Week 21: Psychopathology and Therapeutic Orientations Flashcards
Learning Objectives:
Define what is meant by a personality disorder.
Identify the five domains of general personality.
Identify the six personality disorders proposed for retention in DSM-5.
Summarize the etiology for antisocial and borderline personality disorder.
Identify the treatment for borderline personality disorder.
Personality
Characteristic, routine ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to others.
*Personality traits are integral to each person’s sense of self, as they involve what people value, how they think and feel about things, what they like to do, and, basically, what they are like most every day throughout much of their lives.
Personality - Five Factor Model
Five broad domains or dimensions are used to describe human personality.
- Neuroticism or Emotional Stability
- Extraversion or Introversion
- Openness or Closedness
- Agreeableness or Antagonism
- Conscientiousness or Disinhibition
Neuroticism (Emotional Instability)
or
Emotional Stability
Neuroticism:
- fearful
- apprehensive
- angry
- bitter
- pessimistic
- glum
- timid
- embarrassed
- tempted
- urgency
- helpless
- fragile
Emotional Stability:
- relaxed
- unconcerned
- cool
- even-tempered
- optimistic
- self-assured
- glib
- shameless
- controlled
- restrained
- clear-thinking
- fearless
- unflappable
Extraversion
or
Introversion
Extraversion:
- cordial
- affectionate
- attached
- sociable
- outgoing
- dominant
- forceful
- vigorous
- energetic
- active
- reckless
- daring
- high-spirited
- excitement-seeking
Introversion:
- cold
- aloof
- indifferent
- withdrawn
- isolated
- unassuming
- quiet
- resigned
- passive,
- lethargic
- cautious
- monotonous
- dull
- placid
- anhedonic
Openness (unconventionality)
or
Closedness (conventionality)
Openness (unconventionality) :
- dreamer
- unrealistic
- imaginative
- aberrant
- aesthetic
- self-aware
- eccentric
- strange
- odd
- peculiar
- creative
- permissive
- broad-minded
Closedness (conventionality) :
- practical
- concrete
- uninvolved
- no aesthetic interest
- constricted
- unaware
- alexythymic
- routine
- predictable
- habitual
- stubborn
- pragmatic
- rigid, traditional
- inflexible
- dogmatic
Agreeableness
or
Antagonism
Agreeableness:
- gullible
- naive
- trusting
- confiding
- honest
- sacrificial
- giving
- docile
- cooperative
- meek
- self-effacing
- humble
- soft
- empathetic
Antagonism
- skeptical
- cynical
- suspicious
- paranoid
- cunning
- manipulative
- deceptive
- stingy
- selfish
- greedy
- exploitative
- oppositional
- combative
- aggressive
- confident
- boastful
- arrogant
- tough
- callous
- ruthless
Conscientiousness
or
Disinhibition
Conscientiousness:
- perfectionistic
- efficient
- ordered
- methodical
- organized
- rigid
- reliable
- dependable
- workaholic
- ambitious
- dogged
- devoted
- cautious
- ruminative
- reflective
Disinhibition:
- lad
- negligent
- haphazard
- disorganized
- sloppy
- casual
- undependable
- unethical
- aimless
- desultory
- hedonistic
- negligent
- hasty
- careless
- rash
Personality Disorders
Definition
+
Examples (10)
When personality traits result in significant distress, social impairment, and/or occupational impairment.
1 - antisocial
2 - avoidant
3 - borderline
4 - dependent
5 - histrionic
6 - narcissistic
7 - obsessive-compulsive
8 - paranoid
9 - schizoid
10 - schizotypal
When personality disorders are syndromes
When personality disorders is a constellation of maladaptive personality traits, rather than just one particular personality trait
Avoidant personality disorder as a syndrome
A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
combination of traits from:
- introversion (e.g., socially withdrawn, passive, and cautious)
- neuroticism (e.g., self-consciousness, apprehensiveness, anxiousness, and worrisome)
Dependant personality disorder as a syndrome
A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of that leads to submissive and clinging behavior and fears of separation.
combination of traits of:
- neuroticism (anxious, uncertain, pessimistic, and helpless)
- maladaptive agreeableness (e.g., gullible, guileless, meek, subservient, and self-effacing).
Antisocial personality disorder as a syndrome
A pervasive pattern of disregard and violation of the rights of others. These behaviors may be aggressive or destructive and may involve breaking laws or rules, deceit or theft.
combination of traits from:
- antagonism (e.g., dishonest, manipulative, exploitative, callous, and merciless)
- low conscientiousness (e.g., irresponsible, immoral, lax, hedonistic, and rash).
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disroder
A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.
*largely a disorder of maladaptive conscientiousness, including such traits as workaholism, perfectionism, punctilious, ruminative, and dogged
Schizoid Personality DIsorder
A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings.
