Personality Disorders

Question 1

What is a personality disorder?

Answer 1

Pattern of experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the individual’s normal culture

Question 2

What are the 4 main aspects that are affected in personality disorder?

Answer 2

Cognition
Emotions
Impulse control
Interpersonal functioning

Question 3

How is personality disorder distinguished from a trait?

Answer 3

Disorder is pervasive and causes distress/impairment of functioning
e.g. being a little shy sometimes isn’t a disorder

Question 4

What are the characteristics of cluster A personality disorder?

Answer 4

“Odd and eccentric”
Paranoia
Schizoid/schizotypal

Question 5

What are the characteristics of cluster B personality disorder?

Answer 5

"Dramatic and emotional"
Histrionic
Antisocial
Narcisstic
Borderline (emotionally unstable)

Question 6

What are the characteristics of cluster C personality disorder?

Answer 6

“Anxious and fearful”
Obsessive
Avoidant
Dependent

Question 7

Which cluster of personality disorder is most prevalent?

Answer 7

Cluster C

Question 8

Describe paranoid personality disorder

Answer 8

Pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others, as if their motives are malevolent

Question 9

Describe schizoid personality disorder

Answer 9

Pervasive detachment from social relationships and restricted range of emotions

Question 10

Describe antisocial personality disorder

Answer 10

Pervasive pattern of disregard for rights of others

Question 11

Describe borderline (emotionally-unstable) personality disorder

Answer 11

Pervasive pattern of instability of relationships and self-esteem

Question 12

What mental illness shares a lot of similarity with borderline personality disorder?

Answer 12

Bipolar disorder

Question 13

Describe histrionic personality disorder

Answer 13

Pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking

Question 14

Describe avoidant personality disorder

Answer 14

Pervasive social inhibition and feelings of inadequacy with hypersensitivity to negative evaluation

Question 15

Describe dependent personality disorder

Answer 15

Pervasive need to be taken into care, leading to clinging and submissive behaviour and fear of separation

Question 16

Describe obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Answer 16

Pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness/perfectionism at the expense of flexibility and efficiency

Question 17

Antisocial personality disorder is equivalent to being a psychopath. True/False?

Answer 17

False

Antisocial PD is based on behaviour, whereas psychopathy describes emotional and cognitive deficit

Question 18

There is good treatment evidence for personality disorder. True/False?

Answer 18

False

Question 19

What is the main psychological treatment for borderline personality disorder?

Answer 19

Dialectical behavioural therapy