Deck 19: Personality Disorders

Question 1

Which one of the following best describes key characteristics of paranoid personality disorder?

A) Magical thinking and eccentric behaviors.
B) Distrust and suspiciousness about the motivations of others.
C) Excessive shyness and sensitivity.
D) Lacks emotional experiences and displays flat affect.

Answer 1

Distrust and suspiciousness about the motivations of others.

Question 2

Paranoid personality disorder involves ongoing psychotic symptoms (making it difficult to differentiate from a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder).

Answer 2

False

Question 3

If minority group members are distrustful of representatives of majority society due to past experiences of abuse or discrimination-this can be viewed as a symptom of paranoid personality disorder.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

When treating someone with paranoid personality disorder, all of the following are recommended strategies for therapists EXCEPT:

A) Taking calls from and meeting with family members when the client is not available.
B) Operating in a professional, straightforward, and honest manner.
C) Giving clients a sense of control over the frequency and nature of treatment.
D) Avoid doing things that would be perceived as intruding on the client's privacy.

Question 5

Which of the following approaches would be the best approach for someone with paranoid personality disorder that is entering therapy for the first time?

A) Gestalt therapy.
B) Psychoanalytic therapy.
C) Behavioral therapy.
D) Group therapy.

Question 6

Two characteristics of schizoid personality disorder are _____ and ____.

A) Seeking close interpersonal contact with others; a lack of interest in intimate relationships.
B) Avoiding close interpersonal contact with others; a desire to have intimate relationships.
C) Avoiding close interpersonal contact with others; a lack of interest in intimate relationships.
D) Seeking close interpersonal contact with others; a desire to have intimate relationships.

Question 7

Once they become adults, most of those with schizoid personality disorder have a desire to change the way in which they relate to others and seek treatment.

Question 8

General guidelines when treating those with schizoid personality disorder include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Discussing the possible benefits of therapy and establishing goals in a collaborative way.
B) A gentle, consistent, accepting, and supportive approach.
C) A cognitive-behavioral approach that gradually encourages social involvement.
D) The use of in-depth interpretations and provocative confrontation when needed.

Question 9

All of the following are possible symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder EXCEPT:

A) Odd or peculiar appearance or behavior.
B) Ideas of reference or bizarre perceptions.
C) Speech that is overly detailed and concise.
D) Paranoia or suspiciousness.

Question 10

Despite being on the schizophrenia spectrum, most people with schizotypal personality disorder manage to live a stable, if marginal, existence.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder?

A) A pervasive pattern of impaired relationships due to a high level of social anxiety.
B) Isolation due to a lack of interest in relating to others.
C) A pervasive pattern of disregarding the rights of others and violating social norms.
D) Odd, unusual, and eccentric beliefs and behaviors that usually result in being viewed as a misfit.

Question 12

Children who later develop antisocial personality disorder may:

A) Have grown up in families in which a first-degree relative had antisocial personality or substance use problems.
B) Have been ignored by parents or received discipline that was inconsistent or excessive.
C) Not have had any role models of empathic tenderness.
D) All of the above.

Question 13

Adults with antisocial personality disorder most often enter therapy because:

A) They have come to accept that they need to make changes in their lives.
B) They are court ordered to do so.
C) A family member asks them to.
D) A friend suggests it.

Question 14

Which form of treatment has been found to have a high level of effectiveness with antisocial personality disorder?

A) Therapeutic communities.
B) Methadone.
C) Marriage therapy.
D) None of the above.

Question 15

All of the following are characteristics of those with antisocial personality disorder who are more likely to benefit from therapy EXCEPT:

A) Being under the age of 25.
B) Those who have not been violent.
C) Those who express some remorse for their actions.
D) Those who do not create fear in the clinician.

Question 16

All of the following qualities can apply to the diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder EXCEPT:

A) Dramatic and attention-seeking.
B) Use physical appearance and seductiveness to influence others.
C) A detailed style of speech that conveys a true depth of emotion.
D) View relationships as more intimate than what they really are.

Question 17

Which of the following would be the most likely recommended strategy to use with clients who have histrionic personality disorder?

A) A here-and-now approach that helps them realize how their behavior is impacting others and preventing them successful relationships; then setting realistic goals for change.
B) An evocative approach that activates and intensifies the expression of anger as a cathartic experience.
C) Because most clients will commit to a long-term approach to therapy, focus primarily on the exploration of past experiences and unconscious conflicts.
D) None of the above.