*is confined largely to traits of introversion (e.g., withdrawn, cold, isolated, placid, and anhedonic)
Borderline Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity.
*largely a disorder of neuroticism, including such traits as emotionally unstable, vulnerable, overwhelmed, rageful, depressive, and self-destructive
Histrionic Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking.
- largely a disorder of maladaptive extraversion, including such traits as attention-seeking, seductiveness, melodramatic emotionality, and strong attachment needs
Narcissistic personality disorder
(Syndrome)
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration, and lack of empathy.
*includes traits from:
- neuroticism (e.g., reactive anger, reactive shame, and need for admiration)
- extraversion (e.g., exhibitionism and authoritativeness)
- antagonism (e.g., arrogance, entitlement, and lack of empathy)
- conscientiousness (e.g., acclaim-seeking)
Schizotypal personality disorder
(Syndrome)
A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior.
*includes traits from:
- neuroticism (e.g., social anxiousness and social discomfort)
- introversion (e.g., social withdrawal), unconventionality (e.g., odd, eccentric, peculiar, and aberrant ideas)
- antagonism (e.g., suspiciousness).
Depressive Episode Criteria:
- 2+ weeks
- Interfere with daily functioning
- Core symptom: depressed mood AND/OR anhedonia
- What is depressed mood?
- Emptiness
- Hopelessness
- Irritability
- Guilt
- Pessimism
- Emotional numbness 3
Major Depressive Episode (MDE) Criteria:
- Weight changes
- Sleep disturbance
- Psychomotor changes
- e.g. slowing of thinking, movement
- Feeling worthless, inappropriately guilty
- Indecisive, confused, inability to concentrate
- Loss of energy
- Suicidal ideation
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Criteria:
Aka Clinical Depression:
- 1 or more MDEs
- But no mania/hypomania
- Episodes are separated by at least 2 months
- Symptoms need to cause significant distress
- Impairment and cannot be due to the effects of a substance or a general medical condition
Persistent Depressive disorder
Previously known as: dysthymia, chronic major
depression
- Same as MDD, but lasts 2+ years
- Lifetime prevalence: 3%
Must have 2 of:
- poor appetite or overeating
- insomnia or hypersomnia
- low energy or fatigue
- low self-esteem
- poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
- feelings of hopelessness
Depressive Disorders Stats
- Lifetime prevalence = 16.6%
- Women > men, but only among adults
- Before puberty: males > females
- Average age of onset = mid-20s
- But earlier onset in more recent generations
- Predicts worse outcome
- Around half of those who have one MDE will have another
- 5-10% will subsequently experience a manic episode
- Highly comorbid
- E.g. Anxiety disorders: 59%
Implicated & associated factors
GENETICS STATS
- 30-50%
- > 100 genetic risk loci
- > 200 potential genes
Implicated & associated factors
ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS STATS
- Loss of loved one: death, divorce, breakup
- Lost job, money problems
- Traumatic events
- Serious illness
Implicated & associated Factors
BRAIN FUNCTION
- Greater neural sensitivity in response to negative stimuli
- Brain areas involved in stress response & positively motivated behaviours
Implicated & associated Factors
COGNITION
- Pessimistic attributional styles
- Internal, global, stable
Depressive Disorders:
Medications
- SSRIs, SNRIs
- Act on serotonin and norepinephrine
- Fewer side effects & risks than older MAOIs & Tricyclics
- BUT, still enough to increase risk of noncompliance
- Finding the right one can take time, trial & error
- Those that work the best not necessarily the most tolerable
- E.g. Venlafaxine one of the most effective, but also with some of the highest dropout rates
Depressive Disorders: Therapies
Electroconvulsive therapy
- Induced seizure with electric currents under general anesthetic
- For severe, treatment resistant depression
- High efficacy (80% benefit)
- BUT potential for long-term memory loss
Depressive Disorders: Therapies
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Magnetic fields targets mood-regulatory regions of the prefrontal cortex
- Non-invasive, no anesthesia
- Effective for 50-60% of patients when other treatments have failed
- Side effects are often minor (headache) or rare (seizure)
Depressive Disorders: Treatment
Therapies
* Deep Brain Stimulation
- Permanently implanted electrode stimulates brain
- For severe, treatment resistant depression
- Comes with the same risks as major surgery, plus additional side effects of stimulation
- Experimental treatment
Depressive Disorders: Treatment
Psychosocial Approaches
- Time limited: 12-20 weeks for MDD
- Work best in combination with medication
E.g.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
* Identify & address cognitive distortions and maladaptive behaviours
Interpersonal Therapy
* Focus on improving interpersonal relationships, based on a reciprocal mood-relationship model
Mania vs. hypomania
Mania vs. hypomania
* Neither explained by other substances
* Both include a distinct period of markedly changed behaviour
Mania
* 1+ wk
* Causes major impairments to daily functioning
