Notes on Personality, Neurocognitive, and Eating Disorders

Learning Objectives

• Cognitive Objectives:

  • Explain the psychopathology, etiology, and psychodynamic of personality, neurocognitive, and eating disorders.
  • Describe the treatment and management of patients with these disorders.
  • Differentiate among the types of personality, neurocognitive, and eating disorders.
  • Discuss how these disorders affect perception, relationship, and cognitive processes regarding self and others.

• Psychomotor Objectives:

  • Educate clients, families, caregivers, and community members about these disorders.
  • Perform mental status assessments on relevant clients.

• Affective Objectives:

  • Develop empathy in caring for these patients.
  • Evaluate personal feelings and attitudes towards clients with personality disorders.

Personality and Personality Disorders

• Personality Overview:

  • A complex of behaviors, emotions, and mental attributes that make individuals unique.
  • Ingrained patterns of behavior and relating to oneself and others which do not easily change.
  • Influenced by biological and genetic factors, as well as environmental interactions.

• Definition of Personality Disorder:

  • A mental disorder characterized by maladaptive, persistent, pervasive, and inflexible traits – leading to dysfunction in life quality and relationships.
  • Symptoms: Significant distress, age of onset around 18, stable over time, and typically ego-syntonic (the individual may not recognize their behaviors as problematic).

• Common Problems Associated:

  • Includes identity issues, egocentrism, lack of empathy, and non-conformity to societal norms leading to dysfunctional relationships.

Diagnosis of Personality Disorders

• Criteria for Diagnosis:
  • Must exhibit behaviors deviating from cultural norms in at least two areas including cognition, interpersonal functioning, impulse control, and affect.
  • Evaluated based on maladaptive traits:
  • Manipulative or deceitful behaviors.
  • Impulsivity and poor judgment.
  • Lack of guilt/remorse.

Etiology of Personality Disorders

• Biological Theories:

  • Genetic predispositions and temperament traits developed by early childhood (2-3 years).
  • Four identified temperament traits:
  • Harm Avoidance: Fearful or socially inhibited.
  • Novelty Seeking: Impulsive, curious, easily bored.
  • Reward Dependence: Sensitive and socially dependent.
  • Persistence: Hardworking but can be erratic or inactive.

• Psychodynamic Factors:

  • Influenced by social learning, cultural contexts, and life experiences.
  • Major character traits include self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence, all formed through interactions with family, peers, and society.

Types of Personality Disorders

• Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric):

  • Paranoid: Distrust and suspicion in relationships.
  • Schizoid: Detachment from social relationships; restricted emotional expression.
  • Schizotypal: Social/interpersonal deficits, cognitive/perceptual distortions.

• Cluster B (Dramatic/Erratic):

  • Antisocial: Disregard for others' rights; deceitful and manipulative.
  • Borderline: Unstable relationships and self-image; marked impulsivity.
  • Histrionic: Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.
  • Narcissistic: Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

• Cluster C (Anxious/Fearful):

  • Avoidant: Social inhibition and hypersensitivity to criticism.
  • Dependent: Excessive need to be taken care of; submissive behavior.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive: Preoccupation with orderliness and control, leading to rigidity.