PERSONALITY DISORDER: CLUSTER-A

1. PERSONALITY DISORDER
Anjana Peter
MSW 2nd year
Dept. of social work
Vimala College, Thrissur

2. PERSONALITY DISORDER
• A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid
and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving.
• A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to
situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in
relationships, social activities, work and school.
• Although personality disorders are usually recognizable by early
adolescence, they are not typically diagnosed before early adult life. The
symptoms continue unchanged through the adult life and usually become less
obvious in the later years of life (after 40 years of age).
• In DSM-V, the personality disorders have been divided into three clusters.

3. CLUSTER A PERSONALITY DISORDERS
• Cluster A personality disorders are characterized by odd, eccentric
thinking or behaviours.
• They include
1. Paranoid personality disorder
2. Schizoid personality disorder
3. Schizotypal personality disorder.

4. 1. Paranoid personality disorder
• Paranoid personality disorder is a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness
such that others' motives are interpreted as malevolent.
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
 The prevalence if paranoid personality disorder is 0.5-2.5% of the general population.
 Relatives of patients with schizophrenia show a higher incidence of Paranoid
personality disorder.
 This disorder is more common in men.

5.  Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-V):
1. Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you.
2. Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others.
3. Hesitancy to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will
use the information against you.
4. Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as
personal insults or attacks.
5. Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults.
6. Tendency to hold grudges.
7. Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is
unfaithful.

6. • Treatment:
1. Individual psychotherapy.
2. Supportive psychotherapy.
The response to treatment is usually poor. The patients often do not seek
treatment on their own and may resent treatment. Drug treatment has a very
limited role.

7. 2. Schizoid personality disorder
• Schizoid personality disorder is a pattern of detachment from social
relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression.
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
 The Schizoid personality disorder affect 7.5% of the general population.
 The sex ration is 2:1 male-to-female ratio.
 Slightly more common and impairing in males.

8. Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-V):
1. Lack of interest in social or personal relationships, preferring to be
alone.
2. Limited range of emotional expression.
3. Inability to take pleasure in most activities.
4. Inability to pick up normal social cues.
5. Appearance of being cold or indifferent to others.
6. Little or no interest in having sex with another person.

9. • Treatment
• 1. Individual psychotherapy.
• 2. Psychoanalysis or psychoanalytical psychotherapy.
• 3. Gradual involvement in group psycho therapy.
The patients often do not seek treatment on their own. The response to treatment
is usually not good. Drug treatment clearly has a very limited role.

10. 3.Schizotypal personality disorder
• Schizotypal personality disorder is a pattern of acute discomfort in close
relationships, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentricities of behavior.
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
 Schizotypal personality disorder occurs in about 3%.
 A greater association of cases exist among the biological relatives of patients with
schizophrenia.
 A higher incidence among monozygotic twins than among dizygotic twins(33% versus
4%).

11. Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-V):
1. Peculiar dress, thinking, beliefs, speech or behaviours.
2. Odd perceptual experiences, such as hearing a voice whisper your name.
3. Flat emotions or inappropriate emotional responses.
4. Social anxiety and a lack of or discomfort with close relationships.
5. Indifferent, inappropriate or suspicious response to others.
6. "Magical thinking" — believing you can influence people and events
with your thoughts.
7. Belief that certain casual incidents or events have hidden messages
meant only for you.

12. • Treatment
The response to treatment is usually poor, except for brief psychotic episodes.
• 1. Psychoanalysis or psychoanalytical psychotherapy.
• 2. Individual psychotherapy.
• 3. Drug therapy: Antipsychotics have been used without much benefit. The
role of antipsychotics in the treatment is limited to brief psychotic episodes.

13. REFERANCE:
1. American Psychiatric Association(2005).Diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-
TR . New Delhi: Jay Pee Brothers Medical Publishers.
2. Vyas & Ahuja N.(1999).Textbook of post graduate psychiatry.vol.I &II. New
Delhi: Jay Pee Brothers.
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/personality-
disorders/symptoms-causes/syc-20354463
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/personality-disorders

14. Thank you