* Psychotic features common: delusions, hallucinations
Hypomania
* 4 days+
* Does not cause major impairment, hospitalization, or psychotic features
Bipolar I
- Single or recurrent manic episode
- More intense “highs”
- May/may not also have MDE (not required for diagnosis)
Criteria - 3 of the following if euphoric, 4 if
irritable:
* inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
* increase in goal-directed activity/psychomotor agitation
* decrease need for sleep
* racing thoughts or flight of ideas
* distractibility
* increased talkativeness
* risky behaviour
Bipolar II
- Single or recurrent hypomanic episodes & MDE
*No manic episode
- Less intense “highs”, but with definite depressive episodes
Cyclothymic disorder
- Many alternating periods of hypomanic &
depressive episodes over 2 years or more - Significant distress/impairment
- Less than 2mns between episodes
Bipolar mood disorders Stats
- Prevalence: 4.4%
- BD I: 1%
- Women = men
- BD II: 0.5%
- Women > men
- Cyclothymia: 0.4-1%
- Women = men
- Age of onset:
- BPD I: 14-21 yrs
- BPD II: 18-29
- Cyclothymia: adolescence-early adulthood
- Comorbidity: 65%
- Anxiety & substance use disorders
Bipolar mood disorders:
Factors
- Highly heritable
- 44-90%
- Considered one of the “most heritable”
- High heterogeneity
- High variation in clinical presentation, time courses, responses to treatment
- Psychosocial stressors likely important
- Up to ~50% experience early & severe physical & sexual abuse
Bipolar mood disorders:
Treatment
Medications
- Lithium
- Reduces dopamine (excitatory) and increases GABA (inhibitory)
- Effective, BUT many cognitive & physical side effects increase risk of noncompliance
Anticonvulsants
* Alone or with lithium
* Functionally mood stabilizers aimed at reducing mania
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT)
* Psychosocial approach
* Focus on stabilizing circadian rhythm
* Disruptions common in ppl w/BPD
* Emphasizes importance of daily routine
* Based on the concept of “zeitgebers” (time givers)
* Cues in the environment that synchronize circadian rhythm
* E.g. sunlight, eating, sleeping, social relationships
Define Paranoid
A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent.
The personality disorders that were slated for deletion were ______ , ________ , _______ , and_________ (APA, 2012).
histrionic
schizoid
paranoid
dependent
*The rationale for the proposed deletions was in large part because they are said to have less empirical support than the diagnoses that were at the time being retained
Antisocial personality disorder, for instance, is generally considered to be the result of an interaction of genetic dispositions for low anxiousness, aggressiveness, impulsivity, and/or callousness, with a tough, urban environment, inconsistent parenting, poor parental role modeling, and/or peer support
Borderline personality disorder is generally considered to be the result of an interaction of a genetic disposition to negative affectivity interacting with a malevolent, abusive, and/or invalidating family environment
To the extent that one considers the DSM-5 personality disorders to be maladaptive variants of general personality structure, as described, for instance, within the Five-Factor Model, there would be a considerable body of research to support the validity for all of the personality disorders, including even the histrionic, schizoid, and paranoid. There is compelling multivariate behavior genetic support with respect to the precise structure of the Five-Factor Model (e.g., Yamagata et al., 2006), childhood antecedents (Caspi, Roberts, & Shiner, 2005), universality (Allik, 2005), temporal stability across the lifespan (Roberts & DelVecchio, 2000), ties with brain structure (DeYoung, Hirsh, Shane, Papademetris, Rajeevan, & Gray, 2010), and even molecular genetic support for neuroticism (Widiger, 2009).
Egosyntonic
most people are largely comfortable with their selves, with their characteristic manner of behaving, feeling, and relating to others
Who seeks treatment for Personality disorder?
People with personality disorders tend not to seek help because they are egosyntonic (comfortable with themselves and their behaviour)
*Exception:
Borderline Personality Disorder
& Avoidant Personality Disorder
Why?
High Neuroticism and experience life as one of pain and suffering
*Narcacists rarely seek help to reduce arogance
*Paranoid people rarely for suspiciousness
*Antisocial rarely for criminality, aggression, or irresponsibility
Neuroticism
Domain of general personality structure that concerns inherent feelings of emotional pain and suffering, including feelings of distress, anxiety, depression, self-consciousness, helplessness, and vulnerability.
Many of the people with a substance use disorder will have __________ personality traits
antisocial
Prevalence of personality disorders within clinical settings
The prevalence of personality disorders within clinical settings is estimated to be well above 50%. As many as 60% of inpatients within some clinical settings are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder may be diagnosed in as many as 50% of inmates within a correctional setting. It is estimated that 10% to 15% of the general population meets criteria for at least one of the 10 DSM-IV-TR personality disorders