Question 18

All of the following symptoms can apply to the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder EXCEPT:

A) Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
B) A rigidly consistent sense of self.
C) Self-harming behaviors or suicidal ideation.
D) Intense anger or rage.

Question 19

A common characteristic of those with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is:

A) Difficulty in regulating emotions.
B) Instability of self-identity.
C) Impulsivity (e.g., overeating, shopping, drug use).
D) All of the above.

Question 20

The onset of borderline personality disorder seems to be best understood as a combination of ___ and ___.

A) Intrusive parents in childhood; drug use during adolescence.
B) Overdeveloped superegos; unresolved internal conflicts.
C) Genetic predisposition; environmental stressors.
D) An avoidant attachment style; loss of a loved one.

Question 21

Of the following, which is the most important initial objective for therapists when working with those with borderline personality disorder?

A) Convey the boundaries around your availability and determine the frequency of sessions.
B) Assess the potential for self-harm/suicide and develop a safety plan with the client.
C) Request permission to meet with their family members to learn more about their childhood.
D) Make a referral for a medication evaluation.

Question 22

The most validated form of therapy for BPD is:

A) Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
B) Group therapy.
C) An FDA-approved medication for BPD.
D) Dynamic expansive therapy (DET).

Question 23

In this therapeutic approach for BPD, the therapist accepts and empathizes with the client's emotional pain while also challenging the person to develop better coping skills and reduce self-defeating behaviors. It has also been effective at reducing suicidal and self-harming behaviors.

A) Mentalization-based psychotherapy (MBT).
B) Schema-focused CBT.
C) Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
D) Transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP).

Question 24

This is a group treatment specific to BPD that combines CBT skills training with a systemic perspective. It has been shown to reduce depression, impulsivity, and overall functioning.

A) Enhanced CBT (CBT-E).
B) Systems training for emotional predictability and problem solving (STEPPS).
C) Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
D) Dynamic supportive therapy (DST).

Question 25

Narcissism can result from either parental neglect/criticism or parents who treat their children as superior/special.

Question 26

It is fairly easy for those with narcissistic personality disorder to openly acknowledge:

A) Their vulnerabilities.
B) Their mistakes/wrongdoings.
C) Problems or difficulties they are facing.
D) None of the above.

Question 27

Kernberg and Kohut have developed ____ approaches that can help some people with narcissistic personality disorder make positive changes and develop a more accurate sense of self. Both therapies are ___ in nature.

A) Psychoanalytic; long-term.
B) Existential; long-term.
C) Cognitive-behavioral; long-term.
D) Humanistic; short-term.

Question 28

All of the following are possible symptoms of avoidant personality disorder EXCEPT.

A) Fear of negative evaluation and being judged by others.
B) A total lack of interest in having relationships.
C) Only participate in social situations when the person is assured of being liked.
D) Feelings of inferiority or social ineptness.

Question 29

A necessary feature of any treatment for avoidant personality disorder is _______.

A) Encouraging the client to experience greater empathy toward others.
B) Managing the anticipated anger toward the therapist.
C) Social skills training.
D) Medication.

Question 30

All of the following are possible symptoms of dependent personality disorder EXCEPT.

A) Avoid disagreements for fear of being rejected or losing support.
B) Preoccupied with fears of being left to care for oneself.
C) Excessive need for reassurance from others.
D) Self-injurious impulses or behavior.

Question 31

How are those with dependent personality disorder likely to view or relate to the therapist?

A) As a "magical helper" on whom they rely.
B) They may develop romantic feelings toward the therapist.
C) They are likely to be cooperative and want the therapist to take the lead in the sessions.
D) All of the above.

Question 32

The overall goal/objective of therapy when working with those with dependent personality disorder is:

A) To improve their self-reliance and autonomy.
B) To transfer their dependence on others to the therapist.
C) To provide them with reassurance.
D) To determine the source of their dependency.

Question 33

All of the following are possible symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder EXCEPT:

A) Preoccupation with perfection, rules, and details.
B) Hand-washing or checking compulsions.
C) Difficulty delegating to others.
D) A need to be in control.

Question 34

In moderation, obsessive-compulsive personality traits can be highly adaptive and result in a high level of success.

Question 35

Which of the following is the most likely scenario for therapists to prepare for when working with those who have OCPD?

A) A client constantly seeks advice and wants the therapist to make major life decisions for him.
B) A client is very theatrical in her presentation style and has difficulty regulating her emotions.
C) A client's goal is to determine the absolute right and wrong solution to a situation.
D) A client begins by lavishing praise on the therapist, but then gets very angry when the therapist does not immediately answer a phone call two days later.