Psychiatry Flashcards
What is the DSM-5 criteria for Borderline personality disorder?
- *CODE:301.83**
- *5** or more of the following:
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (exc. suicidal or self-mutilating behaviour)
- A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterised by alternating between extremes of Idealisation and devaluation.
- Identity disturbances: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
- Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (eg. spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating)
- Recurrent suicidal behaviour gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behaviour.
- Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg. intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg. frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
- Transient, stress related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
What is this personality disorder?
CODE:301.83
5 or more of the following:
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (exc. suicidal or self-mutilating behaviour)
- A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterised by alternating between extremes of Idealisation and devaluation.
- Identity disturbances: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
- Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (eg. spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating)
- Recurrent suicidal behaviour gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behaviour.
- Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (eg. intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg. frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
- Transient, stress related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
Borderline personality disorder
What is the study that provides significant justification for the treatability of borderline personality disorder
Zanarini et al. (2010) conducted a study which followed 300 people diagnosed with BPD for 10 years. They found that over 50% of participants achieved full recovery (no longer fit the diagnostic criteria for BPD) and achieved reasonable social and occupational functioning.
What is the typical triggering event for borderline personality disorder?
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
What personality disorder is the following triggering event related to? Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
Borderline personality disorder
What is the interpersonal style characteristic of borderline personality disorder?
Paradoxical instability: Quick fluctuation between idealising and clinging to another person, and then devaluing and opposing that person.
They go to great lengths to avoid being alone (inc. indiscriminate sexual affairs, late night phone calls, and visits to hospitals with vague complaints).
What personality disorder is this interpersonal style characteristic of? Paradoxical instability. Quick fluctuation between idealising and clinging to another person, and then devaluing and opposing that person. They go to great lengths to avoid being alone (inc. indiscriminate sexual affairs, late night phone calls, and visits to hospitals with vague complaints).
Borderline personality disorder
What is the cognitive style which is characteristic of borderline personality disorder?
- Inflexible and impulsive. Reasoning is based on analogy from past experience and patients have difficulty reasoning logically
What personality disorder is this cognitive style characteristic of?
- Inflexible and impulsive. Reasoning is based on analogy from past experience and patients have difficulty reasoning logically
Borderline personality disorder
What is the locus of control in borderline personality disorder?
External
What is the affective style which is characteristic of borderline personality disorder?
- Marked shifts between euthymic to dysphoric mood. Easy triggering of intense rage Feelings of emptiness or boredom
What personality disorder is this affective style characteristic of?
- Marked shifts between euthymic to dysphoric mood. Easy triggering of intense rage Feelings of emptiness or boredom
Borderline personality disorder
What is the attachment style which is characteristic of borderline personality disorder?
- Disorganised attachment style which is associated with dissociative symptomology.
What is the primary suggested aetiology for borderline personality disorder?
Childhood abuse.
What is the prototypic description of borderline personality disorder?
These individuals have intense and frustrating relationships which predictably degenerate into conflict. Fear of abandonment leads them to impose unrealistic demands on others. Fragile sense of self Impulsive sexual and aggressive behaviour
The following is a prototypic description of which personality disorder?
These individuals have intense and frustrating relationships which predictably degenerate into conflict. Fear of abandonment leads them to impose unrealistic demands on others. Fragile sense of self Impulsive sexual and aggressive behaviour
Borderline personality disorder
What is the psychodynamic case conceptualisation of borderline personality disorder
Stems from Kernberg (1975), Masterson (1976) and Masterson and Klein (1989).
Error in rapprochement sub-phase of separation-individuation theory which prevents development of an internalised image of the mother due to mothers emotional unavailability. Also atypical relationship with mother, with mother not wanting the child to grow up ‘if you grow up something will happen to me’
What is the mentalisation approach case definition of borderline personality disorder
Bateman and Fonargy (2007).
Problem with mentalising (the process through which individuals interpret their own subjective cognitions, behaviours, and emotions, as well as those of others.) Proposes that this arises due to poor quality object relationships early in life, subsequent to neglect, abuse, or poor parental relationships.
What is the biopsychosocial case conceptualisation of of borderline personality disorder?
Millon and Davis (1996)
Lack of clear and coherent sense of identity is central to the pathogenesis of BPD. Identity confusion is the result of biopsychosocial factors that combine to impair a coherent sense of identity.
