Personality Disorders and Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

Personality d/o w chronic feelings of emptiness, transient psychotic sx, mood swings, tumultuous relationships, selfmutilation,
poor self-image, impulsivity

Answer 1

BORDERLINE

Question 2

Personality d/o should be considered in ddx of cyclothymic d/o?

Answer 2

HISTRIONIC

Question 3

What personality disorder results in displays of rapidly

shifting and shallow expression of emotions in patients?

Answer 3

HISTRIONIC

Question 4

Pts with which personality d/o sees themselves socially

inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others?

Answer 4

AVOIDANT

Question 5

Pt prominently uses the defenses of isolation of affect & intellectualization. Description of life events appears to involve reaction formation. What personality trait is most likely to characterize this pt?

Answer 5

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE

Question 6

Avoidant PD differs from Schizoid PD by:

Answer 6

DESIRE FOR SOCIAL RELATIONS

Question 7

Interpersonal exploitativeness is a diagnostic feature of:

Answer 7

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER

Question 8

40 y/o hand surgeon has come into conflict with the hospital
admin. Though the hospital went out of its way to recruit this surgeon, he has felt consistently betrayed and has accused the administration of trying to exploit him by expecting that he should take more calls, though this has never been stated. The doctor-hospital relationship deteriorated further when peer review raised a question about one of the surgeon’s cases. The surgeon believes that none of his complaints have been satisfactorily resolved. He has become more unforgiving and isolated:

Answer 8

PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER

Question 9

Fear of abandonment is a feature of:

Answer 9

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Question 10

40 y/o M emotional detachment, little interest in sex, no close friends. What is the most likely personality disorder?

Answer 10

SCHIZOID PD

Question 11

Common symptoms of paranoid personality disorder?

Answer 11

PREOCCUPATION W/ UNJUSTIFIED DOUBTS OF LOYALTY/

TRUSTWORTHINESS OF FRIENDS/ASSOCIATES

Question 12

Underlying dynamic of much of the behavior of pts with

paranoid personality d/o:

Answer 12

A DEVELOPMENTAL FAILURE TO ACHIEVE OBJECT

CONSTANCY

Question 13

Which personality disorder is characterized by a style of
speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in
detail?

Answer 13

HISTRIONIC

Question 14

Pt with histrionic personality d/o storms in his psychodynamic
session and a few minutes late, clearly in rage. He expresses hopelessness and declares vehemently that he must divorce his wife. Next best intervention:

Answer 14

ENCOURAGE THE PT TO REFLECT MORE ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO TRIGGER SUCH PAINFUL FEELINGS.

Question 15

22 y/o borderline splitting inpatient staff. You should:

Answer 15

EDUCATE STAFF ABOUT SPLITTING

Question 16

DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of what personality disorder?

Answer 16

BORDERLINE

Question 17

16-year-old adolescent is being evaluated for possible

schizophrenia. A family history of which of the following personality d/o is most strongly associated with this dx?

Answer 17

SCHIZOTYPAL

Question 18

25 y/o hospitalized for appendicitis. Pt reports being “bothered by surgeon’s aura”. Lives alone, no close friends, gets on websites about auras and crystal work. Pt’s mother affirms he’s “always been this way.” Which personality disorder?

Answer 18

SCHIZOTYPAL

Question 19

Which intervention is helpful in dealing with a borderline pt on a medical ward?

Answer 19

SETTING LIMITS WITH THE PT ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE MEDICAL CARE

Question 20

Hand washing rituals are most related to what defense

mechanism?

Answer 20

UNDOING

Question 21

A defense mechanism characterized by a self of object representation that is disavowed by placing it into
someone else, and inducing the latter to unconsciously identify with the self/object
representation:

Answer 21

PROJECTIVE IDENTIFICATION

Question 22

Young man recounts how his father kicked his puppy
to death, no emotion when telling the therapist this
despite therapist’s upset response. Defense mech?

Answer 22

ISOLATION OF AFFECT

Question 23

Semiconsciously diverting attention from a conflict in
order to minimize discomfort is an example of what
defense mechanism?

Answer 23

SUPPRESSION

Question 24

Which defense mechanism most relevant to etiology
of delusional disorders (like paranoia) according to
psychodynamic theory:

Answer 24

PROJECTION

Question 25

Defense mechanism: a transient return to earlier

behaviors characteristic of earlier stage of development in response to stress/conflict, despite overall maturation

Answer 25

REGRESSION

Question 26

According to psychoanalytic theory, feelings of
persecution are most reflective of which of the
following defense mechanisms?

Answer 26

PROJECTION

Question 27

Patient with murderous impulses towards a neighbor

gives the neighbor a bouquet of flowers. This is an example of:

Answer 27

REACTION FORMATION

Question 28

Per psychoanalytic theory, unacceptable affects and

impulses are commonly gratified in socially acceptable ways through:

Answer 28

SUBLIMATION

Question 29

7 y/o states he knows Dad died, but why didn’t he

come to the birthday party? Defense mechanism:

Answer 29

DENIAL

Question 30

Pt’s wife states he drinks almost every night. Pt states
he never drinks to excess, never drinks outside the
home, never needs an eye opener, and drinking does
not affect his work performance. This is an example of which defense mechanism?

Answer 30

DENIAL

Question 31

In a session, a couple seems blissfully content when
happy but enraged when frustrated by the other. They
alternate between over-idealizing and devaluing the
other. This is an example of?

Answer 31

SPLITTING