Personality Disorders- exam 4

Question 1

What is personality disorder

Answer 1

a heterogenous group of disorders representing extremes of normal personality traits. Usually begins in adolesence

Question 2

what are things comorbid with personality disorders

Answer 2

people with personality disorders frequently have more than one personality disorder and also frequently have another disorder

Question 3

what personality disorder is the most dangerous to the patient, what is the most dangerous to others in society

Question 4

what personality disorders can be helped by medications

Answer 4

border line personality disorder - SSRIs

Question 5

what 2 personality disorders are considered to be the ‘most reliable’ diagnosis

Answer 5

antisocial personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder

Question 6

what are three clusters of personality disorders

Answer 6

Odd/Eccentric cluster: paranoid; schizoid, schizotypal
Dramatic/Erratic cluster: borderline; histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial
Anxious/Fearful cluster: avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive

Question 7

Define ODD/eccentric personality disorders

Answer 7

resemble a less disturbed form of schizophrenia

Question 8

what are the specific signs of paranoid personality disorder

Answer 8

pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others; highly jealous, and secretive
- suspects (without sufficient basis) other are exploiting, harming, or decieving them; reads hidden threats into neutral remarks and events
- doubts loyalty of friends, fidelity of spouse
- bears a grudge, unwilling to forgive
- reluctant to confide in others
- quick to anger
Less disturbed than paranoid schizophrenia

Question 9

what are the characterisitcs of schizoid personality disorder

Answer 9

• pervasive pattern of detachment form social relationships and restricted range of expressed emotion
• neither desires nor enjoys close relationships or being part of a family
• loner: lacks close friends, prefers solitary activities
• anhedonua, takes pleassure in few activities, little interest in sex. ‘Bland exterior,’ rarely experience strong emotions such as joy or anger
• similiar to a prodromal or residual form of schizophrenia

Question 10

what are the characteristics of shizotypal personality disorder and what is the genetic component

Answer 10

• pervasive pattern of deficient social and interpersonal relationships; cognitive and perceptual distortions; eccentric behavior
• odd beliefs, ideas of reference
• magical thinking: superstitious, clairvoyant, telepathic
• suspiciousness of paranoid ideation
• lack close friends or other confidants
• overtly odd behaviors of schizotypal personality disoder
• genetic link

Question 11

what are dramatic/erratic personality disorders

Answer 11

Highly variable behavior, dramatic, emotional or erratic
- borderline
- histronic
- narcissistic
- antisocial

Question 12

what is histrionic personality disorder

Answer 12

• pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality (overtly dramatic) and attention seeking
• seek being center of attention; often acting in sexually seductive of provocative ways
• self-dramatization, theratrical expression of emotion
• highly suggestible (easily influenced by others)
• highly emotional
• psychoanalytic theory focuses on a preoccupation with sex

Question 13

what is narcissistic personality disorder

Answer 13

• pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy
• grandiose sense of self importance, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements
• self-centered, fantasies of success, power, beauty
• sense of entitlement; exploitative, lack of empathy
• requires excessive admiration, arrogant

Question 14

what is borderline personality disorder

Answer 14

• pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self image, affects (periods of dysphoria, contemptuous anger)
• marked by impulsivity
• alternate idealization and devaluation in social relationships
• intense fear of abandonment
• frantic efforts to avoid abandoment (real or imagined)
• recurrent suicidal gestures or threats
• substance abuse
  Impulsively engage in:
• sex
• reckless behavior (gambling, drugs, self harm)
• binge-eating
• suicide attempts
• non-life threatening cutting

Question 15

what is antisocial personality disorder

Answer 15

• antisocial behavior
• presences of conduct disorder before age 15
• most common disorder among convicted felons

Question 16

when do dissociative symptoms occur in borderline personality disorder

Answer 16

during times of stress

Question 17

how does a person with narcissitic personality disorder ‘projected personality’ differ from their self esteem

Answer 17

People with NPD never take responsiblity or think they could cause soemthing to go wrong and project wrong doings and insecurities on to other people
people with NPD usually have a fragile self esteem

Question 18

what is the role in family history in narcisstic personality disorder

Answer 18

Kohut says narcissim develops when child does not get enough approval from parents

Question 19

what is dyspohoria and splitting in bpd

Answer 19

dyspohoria: low mood/anger/lonliness, etc
splitting: seeing someone or self as all good or all bad (black and white no middle)

Question 20

what family history is typically associated with bpd

Answer 20

love level of care, high incidence of verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse

Question 21

what neurotransmitter is found to be low in bpd and what brain areas are implicated

Answer 21

low serotonin
decreased activity in the pre frontal cortex (PFC)
increased activity in the amygdala

Question 22

what are the 2 components tested on the Hare psychopathy check list

Answer 22

• shows emotional detachment
• has antisocial lifestyle

Question 23

what is psychopathy and how does it differ from antisocial personality disorder

Answer 23

psychopathy is defined on the basis of though and feelings (distinguishes from criminality)
- poverty of emotinos no sense of shame, lack of guilt, false charm
- manipulation of others
- antisocial behaviors are performed impulsivity
- psychopathy checklist decised by Hare: emotional detachment and antisocial lifestyle

Question 24

what group is antisocial personality disorder frequent in

Answer 24

convicted felons

Question 25

what are the 4 categories of inmates tested in Hare startle response study and what were the findings

Answer 25

nonpsychopaths: no antisocial behavior, no emotional detachment
detached white collar: no antisocial behavior, emotional detachment
antisocial: antisocial behavior, no emotional detachment
psychopaths: antisocial behavior and emotional detachment

Question 26

how reliable is the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder

Answer 26

one of the most reliable personality disorders

Question 27

what is the heritability of APD

Answer 27

family environment and poverty, fearlessness; impulsivity; deficits in empathy

Question 28

who were Cleckley and Hare?

Answer 28

Pyschopathy defined by cleckley on the basis of thoughts and feelings (distinguishes from criminality)
- poverty of emotions: no sense of shame, lack of guilt, false charm,
- manipulation of others
- antisocial behaviors are performed impulsively
Psychopathy checklist devised by hare: emotional detachment, antisocial lifestyle

Question 29

What are anxious/fearful personality disorders

Answer 29

anxious, lack self-reliance, perfectionisit
- avoidant
- dependent
- obsessive-compulsive

Question 30

what is avoidant personality disorder

Answer 30

• pervasive of social inhibtion, feelings of inadequacy and hypersensitivty to negative evalutation
• avoid activities that may involve criticism, disapproval, or rejection
• restrain within intimate relationships
• views self as socially inept
• comorbid with, and similar to a social phobia

Question 31

why are people with avoidant personality disorder asocial

Answer 31

due to fear of criticism, disapproval, or rejection

Question 32

how is avoidant personality disorder different than schizoid personality disorder

Answer 32

people with schizoid personality disorder are asocial becuase they dont care to have social relationships
people with avoidant personality disoders are asocial out of fear

Question 33

what is dependent personality disorder

Answer 33

• pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of seperation
• difficulty with everyday decisions
• difficulty expressing disagreement with others
• fear of losing approval
• urgently seeks relationship as source of care and support
• unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of self

Question 34

what is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Answer 34

• pervasive preoccupation with orderliness and perfectionism
• mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency
• preoccupation with details, rules, and schedules
• perfectionism that interferes with task completion; too much emphasis on little details
• excessive devotion to work and productivity
• the right way is their way (‘control freaks’)
• appears to be unrelated to OCD

Question 35

what dont people with obsessive compulsive personality disorder have that people with OCD do have

Answer 35

People with OCD know their obsessions are not rational, people with OCPD do not see any issues with their behaviors