disorders of personality. Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is a personality disorder (PD)?
A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from cultural expectations, is inflexible and pervasive, and leads to distress or impairment.
How do personality disorders differ from normal personality traits?
PDs are extreme, rigid, and maladaptive variants of normal traits that cause significant functional impairment or subjective distress.
What are the general diagnostic criteria for a personality disorder (DSM-5)?
The pattern must be (1) enduring and inflexible, (2) deviate from cultural norms, (3) pervasive across settings, (4) stable over time, and (5) cause distress or impairment.
What are the three clusters of personality disorders in the DSM-5?
Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric): Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal
Cluster B (Dramatic/Erratic): Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic
Cluster C (Anxious/Fearful): Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive
What characterises Cluster A personality disorders?
These involve social withdrawal, odd beliefs or behaviours, and paranoia. Often considered similar to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
What is Paranoid Personality Disorder?
A pattern of distrust and suspicion of others’ motives, interpreting them as malevolent.
What is Schizoid Personality Disorder?
A pattern of detachment from social relationships and a limited range of emotional expression.
What is Schizotypal Personality Disorder?
Involves acute discomfort in relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric behaviours.
What characterises Cluster B personality disorders?
These involve dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviours, with significant difficulties in relationships and impulse control.
What is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)?
A disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others, lack of remorse, deceitfulness, impulsivity, and often criminal behaviour (diagnosed from age 18+).
What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
Marked by unstable moods, self-image, and relationships; intense fear of abandonment; impulsivity; and chronic feelings of emptiness.
What is Histrionic Personality Disorder?
Characterised by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behaviour.
What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
Involves grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy for others.
What characterises Cluster C personality disorders?
These involve anxious, fearful thinking and behaviour, including social inhibition and need for control.
What is Avoidant Personality Disorder?
Involves social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.
What is Dependent Personality Disorder?
A pervasive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behaviours and fear of separation.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)?
Involves preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, often at the expense of flexibility and efficiency (distinct from OCD).
How do PDs relate to the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality?
PDs can be understood as maladaptive extremes of normal traits (e.g., high neuroticism in BPD, low agreeableness in ASPD).
What is comorbidity in personality disorders?
The co-occurrence of multiple disorders in the same person, common in PDs and complicating diagnosis and treatment.
Why are personality disorders challenging to treat?
Because they are pervasive, ego-syntonic (seen as part of the self), and resistant to change over time.
What are some treatment approaches for personality disorders?
Approaches include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT, especially for BPD), and sometimes medication for symptoms.
What is the dimensional view of personality disorders?
It proposes that PDs exist on a continuum with normal personality traits, rather than as distinct categories.
What is the categorical view of personality disorders?
The traditional DSM approach, where disorders are seen as distinct and qualitatively different from normal functioning.
