lOMoAR cPSD| 42147428
PSYC 435 Abnormal Psychology
Chapter 12 An Integrative Approach
Summarized Notes for Exam
Athabasca University.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 42147428
Chapter 12
Personality Disorders
➢ integrated model individual vulnerabilities, mixed with these systems we have
in place
Personality Disorders (PDs)
➢ Characterized by enduring and relatively stable ways of relating and thinking
o Inflexible and maladaptive, causing distress or impairment
o Used to be coded on Axis II of DSM-IV
▪ Axis 1: acute
▪ Axis 2: pervasive
▪ Axis 3: medical
▪ Axis 4: psychosocial
▪ Axis 5: Global Effectiveness Function 0-100
▪ A way to report what’s going on
▪ When people are talking about Axis 2, they are talking about
personality disorders
➢ Categorical versus dimensional views of PDs
o Categorical views suggest PDs are a difference in kind
o Dimensional views suggest PDs are a difference in degree
▪ People are too broad and varied to say there are “normal” and “not
normal” people. Actually, it’s more dimensional. We all vary to
some extent on different personality traits
▪ It’s not saying here’s a clear line between normal and abnormal,
it’s more of a difference in degree
➢ 60% of people with a personality disorder also has a substance disorder
DSM 5 Personality Disorders
➢ summary of changes from DSM-IV TR:
o got rid of multiaxial system
o no changes in diagnostic criteria … in section 2 of DSM 5
o however, section 3 describes an alternative model fro personality disorders
DSM 5 Personality Disorders: Alternative Model in Section 3 (this is what we are
STRIVING to use)
A. moderate or greater impairment in personality functioning
B. one or more pathological personality traits
C. relatively inflexible and pervasive
D. stable, with onset in adolescence or early adulthood
E. not better explained by mental disorder
F. not better explained by substance use or medical condition
G. not better understood as normal for developmental stage or sociocultural
environment
PSYC 435 Abnormal Psychology
Chapter 12 An Integrative Approach
Summarized Notes for Exam
Athabasca University.
, lOMoAR cPSD| 42147428
Chapter 12
Personality Disorders
➢ integrated model individual vulnerabilities, mixed with these systems we have
in place
Personality Disorders (PDs)
➢ Characterized by enduring and relatively stable ways of relating and thinking
o Inflexible and maladaptive, causing distress or impairment
o Used to be coded on Axis II of DSM-IV
▪ Axis 1: acute
▪ Axis 2: pervasive
▪ Axis 3: medical
▪ Axis 4: psychosocial
▪ Axis 5: Global Effectiveness Function 0-100
▪ A way to report what’s going on
▪ When people are talking about Axis 2, they are talking about
personality disorders
➢ Categorical versus dimensional views of PDs
o Categorical views suggest PDs are a difference in kind
o Dimensional views suggest PDs are a difference in degree
▪ People are too broad and varied to say there are “normal” and “not
normal” people. Actually, it’s more dimensional. We all vary to
some extent on different personality traits
▪ It’s not saying here’s a clear line between normal and abnormal,
it’s more of a difference in degree
➢ 60% of people with a personality disorder also has a substance disorder
DSM 5 Personality Disorders
➢ summary of changes from DSM-IV TR:
o got rid of multiaxial system
o no changes in diagnostic criteria … in section 2 of DSM 5
o however, section 3 describes an alternative model fro personality disorders
DSM 5 Personality Disorders: Alternative Model in Section 3 (this is what we are
STRIVING to use)
A. moderate or greater impairment in personality functioning
B. one or more pathological personality traits
C. relatively inflexible and pervasive
D. stable, with onset in adolescence or early adulthood
E. not better explained by mental disorder
F. not better explained by substance use or medical condition
G. not better understood as normal for developmental stage or sociocultural
environment