What is a description of a borderline-dependent person?
Passive infantile pattern of behaviour. Strong attachment and dependency to a single caregiver.
What is a description of a borderline-histrionic person?
- Hyperresponsiveness to stimulation.
- Feels accepted only where their behaviour is explicitly approved by others.
- ‘Performs’ to secure support and attention.
What is a description of a borderline-passive aggressive person?
- ‘Difficult child’ temperaments
- Erratic behaviour
- Highly vacillating
- Aggressive and passive aggressive
What is the self view of someone with borderline personality disorder?
- Identity problems involving gender, career, loyalties, and values.
- Self esteem fluctuates with current emotions
What is the world view of someone with borderline personality disorder?
Paradoxical and vacillating
What are the maladaptive schemas associated with borderline personality disorder?
- Fear of abandonment
- Emotional deprivation
- Mistrust
- Social isolation
- Self control (Insufficient self control)
What are the primary treatments for borderline personality disorder?
- Dialectical behavioural therapy is the mainstay.
- Medications are usually for control of affective instability, aggression, transient psychotic episodes, and self-harm
- Affective instability - Lithium and carbamazepine
- Aggression - Serotonergic agents (fluoxetine and sertraline. MAOI only if other treatments unsuccessful)
- Transient psychosis - atypical antipsychotics
- Self-harm - SSRI (if not succsesful, add naltrexone) Seroquel is prescribed generally for anxiety reduction.
What are the three stages of dialectical behavioural therapy in borderline personality disorder?
- Focus on reducing parasuicidal and suicidal behaviours, therapy interfering behaviours, and behaviours that reduce quality of life.
- Focus on difficult problems like PTSD and prior abuse.
- Focus on building self esteem and individual treatment goals.
What are the general diagnostic criteria for a personality disorder?
- An enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, manifesting in the following areas: Cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, impulse control.
- The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a broad range of personal and social situations
- The enduring pattern leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- The pattern is stable and of long duration, and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early adulthood.
- The enduring pattern is not better explained as a manifestation or consequence of another mental disorder
- The enduring pattern is not attributable to the psychological effects of a substance (drugs) or another medical condition (head trauma)
What are the Cluster A personality disorders?
Odd / eccentric:
- Paranoid personality disorder
- Schizoid personality disorder
- Schizotypal personality disorder
What are the Cluster B personality disorders
Dramatic / emotional / erratic:
- Antisocial personality disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Histrionic personality disorder
- Narcissistic personality disorder
What are the Cluster C personality disorders
Anxious / fearful:
- Avoidant personality disorder
- Dependent personality disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
What are the broad traits of Cluster A personality disorders?
- Avoidance
- Rigidity
- Impairment of reality testing
What are the broad traits of Cluster B personality disorders?
- Antisocial attitudes
- Impulsivity
- Emotional dysregulation
What are the broad traits of Cluster C personality disorders?
- Avoidance
- Preoccupied anxiety
What are the risk factors for Anorexia Nervosa?
- Perfectionism and poor self-esteem
- Early menarche
- Exposure to environment in which weight concerns and restrictive dieting prevails
- Family history of members who are thin or underweight
What is a general description of Anorexia Nervosa?
Intense preoccupation with weight and body shape and a relentless pursuit of thinness.
What are the three key clinical features of Anorexia Nervosa?
- Underweight for height and age
- Intense fear of fatness and gaining weight, or behaviours to avoid weight gain
- Overvalued ideas of body weight and shape on self-view, or denial of seriousness of low weight
What are common behavioural characteristics of people with Anorexia Nervosa?
- Vomiting and laxative abuse
- Excessive exercise (sometimes covert)
- Both carried out obsessively with guilt present when not done.
What are the physical and biochemical findings associated with Anorexia Nervosa?
- Decresed gonadotropins & sex hormones
- Altered thyroid metabolism
- Raised cortisol and GH
- Severe electrolyte disturbances (Potassium, calcium, phosphates)
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Renal failure
- Osteopenia / osteoporosis
- Rectal prolapse
In the emergency treatment of Anorexia Nervosa what are the 12 categories of changes that must be monitored and treated?
DR, I GET salty CHIPS
- Dental changes
- Renal changes
- Intercellular changes
- Gastrointestinal changes
- Endocrine changes
- Temperature changes
- Electrolyte changes
- Cardiac changes
- Haematological changes
- Immune system changes
- Pregnancy changes
- Skin / bone changes
What is the main intercellular change in Anorexia nervosa and how is it monitored and managed acutely?
