Personality Disorders and Mental Health Law

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to personality disorders, their characteristics, and relevant legal concepts in mental health.

Personality

All the ways we have of acting, thinking, believing, and feeling that make each of us unique.

Personality Trait

A complex pattern of behavior, thought, and feeling that is stable across time and across many situations.

Personality Disorder (PD)

A persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions, and behavior resulting in enduring emotional distress for the affected person and others.

Cluster A Disorders

Odd or eccentric personality disorders that include paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal disorders.

Cluster B Disorders

Dramatic, emotional, and erratic personality disorders that include borderline, narcissistic, histrionic, and antisocial disorders.

Cluster C Disorders

Anxious and fearful personality disorders that include avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Five-Factor Model of Personality

A model used to measure personality traits with five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN).

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by anxiety, sadness, and emotional instability.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by sociability, talkativeness, and assertiveness.

Agreeableness

A personality trait that reflects how well a person cooperates and gets along with others.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability, and diligence.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by interpersonally anxious behavior, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A disorder marked by aggressive behavior, lack of remorse, and disregard for societal norms.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by unstable moods, relationships, and self-image.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a lack of empathy for others.

Civil Commitment

The legal process through which individuals with mental disorders can be confined in psychiatric institutions.

Insanity Defense

A legal defense that argues a person was not responsible for their actions due to a mental disorder.

The M’Naghten Rule

A standard for judging whether a defendant can be held criminally responsible, focusing on their mental state at the time of the crime.

Restorative Justice

An approach to justice focused on rehabilitation and reconciliation rather than punishment.

Personality

All the ways we have of acting, thinking, believing, and feeling that make each of us unique.

Personality Trait

A complex pattern of behavior, thought, and feeling that is stable across time and across many situations.

Personality Disorder (PD)

A persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions, and behavior resulting in enduring emotional distress for the affected person and others.

Cluster A Disorders

Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal personality disorders.

Cluster B Disorders

Borderline, Antisocial, Narcissistic, and Histrionic personality disorders.

Cluster C Disorders

Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorders.

Five-Factor Model of Personality

A model used to measure personality traits with five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (OCEAN).

Neuroticism

A personality trait characterized by anxiety, sadness, and emotional instability.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by sociability, talkativeness, and assertiveness.

Agreeableness

A personality trait that reflects how well a person cooperates and gets along with others.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait characterized by organization, dependability, and diligence.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by interpersonally anxious behavior, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A disorder marked by aggressive behavior, lack of remorse, and disregard for societal norms.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by unstable moods, relationships, and self-image.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a lack of empathy for others.

Civil Commitment

The legal process through which individuals with mental disorders can be confined in psychiatric institutions.

Insanity Defense

A legal defense that argues a person was not responsible for their actions due to a mental disorder.

The M’Naghten Rule

A standard for judging whether a defendant can be held criminally responsible, focusing on their mental state at the time of the crime.

Restorative Justice

An approach to justice focused on rehabilitation and reconciliation rather than punishment.

Paraphilia disorder

Atypical sexual interest without distress or harm. Examples: foot fetish, leather.

Paraphilic disorder

Paraphilia causing distress, impairment, or risk of harm. Examples: voyeuristic, exhibitionistic, pedophilic disorders.

Substance use disorder

Problematic use causing distress, impairment, tolerance, or withdrawal.

ADHD

Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Social communication deficits + restricted/repetitive behaviors.

Intellectual disability

Low IQ + deficits in adaptive functioning.

Learning disorders

Difficulties in reading, writing, or math.

Major neurocognitive disorder

Cognitive decline interfering with independence.

Mild neurocognitive disorder

Decline without interference in daily life.

Alzheimer’s disease

Amyloid plaques( protein buildup outside brain cells tau-tangles inside cells), leads to memory and executive deficits.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Structured therapy that identifies and changes maladaptive thoughts and behaviors to improve emotions and functioning.

Exposure Therapy

Behavioral technique where clients face feared stimuli to reduce avoidance and anxiety.

ERP (Exposure + Response Prevention)

CBT for OCD; clients confront feared situations while refraining from compulsions.

Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)

CBT adapted for trauma, includes exposure, cognitive restructuring, coping skills, and parent involvement for children.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Focuses on improving relationships, social functioning, and resolving role transitions to reduce depressive symptoms.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

CBT-based therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder; emphasizes mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.