Personality_Disorders_Flashcards

Question 1

How are personality disorders defined?

Answer 1

Personality disorders are defined as a series of maladaptive personality traits that interfere with normal function in life.

Question 2

What is the prevalence of personality disorders?

Answer 2

It is thought that around 1 in 20 people have a personality disorder.

Question 3

What are the three clusters of personality disorders?

Answer 3

Personality disorders are typically categorized as belonging to one of three clusters: Cluster A (‘Odd or Eccentric’), Cluster B (‘Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic’), and Cluster C (‘Anxious and Fearful’).

Question 4

What are the personality disorders in Cluster A?

Answer 4

The personality disorders in Cluster A are paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal.

Question 5

What are the personality disorders in Cluster B?

Answer 5

The personality disorders in Cluster B are antisocial, borderline (emotionally unstable), histrionic, and narcissistic.

Question 6

What are the personality disorders in Cluster C?

Answer 6

The personality disorders in Cluster C are obsessive-compulsive, avoidant, and dependent.

Question 7

What are the features of paranoid personality disorder?

Answer 7

Features of paranoid personality disorder include hypersensitivity and an unforgiving attitude when insulted, unwarranted tendency to question the loyalty of friends, reluctance to confide in others, preoccupation with conspirational beliefs and hidden meaning, and unwarranted tendency to perceive attacks on their character.

Question 8

What are the features of schizoid personality disorder?

Answer 8

Features of schizoid personality disorder include indifference to praise and criticism, preference for solitary activities, lack of interest in sexual interactions, lack of desire for companionship, emotional coldness, few interests, and few friends or confidants other than family.

Question 9

What are the features of schizotypal personality disorder?

Answer 9

Features of schizotypal personality disorder include ideas of reference, odd beliefs and magical thinking, unusual perceptual disturbances, paranoid ideation and suspiciousness, odd and eccentric behavior, lack of close friends other than family members, inappropriate affect, and odd speech without being incoherent.

Question 10

What are the features of antisocial personality disorder?

Answer 10

Features of antisocial personality disorder include failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deception, impulsiveness, irritability and aggressiveness, reckless disregard for safety, consistent irresponsibility, and lack of remorse.

Question 11

What are the features of borderline personality disorder?

Answer 11

Features of borderline personality disorder include efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, unstable interpersonal relationships, unstable self-image, impulsivity, recurrent suicidal behavior, affective instability, chronic feelings of emptiness, difficulty controlling temper, and quasi-psychotic thoughts.

Question 12

What are the features of histrionic personality disorder?

Answer 12

Features of histrionic personality disorder include inappropriate sexual seductiveness, need to be the center of attention, rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions, suggestibility, physical appearance used for attention-seeking purposes, impressionistic speech lacking detail, self-dramatization, and relationships considered to be more intimate than they are.

Question 13

What are the features of narcissistic personality disorder?

Answer 13

Features of narcissistic personality disorder include a grandiose sense of self-importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, or beauty, sense of entitlement, taking advantage of others, lack of empathy, excessive need for admiration, chronic envy, and arrogant and haughty attitude.

Question 14

What are the features of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?

Answer 14

Features of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder include being occupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or agenda to the point that the key part of the activity is gone, perfectionism that hampers task completion, extreme dedication to work, meticulousness, scrupulousness, rigidity about etiquettes, inability to dispose of worn-out or insignificant things, unwillingness to delegate tasks, stinginess, and stubbornness.

Question 15

What are the features of avoidant personality disorder?

Answer 15

Features of avoidant personality disorder include avoidance of occupational activities involving significant interpersonal contact due to fears of criticism, unwillingness to be involved unless certain of being liked, preoccupation with criticism or rejection in social situations, restraint in intimate relationships due to fear of ridicule, reluctance to take personal risks, viewing self as inept and inferior, and social isolation accompanied by a craving for social contact.

Question 16

What are the features of dependent personality disorder?