Change:
- Increased protein catabolism
Monitoring:
- Measure pulse and BP lying and standing
What are the main Endocrine changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Dehydration
- Oedema
- Low gonadotropin and sex steroids (amenorrhea)
- Altered peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormone
- Raised cortisol and GH
- Hyperaldosteronism
- Hypoglycaemia
- Poor metabolic control in T1DM (needs specialist referral)
Monitoring:
- TFT
- Monitor hormone imbalances
- Repeated BSL monitoring
Acute management:
- Thiamine administration with refeeding for hypoglycaemia
What are the main Electrolyte changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Hypokalaemia
- Hypochloraemia
- Metabolic alkalosis
- Hypomagnesaemia (**refractory hypokalaemia)
- Hypoglycaemia
- Hypophosphatemia
- Hyperphosphataemia (vomiting)
Monitoring:
- Electrolytes
- Blood gas
- ECG
Acute management:
- Careful K+ replacement (oral)
- Correct alkalosis
What are the main Gastrointestinal changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Acute pancreatitis
- Parotid and salivary gland hypertrophy
- Reduced gastric motility
- Oesophagitis / ulceration / strictures
- Mallory-weiss tears
- Gastric rupture
- Diarrhoea
- Raised liver enzymes
- Low albumin
Monitoring:
- Physical exam (gastro)
- LFT (AST &ALP) + Lipase
Acute management:
- Surgical referral for complications
- Bowel rest,
- NG suction, and fluid replacement for pancreatitis
What is the main Haematological change in Anorexia nervosa and how is it monitored and managed acutely?
Change:
- Anaemia
Monitoring:
- FBE +/- Iron studies
- B12
- Folate
Management:
- Oral replacement therapies
What is the main Body Temperature change in Anorexia nervosa and how is it monitored and managed acutely?
Change:
- Hypothermia
Monitoring:
- Repeated temperature measurement
- Observe for signs of infection as hypothermia can mask pyrexia
What are the main Immune function changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Change:
- Low white cell count
- Susceptibility to bacterial infections
Monitor:
- FBE
- Monitor for signs of infection
What are the main Cardiovascular changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Bradycardia and hypotension
- Arrhythmias
- Cardiomyopathy (Ipecac (emetic) use)
Monitoring:
- ECG (always)
- CXR
Treatment:
- Symptomatic oedema treatment
- Treatment of arrhythmia
What are the main Renal changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Elevated UEC (increased muscle catabolism)
- Hypokalaemic nephropathy
- Reduced serum creatinine (muscle breakdown)
- High ketones
- Polyuria
Monitoring:
- UEC
Treatment:
- If needed, specialist referral
What are the main Skin / Bone changes in Anorexia nervosa and how are they monitored and managed acutely?
Changes:
- Osteopenia / stress fractures
- Brittle hair and hair loss
- Lanugo hair
-
Vomiting and signs of vomiting initiation
- Dorsal hand abrasions
- Facial purpura
- Conjunctival haemorrhage
Monitoring:
- Dexa scan
Treatment:
- Calcium and vitamin D supplementation DO NOT GIVE PHOSPHATE
What is the main Dental change in Anorexia nervosa and how is it monitored and managed acutely?
Change:
- Erosions and perimyolysis
Monitoring and treatment:
- Dental referral
What are the pregnancy complications in patients with Anorexia Nervosa?
- Spontaneous abortion
- Perinatal mortality
- Prematurity
- Low birth weight
- Congenital malformations
What is the general exam findings in a patient with suspected Anorexia Nervosa?
- Mitral prolapse and irregular pulse
- Oedema
- Stress fractures
- Acrocyanosis
- Lanugo hair
- Enlarged thyroid
- Low weight
- Abrasions on the dorsum of the hand
- Dental erosions
- Perimyolysis
What are some key points to cover when discussing treatment with someone with Anorexia Nervosa?
- Resuming normal eating will diminish preoccupation with food, relieve tiredness and depression, and facilitate improved relationships.
- They will not be confined to a bed
- They will not be force fed
- They will not be isolated from friends and family
- They will not become obese
- Compromise cannot be made on food intake (you can’t be a little anorexic)
What is refeeding syndrome?
