Personality Disorders

Flashcards on the introduction to personality disorders.

What is Personality?

A complex pattern of deeply embedded, long-lasting psychological characteristics that are largely non-conscious and not easily altered.

How do personality characteristics manifest?

They express themselves automatically in almost every facet of functioning.

What factors contribute to the development of personality traits?

Intrinsic, pervasive traits that emerge from biological dispositions and experiential learnings, influencing feeling, thinking, coping, and behaving.

What is a Personality Disorder?

An inflexible and maladaptive organizing pattern of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors leading to significant impairment in social or occupational functioning and/or subjective distress.

According to DSM 5, what areas are affected by personality disorders?

Cognition, Affectivity, Interpersonal Functioning, and Impulse Control.

How do Personality Disorders differ from Clinical Syndromes/Mental Disorders?

Less intense and more pervasive, chronic, egosyntonic, a trait, often unconscious, and can be a basic style underlying clinical syndromes.

What are the three clusters of personality disorders and their respective disorders?

Odd/Eccentric (Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal), Dramatic/Emotional (Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic, Histrionic), and Anxious/Avoidant (Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-compulsive).

What is Paranoid Personality Disorder characterized by?

Distrust and suspiciousness of others.

What is Schizoid Personality Disorder characterized by?

Detachment from social relationships and restricted emotional expression.

What is Schizotypal Personality Disorder characterized by?

Acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behavior.

What is Antisocial Personality Disorder characterized by?

Disregard for and violation of the rights of others.

What is Borderline Personality Disorder characterized by?

Instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, with marked impulsivity.

What is Histrionic Personality Disorder characterized by?

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.

What is Narcissistic Personality Disorder characterized by?

Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

What is Avoidant Personality Disorder characterized by?

Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.

What is Dependent Personality Disorder characterized by?

Submissive and clinging behavior related to an excessive need to be taken care of.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder characterized by?

Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control.

What are the typical co-morbidity patterns in Personality Disorders?

Higher within clusters than among clusters; Personality Disorders can be co-morbid with Mental Disorders.

What is the Aetiology of personality disorders

Hard-wired into the CNS during the first six years of life. This origin makes them hard to modify and slow to change.

What are the key treatment goals for personality disorders, focusing on adaptation?

Managing distress, improving interpersonal effectiveness, and building skills for emotional regulation.

What are the goals to promote positive change?

Increasing awareness and understanding, exchanging maladaptive habits for adaptive ones, and preventing further deterioration.