Chapter 12:
Personality disorders
A persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions and behavior that results in enduring
emotional distress for the person affected and/or for others and may cause
difficulties with work and relationships
Ego-syntonic à patients do not feel that treatment is necessary
Personality disorder Description
Cluster A – Odd or Eccentric disorders
Paranoid personality A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that
disorder their motives are interpreted as malevolent
Schizoid personality A pervasive pattern of detachment from social
disorder relationships and a restricted range of expression of
emotions in interpersonal settings
Schizotypal personality A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits
disorder marked by acute discomfort with reduced capacity for
close relationships, as well as by cognitive or perceptual
distortions and eccentricities of behaviour
Cluster B – Dramatic, emotional or Erratic Disorders
Antisocial personality A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the
disorder rights of others
Borderline personality A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal
disorder relationships, self-image, affects and control over
impulses
Histrionic personality A pervasive pattern of excessive emotion and attention
disorder seeking behaviour
Narcissistic personality A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour),
disorder need for admiration and lack of empathy
Cluster C – anxious or fearful disorders
Avoidant personality A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of
disorder inadequacy and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation
Dependent personality A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, which
disorder leads to submissive and clinging behaviour and fears of
separation
Obsessive-compulsive A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness,
personality disorder perfectionism and mental and interpersonal control, at the
expense of flexibility, openness and efficiency
Cluster A
Paranoid personality disorder
A. A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are
interpreted as malevolent, begins in early adulthood and present in a variety of
contexts – four or more of the following:
1
, 1.Suspects that others are exploiting/harming or deceiving them
2.Unjustified doubts about loyalty/trustworthiness of friends/associates
3.Reluctant to confide in others (fear that this will be used against them)
4.Reads hidden demeaning or threating meanings into benign remarks or
events
5. Persistently Bears grudges
6. Perceives attacks on their character/reputation that are not apparent to
others and is quick to react angrily/ or to counterattack
7. Recurrent suspicions regarding fidelity of spouse
B. Does not occur during other disorders and not due to the effects of a medical
condition
Treatment à building trust
Schizoid personality disorder
A. A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted
range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early
adulthood and present in a variety of contexts – four or more of the following:
1. Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships
2. Almost always chooses solitary activities
3. Has little interest in having sexual experiences with another person
4. Take pleasure in few activities
5. Lacks close friends or confidants
6. Appears indifferent to praise or critisms of others
7. Shows emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity
B. Does not occur during other disorders and not due to the effects of a medical
condition
Treatment à building empathy and social skills
Schizotypal personality disorder
A. A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficit marked by acute
discomfort with and reduced capacity for close relationships as well as by
cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behaviour,
beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts – five or more
of the following:
1. Ideas of reference (belief that things have special personal
significance)
2. Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behaviour and is
inconsistent with subcultural norms
3. Unusual perceptual experiences
4. Odd thinking and speech
5. Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
2
Personality disorders
A persistent pattern of emotions, cognitions and behavior that results in enduring
emotional distress for the person affected and/or for others and may cause
difficulties with work and relationships
Ego-syntonic à patients do not feel that treatment is necessary
Personality disorder Description
Cluster A – Odd or Eccentric disorders
Paranoid personality A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that
disorder their motives are interpreted as malevolent
Schizoid personality A pervasive pattern of detachment from social
disorder relationships and a restricted range of expression of
emotions in interpersonal settings
Schizotypal personality A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits
disorder marked by acute discomfort with reduced capacity for
close relationships, as well as by cognitive or perceptual
distortions and eccentricities of behaviour
Cluster B – Dramatic, emotional or Erratic Disorders
Antisocial personality A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the
disorder rights of others
Borderline personality A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal
disorder relationships, self-image, affects and control over
impulses
Histrionic personality A pervasive pattern of excessive emotion and attention
disorder seeking behaviour
Narcissistic personality A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour),
disorder need for admiration and lack of empathy
Cluster C – anxious or fearful disorders
Avoidant personality A pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of
disorder inadequacy and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation
Dependent personality A pervasive and excessive need to be taken care of, which
disorder leads to submissive and clinging behaviour and fears of
separation
Obsessive-compulsive A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness,
personality disorder perfectionism and mental and interpersonal control, at the
expense of flexibility, openness and efficiency
Cluster A
Paranoid personality disorder
A. A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are
interpreted as malevolent, begins in early adulthood and present in a variety of
contexts – four or more of the following:
1
, 1.Suspects that others are exploiting/harming or deceiving them
2.Unjustified doubts about loyalty/trustworthiness of friends/associates
3.Reluctant to confide in others (fear that this will be used against them)
4.Reads hidden demeaning or threating meanings into benign remarks or
events
5. Persistently Bears grudges
6. Perceives attacks on their character/reputation that are not apparent to
others and is quick to react angrily/ or to counterattack
7. Recurrent suspicions regarding fidelity of spouse
B. Does not occur during other disorders and not due to the effects of a medical
condition
Treatment à building trust
Schizoid personality disorder
A. A pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted
range of expression of emotions in interpersonal settings, beginning by early
adulthood and present in a variety of contexts – four or more of the following:
1. Neither desires nor enjoys close relationships
2. Almost always chooses solitary activities
3. Has little interest in having sexual experiences with another person
4. Take pleasure in few activities
5. Lacks close friends or confidants
6. Appears indifferent to praise or critisms of others
7. Shows emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity
B. Does not occur during other disorders and not due to the effects of a medical
condition
Treatment à building empathy and social skills
Schizotypal personality disorder
A. A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficit marked by acute
discomfort with and reduced capacity for close relationships as well as by
cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behaviour,
beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts – five or more
of the following:
1. Ideas of reference (belief that things have special personal
significance)
2. Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behaviour and is
inconsistent with subcultural norms
3. Unusual perceptual experiences
4. Odd thinking and speech
5. Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
2
