Psychology Degree Abnormal Psychology and DSM 3

Question 1

According to DSM-5, Borderline Personality Disorder is best characterized by:

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

BPD is defined by a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions, along with marked impulsivity, beginning in early adulthood.

Question 2

Which specifier was added to Major Depressive Disorder in DSM-5 to describe grief-like depression after a loved one's death?

Accepted Answer

With anxious distress

Answer

DSM-5 removed the bereavement exclusion from MDD, acknowledging that grief can trigger clinical depression; 'with anxious distress' is a new specifier but the bereavement change itself was the major structural shift.

Question 3

A patient experiences episodes of uncontrollable laughter or crying that are inconsistent with their emotional state. This is most characteristic of:

Accepted Answer

Pseudobulbar Affect

Answer

Pseudobulbar affect (also called emotional lability or involuntary emotional expression disorder) involves episodes of crying or laughing uncontrollably that do not match the person's actual emotional state, often seen after neurological injury.

Question 4

In DSM-5, which condition requires that symptoms were present before age 12?

Accepted Answer

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Answer

DSM-5 changed the ADHD age-of-onset criterion from 'before age 7' to 'before age 12,' allowing for broader recognition of late-presenting cases.

Question 5

The 'revolving door' phenomenon in abnormal psychology refers to:

Accepted Answer

Repeated psychiatric hospitalizations without long-term recovery

Answer

The revolving door describes the pattern of frequent, brief psychiatric hospitalizations where patients are stabilized and discharged only to decompensate and return, often due to inadequate community support.

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Abnormal Psychology and DSM 3