temper
- Quasi psychotic thoughts
8
Q
What are clinical features of Dissocial/Antisocial personality disorder?
A
- More common in men.
- Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
- Deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.
- Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead
- Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.
- Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
- Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behaviour or honour financial obligations.
- Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
9
Q
What are clinical features of Histrionic personality disorder?
A
- Inappropriate sexual seductiveness
- Need to be the centre of attention
- Rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
- Suggestibility
- Physical appearance used for attention seeking purposes
- Impressionistic speech lacking detail
- Self-dramatization
- Relationships considered to be more intimate than they are
10
Q
What are clinical features of Dependant personality disorder?
A
- Difficulty making everyday decisions without excessive reassurance from others
- Need for others to assume responsibility for major areas of their life
- Difficulty in expressing disagreement with others due to fears of losing support
- Lack of initiative
- Unrealistic fears of being left to care for themselves
- Urgent search for another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends
- Extensive efforts to obtain support from others
- Unrealistic feelings that they cannot care for themselves
11
Q
What are clinical features of Anxious/Avoidant personality disorder?
A
- Avoidance of occupational activities which involve significant interpersonal contact due to fears of criticism, or rejection.
- Unwillingness to be involved unless certain of being liked
- Preoccupied with ideas that they are being criticised or rejected in social situations
- Restraint in intimate relationships due to the fear of being ridiculed
- Reluctance to take personal risks due to fears of embarrassment
- Views self as inept and inferior to others
- Social isolation accompanied by a craving for social contact
12
Q
What are clinical features of Anankastic/Obsessional personality disorder?
A
- Is occupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or agenda to the point that the key part of the activity is gone
- Demonstrates perfectionism that hampers with completing tasks
- Is extremely dedicated to work and efficiency to the elimination of spare time activities
- Is meticulous, scrupulous, and rigid about etiquettes of morality, ethics, or values
- Is not capable of disposing worn out or insignificant things even when they have no sentimental meaning
- Is unwilling to pass on tasks or work with others except if they surrender to exactly their way of doing things
- Takes on a stingy spending style towards self and others; and shows stiffness and stubbornness
13
Q
What are disorders that are not considered Personality Disorder?
A
- Narcissistic (not a personality disorder in EU)
- Schizotypal (not a personality disorder in EU)
14
Q
What is Narcissism?
A
- Grandiose sense of self importance
- Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, or beauty.
- Sense of entitlement
- Taking advantage of others to achieve own needs
- Lack of empathy
- Excessive need for admiration
- Chronic envy
- Arrogant and haughty attitude
15
Q
What is Schizotypal disorder?
A
- Ideas of reference (differ from delusions in that some insight is retained)
- Odd beliefs and magical thinking
- Unusual perceptual disturbances
- Paranoid ideation and suspiciousness
- Odd, eccentric behaviour
- Lack of close friends other than family members
- Inappropriate affect
- Odd speech without being incoherent
