PSYU3337 Personality Disorders Flashcards
What does Cluster A include?
Paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal
What does cluster B include?
Antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
What does cluster C include?
Avoidant, dependent, obsessive compulsive
What are the 5 personality trait dimensions?
Openness to experience
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism
What is a personality disorder?
Persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions and behaviour that results in enduring emotional distress for the person affected or for others, and may cause difficulties with work and relationships.
Pervasive and inflexible traits, which are stable and maladaptive.
Ego-synotnic: feels consistent with one’s identity (barrier to treatment)
10-12 % of the population meet criteria for PD, but the measures we use to assess PD aren’t very reliable
How are they organized?
Cluster A = odd or eccentric cluster (4%)
Cluster B = dramatic, emotional, erratic cluster (4%)
Cluster C = fearful or anxious (7%)
Challenges of diagnosing
- there are overlapping features across disorders and categories
- high comorbidity with other disorders
- symptoms are subjective
- misdiagnosis is common
- personality researchers can’t agree on a dimensional system for PDs
5 factor model - pathology
–> the 5 factor model is most used, but we need to create pathological measures from those
Is there a pathological version of openness? not really
Conscientiousness = disinhibition
Extraversion = extreme introversion
Agreeableness = antagonism
Neuroticism (pathological) = negative affectivity
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Pervasive and unjustified mistrust and suspicion
(bears grudges, reads threatening meaning into neutral events, recurrent suspicions about fidelity, unjustified doubts about loyalty)
The individual is not usually psychotic
Prevalence = 1-2%
1:1 ratio
Causes and treatment of Paranoid personality disorder
Not well studied
- might have a modest genetic transmission
- associated with parental neglect
- exposure to violent adults as children
- traumatic brain injury
- chronic coke use
Treatment
- cognitive therapy to counter negativistic thinking
- lack of RCTs
Schizoid personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships AND very limited range of emotions in interpersonal situations
(does not desire close relationships, little interest in sex, does not take pleasure in activities, lacks friends, appears indifferent to praise / criticism)
1%, more common in men
Causes of Cluster A schizoid personality disorder
Not well studied (PDD make them less likely to participate in studies)
- significant overlap with autism spectrum disorder
- may precede a psychotic illness
- modest genetic transmission in affiliative system
Treatment:
- value of interpersonal relationships
- build empathy and social skills
- lack of RCTs
Cluster A: schizotypal personality disorder
Pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits - marked by acute discomfort with close relationships AND COGNITIVE/PERCEPTUAL distortions AND eccentricities in behaviour
- magical thinking
- paranoid ideation
- inappropriate or constricted affect
- lack of close friends
- excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiar people
1%, more common in males
Causes and treatment of schizotypal personality disorder
Most studied out of the Cluster A disorders
- appears to be part of the schizophrenia spectrum
- modest genetic transmission (often occurs in first degree relatives of people with schizophrenia), cihldhood maltreatment or trauma, low ses (bidirectional)
Treatment:
- low doses of antipsychotic s
- SSRIs
- address comorbid depression using CBT
- lack of RCTs
Cluster B: antisocial personality
Pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others by the age of 15
(failure to conform to social norms, deceitfulness, impulsivity, irritability and aggression, reckless disregard for safety, consistent irresponsibility, lack of remorse)
has to be at least 18 years old
Prevalence = 2-3% overall
5:1 ratio of men to women