When metabolism is stimulated by refeeding and demand for substances like potassium and phosphates increases. Since reserves are depleted this causes a rapid drop in serum concentrations.
What are the significant signs of refeeding syndrome?
- SOB
- Oedema
- Weakness
- Seizures
- Delirium
- Coma
What is Bulimia Nervosa?
A cyclic pattern of behaviour typified by episodes of binges and uncontrolled overeating, associated with shame. Can be restricting (over exercise) or purging (vomiting, emetics, laxatives) types
What are the four primary clinical features of Bulimia Nervosa?
- Recurrent binge eating or uncontrolled overeating
- Use of extreme measures to control weight (purging and non-purging)
- Overvalued ideas of body weight and shape on self view
- Normal weight or overweight
What are the most significant electrolyte changes observed in patients with Bulimia Nervosa?
- Decreased serum potassium
- Metabolic acidosis
What ECG changes are associated with hypokalaemia?
- Increased amplitude and width of P wave
- Prolonged PR interval
- T wave flattening and inversion
- ST depression
- Prominent U waves (on precordial leads)
- long QT (really fusion of T and U waves)
Which drugs has been shown to attenuate binge eating independent on its effects on other psychological / psychiatric disturbances?
SSRIs
What is Binge eating disorder?
A disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of binge eating without the need for compensation
What are the 4 key clinical features of Binge eating disorder?
- Recurrent and distressing binge eating
- No regular use of extreme measures to control weight
- Overvalued ideals of body weight and shape on self-view *not required*
- Normal weight or overweight
What are the two goals in treatment for Anorexia Nervosa?
- The restoration of normal weight for height and age
- Identification and management of any contributing family and personal problems
What is the indicated pharmacological treatment in Anorexia Nervosa?
Drugs are of no proven benefit for primary Anorexia Nervosa.
Antidepressants can be prescribed IF the patient has a persistently depressed mood, neurovegetative symptoms, and depressive ideation. TCAs and MAOIs should be used only as a last resort and with comprehensive monitoring for cardiotoxicity. Treatment is in line with depression guidelines, but all dosages are halved.
**Olanzapine may be used if the patient is extremely agitated
What is the pharmacological treatment used in Bulimia Nervosa?
First line:
- Fluoxetine (20-60mg)
Second line:
- Citalopram (10-40mg)
- Fluvoxamine (50-300mg)
- Sertraline (50-200mg)
What is the preferred non-pharmacological treatment for eating disorders in general?
- CBT
- Psychoeducation
- Nutritional advice / planning
What is a general description of post-traumatic stress disorder?
Long-lasting and debilitating anxiety in response to an extreme stressor
What is a general description of acute stress disorder?
Short-lasting debilitating anxiety in response to an extreme stressor
What are some examples of extreme stressors which may give rise to acute stress disorder or PTSD?
- Serious motor accident
- Natural disaster
- Significant assault (inc. childhood abuse)
- Active military service
- Displacement as a refugee
- Witnessing or learning about the sudden death of a loved one
What is the length of time for acute stress disorder?
1 month
What is the length of time for acute post-traumatic stress disorder
1-3 months
What is the length of time for chronic post traumatic stress disorder?
>3 months
What is delayed post-traumatic stress disorder?
PTSD where the symptom onset is delayed by 6-months or longer from the initial stress exposure
What factors increase the risk of developing PTSD?
- Intensity, frequency and duration of the traumatic event.
- Proximity to the traumatic event
- The nature of the trauma (physical injury, interpersonal violence)
- Gender (female)
- Previous exposure to trauma
- Prior psychiatric illness
- Ability to receive support
What is the presentation of PTSD?
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event
- Triggered by minor stimuli
- Avoidance of triggers
- Increased arousal
- Emotional numbing
- Survivor guilt (war veterans)
- Self-disruptive behaviour (rape survivor)
What are some screening questions for PTSD?
- What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
- Have you ever experienced or witnessed an event in which you were, or thought you were seriously injured or your life was in danger?
- Do you think or dream about those events?
What are the three cluster symptoms of PTSD?
- Re-experiencing
- Hyperarousal
- Avoidance and numbing
What is the early intervention (first few days) after a traumatic experience?
- Practical and emotional support
- Structured interventions and psychological debriefing should not take place on a routine basis
- No pharmacotherapy