Answer 16

Features of dependent personality disorder include difficulty making everyday decisions without excessive reassurance, need for others to assume responsibility, difficulty expressing disagreement, lack of initiative, unrealistic fears of being left alone, urgent search for another relationship when a close one ends, extensive efforts to obtain support, and unrealistic feelings of being unable to care for themselves.

Question 17

What approaches have been shown to help patients with personality disorders?

Answer 17

Approaches that have been shown to help patients with personality disorders include psychological therapies such as dialectical behavior therapy and treatment of any coexisting psychiatric conditions.

Question 18

summarise personality disorders

Answer 18

Personality disorders

Personality disorders may be defined as a series of maladaptive personality traits that interfere with normal function in life. It is thought that around 1 in 20 people have a personality disorder. They are typically categorised as belonging to one of three clusters:

Cluster A: ‘Odd or Eccentric’ Cluster B: ‘Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic’ Cluster C: ‘Anxious and Fearful’
Paranoid
Schizoid
Schizotypal
Antisocial
Borderline (Emotionally Unstable)
Histrionic
Narcissistic
Obsessive-Compulsive
Avoidant
Dependent

Cluster A: ‘Odd or Eccentric’

Paranoid
Hypersensitivity and an unforgiving attitude when insulted
Unwarranted tendency to questions the loyalty of friends
Reluctance to confide in others
Preoccupation with conspirational beliefs and hidden meaning
Unwarranted tendency to perceive attacks on their character

Schizoid
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

Schizotypal
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

Cluster B: ‘Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic’

Antisocial
Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviours as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
More common in men;
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 the 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

Borderline - also known as Emotionally Unstable
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

Histrionic
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

Narcissistic
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

Cluster C: ‘Anxious and Fearful’

Obsessive-compulsive
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

Avoidant
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

Dependent
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

Management

Personality disorders are difficult to treat and in the past have been considered ‘untreatable’ by definition.. However, a number of approaches have been shown to help patients, including:
psychological therapies: dialectical behaviour therapy
treatment of any coexisting psychiatric conditions

Question 19

mother, concerned about his social withdrawal. She mentions that he has always been a loner and prefers solitary activities. Despite being intellectually gifted and successful in his job as an engineer, he has few friends and rarely participates in social events.

On examination, he appears emotionally flat, shows little interest in the conversation, and does not react to praise or criticism. He denies feelings of sadness and states that he is content with his current lifestyle.

What is the most likely diagnosis?

Avoidant personality disorder
Major depressive disorder
Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Social anxiety disorder

Answer 19

Schizoid personality disorder

A 25-year-old man is brought to the clinic by his

A young man is seen with his mother. She is concerned that he is socially withdrawn. He is bright and is doing well in his job as a engineer. During the consultation he seems emotionally cold and has little interest in either praise or criticism - schizoid personality disorder
Important for meLess important
Schizoid personality disorder is correct. It is characterised by a lack of interest in social relationships, a preference for solitary activities, emotional coldness, and indifference to praise or criticism. The patient’s behaviour and demeanour during the consultation are consistent with this diagnosis.

Avoidant personality disorder is incorrect. Individuals with avoidant personality disorder avoid social interactions due to fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection. They desire social relationships but are inhibited by feelings of inadequacy. This does not fit the patient’s description of being content with his solitary lifestyle and indifferent to social feedback.

Major depressive disorder is incorrect. Major depressive disorder is characterised by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, and other symptoms such as changes in appetite or sleep. The patient does not report any mood disturbances or other depressive symptoms, and he states that he is content with his life.

Schizotypal personality disorder is incorrect. It involves social deficits, discomfort with close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric behaviour. While this patient is socially withdrawn, he does not exhibit the odd beliefs or behaviours typical of schizotypal personality disorder.

Social anxiety disorder is incorrect. Social anxiety disorder involves intense fear and avoidance of social situations due to fears of embarrassment or judgment. The patient does not express fear or anxiety about social interactions; instead, he lacks interest and emotional detachment.