Mental Health and Psychology Personality Disorders 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient exhibits excessive attention-seeking behavior, rapidly shifting shallow emotions, and consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to themselves. Which personality disorder is most consistent?
- Narcissistic PD
- Histrionic PD (Correct answer)
- Borderline PD
- Dependent PD
Correct answer: Histrionic PD
Histrionic PD is characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including reliance on physical appearance to attract attention.
Question 2: Which personality disorder is most associated with magical thinking, odd beliefs, and ideas of reference that do not reach the threshold for a psychotic disorder?
- Schizoid PD
- Paranoid PD
- Schizotypal PD (Correct answer)
- Borderline PD
Correct answer: Schizotypal PD
Schizotypal PD includes cognitive-perceptual distortions such as magical thinking and ideas of reference that fall short of full psychosis.
Question 3: A patient consistently defers to others for major decisions, fears being left to care for themselves, and goes to excessive lengths to obtain support. Which personality disorder fits best?
- Avoidant PD
- Dependent PD (Correct answer)
- Borderline PD
- Histrionic PD
Correct answer: Dependent PD
Dependent PD involves an excessive need to be taken care of, submissive and clinging behavior, and difficulty making independent decisions.
Question 4: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) differs from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) primarily in that OCPD traits are:
- Ego-dystonic and intrusive
- Responsive to SSRIs only
- Present only in childhood
- Ego-syntonic and consistent with self-identity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ego-syntonic and consistent with self-identity
In OCPD, perfectionism and control are ego-syntonic (valued by the patient), whereas in OCD obsessions are ego-dystonic (experienced as unwanted and distressing).
Question 5: The defense mechanism of 'splitting,' in which others are seen as entirely good or entirely bad, is most characteristic of which personality disorder?
- Narcissistic PD
- Antisocial PD
- Borderline PD (Correct answer)
- Paranoid PD
Correct answer: Borderline PD
Splitting is a primitive defense mechanism most characteristic of BPD, reflecting an inability to integrate positive and negative aspects of self and others.
Question 6: Narcissistic Personality Disorder is primarily characterized by which triad of features?
- Emotional instability, impulsivity, and fear of abandonment
- Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy (Correct answer)
- Odd beliefs, social isolation, and restricted affect
- Pervasive distrust, suspiciousness, and hostility
Correct answer: Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy
The core features of NPD per DSM-5 are a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.
Question 7: Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD) is distinguished from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) primarily because APD:
- Only involves fear of public performance situations
- Does not involve fear of negative evaluation
- Is more responsive to pharmacotherapy
- Is pervasive and includes avoidance of most close relationships (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Is pervasive and includes avoidance of most close relationships
APD involves a pervasive pattern of social inhibition and avoidance of close relationships due to feelings of inadequacy, extending beyond specific performance situations.
Mental Health and Psychology Personality Disorders 2
A patient exhibits excessive attention-seeking behavior, rapidly shifting shallow emotions, and consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to themselves.
Which personality disorder is most consistent?