Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Personality Disorders Vocabulary

Vocabulary and mnemonic flashcards covering core concepts, DSM-5 clusters, temperament/character traits, and nursing interventions for personality disorders.

Personality

An ingrained, enduring pattern of behaving and relating to the self, others, and the environment.

Personality Disorder (PD)

Diagnosed when personality traits are maladaptive, long-standing, and inflexible, causing impairment in personality functioning and social or occupational distress.

Egocentrism

Being self-centered, where a sense of self-esteem comes from gaining power or pleasure often at the expense of others, accompanied by a lack of empathy, remorse, or concern for others.

Cluster A Personality Disorders

A category of personality disorders characterized by odd or eccentric behaviors, including Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal Personality Disorders.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

A Cluster A disorder characterized by pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others, restricted affect, aloofness, and interpreting others' motives as malevolent.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

A Cluster A disorder characterized by detachment from social relationships, preference for a solitary lifestyle, indifference to praise or criticism, and a cold or restricted affect.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

A Cluster A disorder characterized by acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, eccentric behavior, strange speech, and zany or magical thinking.

Cluster B Personality Disorders

A category of personality disorders characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviors, including Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic Personality Disorders.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A Cluster B disorder characterized by a pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights of others, deceit, criminality, manipulation, and a total lack of remorse.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

A Cluster B disorder characterized by marked instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood, accompanied by severe impulsivity, chronic feelings of emptiness, and recurrent self-harm or suicidal behavior.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

A Cluster B disorder characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior; derived from the Latin word 'histrio', meaning actor.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A Cluster B disorder characterized by grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, fragile self-esteem sensitive to criticism, entitlement, and a lack of empathy.

Cluster C Personality Disorders

A category of personality disorders characterized by anxious or fearful behaviors, including Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

A Cluster C disorder characterized by social inhibition, extreme feelings of inadequacy, fear of rejection or disapproval, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.

Dependent Personality Disorder

A Cluster C disorder characterized by an excessive need to be taken care of, submissive and clinging behavior, intense fear of separation, and difficulty making everyday decisions without advice.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

A Cluster C disorder characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, rules, and control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.

Harm Avoidance

A temperament trait involving high levels of fear, pessimism, shyness, and carefreeness; high levels are linked with anxiety and depression.

Novelty Seeking

A temperament trait involving high levels of impulsiveness, excitability, quick-temperedness, and boredom susceptibility; high levels are linked with aggression and thrill-seeking.

Reward Dependence

A temperament trait involving emotional sensitivity, social approval seeking, and attachment.

Self-Directedness

A character trait describing the extent to which a person is goal-oriented, responsible, reliable, and resourceful.

Cooperativeness

A character trait describing the extent to which a person sees themselves as an integral part of human society, characterized by empathy, helpfulness, and tolerance.

Self-Transcendence

A character trait describing the extent to which a person considers themselves an integral part of the universe, characterized by spirituality, humility, and unpretentiousness.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A specialized psychotherapy designed by Dr. Marsha Linehan specifically for Borderline Personality Disorder, focusing on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and behavioral control.

Thought Stopping

A cognitive behavioral therapy technique used to interrupt and replace negative or intrusive thought loops.

Decatastrophizing

A cognitive restructuring technique that helps a client evaluate a situation realistically rather than expecting the worst possible outcome.

No-Self-Harm Contract

A written or verbal therapeutic agreement where a client promises not to engage in self-injury and agrees to contact nursing staff when losing emotional control.

Borderline Bridge Analogy

A clinical visualization for Borderline Personality Disorder where a shaky, swinging bridge represents unstable moods, unpredictable changes in direction represent impulsivity, and shouting represents fear of abandonment.

PARANOID Mnemonic

A memory acronym for Paranoid PD: Projection, Aloof & Alert, Restricted affect, Angry shifts, No trust, Overanalyzes, Ideas of persecution, and Difficult relationship-building.

CON-MAN Mnemonic

A mnemonic summarizing key characteristics of Antisocial PD: Charming but Callous, Only their needs matter, No remorse, Manipulative, Aggressive or Arrogant, and Never learns.

SAFE BORDER Mnemonic

A nursing intervention framework for Borderline Personality Disorder: Suicidal history, Area near nurses' station, Focus on self-harm risk, Eliminate access to sharps, Boundaries must be consistent, Off-limits to acting out, Reveal feelings not harm, Don't enable passivity, Empower through strengths, and Reinforce new coping.