Personality Disorders Practice Questions

Q: Anxious, shy, and avoidant symptoms are characteristic of which cluster of personality disorders?

Cluster C. **Explanation:** Personality disorders are categorized into three distinct clusters (A, B, and C) based on shared descriptive characteristics. **Why Cluster C is Correct:** Cluster C is known as the **"Anxious or Fearful"** cluster. It includes Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders. Patients in this group typically exhibit high levels of anxiety, social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and a hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. The symptoms of being **anxious, shy, and avoidant** are the hallmark features of **Avoidant Personality Disorder**, a core component of Cluster C. **Analysis of Incorrect Options:** * **Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric):** Includes Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal disorders. These are characterized by social detachment and "psychotic-like" thinking, rather than primary anxiety or shyness. * **Cluster B (Dramatic/Erratic):** Includes Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic disorders. These are characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and attention-seeking behavior. * **Cluster D:** This is a distractor; there is no Cluster D in the DSM-5 or ICD-11 classifications of personality disorders. **NEET-PG High-Yield Pearls:** * **Mnemonic for Clusters:** * **A:** **A**loof (Odd/Eccentric) * **B:** **B**eastly (Dramatic/Erratic/Emotional) * **C:** **C**owardly (Anxious/Fearful) * **Avoidant vs. Schizoid:** A common exam trap. **Avoidant** patients *desire* social interaction but are too shy/fearful; **Schizoid** patients have *no desire* for social relationships and prefer solitude. * **Treatment:** Psychotherapy (CBT/Social skills training) is the mainstay; SSRIs may be used for comorbid anxiety.

Q: All are true about borderline personality disorder except?

Attention seeking behavior. **Explanation:** Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a Cluster B personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability in affect, self-image, and interpersonal relationships. **Why "Attention seeking behavior" is the correct answer:** While patients with BPD may seek attention during crises, **attention-seeking behavior** is the hallmark feature of **Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)**. In HPD, the primary motivation is to be the center of attention, often using physical appearance or provocative behavior. In contrast, the core driver in BPD is the **fear of abandonment** and emotional dysregulation. **Analysis of incorrect options:** * **A. Unstable interpersonal relationship:** This is a core diagnostic criterion. Patients often experience "splitting" (idealization followed by devaluation), leading to intense and chaotic relationships. * **B. Impulsivity:** BPD involves marked impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating). * **D. Self-destructive behavior:** Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats, or self-mutilating behavior (like cutting) is a classic feature of BPD, often used to cope with feelings of emptiness or to prevent perceived abandonment. **Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Defense Mechanism:** The most characteristic defense mechanism in BPD is **Splitting** (viewing people as "all good" or "all bad"). * **Treatment of Choice:** **Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)** is the gold-standard psychotherapy for BPD. * **Micropsychotic episodes:** Under extreme stress, BPD patients may experience transient paranoid ideation or dissociative symptoms. * **Gender:** It is more commonly diagnosed in females.

Q: Which of the following is characteristic of a Type D personality?

Feelings of worry. **Explanation:** **Type D personality** (the "D" stands for **Distressed**) is characterized by two stable personality traits: **Negative Affectivity** and **Social Inhibition**. 1. **Why Option A is correct:** Individuals with Type D personality frequently experience negative emotions across time and situations. This includes **feelings of worry**, irritability, anxiety, and gloom. They also tend to inhibit these emotions in social interactions due to a fear of rejection or disapproval. 2. **Why other options are incorrect:** * **Option B (Achievement-oriented):** This is a hallmark of **Type A personality**, which is characterized by competitiveness, time urgency, and hostility. * **Option C (Reward dependent):** This is one of the four temperament dimensions in **Cloninger’s Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire**. It is often associated with a need for social approval and attachment. * **Option D (Odd and eccentric):** This describes **Cluster A personality disorders** (Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal) as classified in the DSM-5. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Cardiovascular Link:** Type D personality is a significant predictor of poor prognosis in patients with **Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)**. It is associated with increased cortisol levels and chronic inflammation. * **Type A vs. Type B:** Type A is prone to CAD (specifically the "hostility" component), while Type B is relaxed, easy-going, and less competitive. * **Type C:** Often described as "cancer-prone," characterized by being cooperative, unassertive, and suppressing negative emotions (especially anger).

Q: Kleptomania is defined as:

An impulse control disorder. **Explanation:** **Kleptomania** is characterized by the recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal objects that are not needed for personal use or monetary value. 1. **Why Option C is Correct:** Kleptomania is classified as an **Impulse Control Disorder**. The underlying medical concept involves a specific cycle: the individual experiences a rising sense of **tension** before committing the theft, followed by **pleasure, gratification, or relief** at the time of committing the act. Unlike professional shoplifting, the act is not pre-planned and is not motivated by anger or vengeance. 2. **Why Other Options are Incorrect:** * **Option A (Delusional Disorder):** Delusions are fixed, false beliefs. Kleptomania involves a behavioral urge, not a disturbance in thought content or reality testing. * **Option B (Obsession):** Obsessions are intrusive, repetitive thoughts that cause anxiety. While the urge to steal is repetitive, it is "ego-syntonic" during the act (provides pleasure), whereas obsessions are "ego-dystonic" (distressing). * **Option D (Compulsive Seclusion):** This is not a standard psychiatric term. While some patients may isolate due to shame, seclusion is not a defining feature of the pathology. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Gender Ratio:** More common in females (approx. 3:1). * **Comorbidity:** Highly associated with Mood disorders (Depression), Anxiety disorders, and Bulimia Nervosa. * **Legal Aspect:** In forensic psychiatry, kleptomania is rarely accepted as a legal defense for theft because the individual usually knows the act is wrong. * **Treatment:** Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the mainstay; SSRIs or Naltrexone may be used to reduce the "urge."

Question 1

Which of the following is a type of Type A disorder?

Accepted Answer

Achievement oriented

Answer

Magical thinking

Answer

Odd and eccentric

Answer

Pessimistic

Question 2

Which of the following is most closely related to a Type C personality?

Accepted Answer

Avoidant personality disorder

Answer

Histrionic personality disorder

Answer

Paranoid personality disorder

Answer

Narcissistic personality disorder

Question 3

A person who is shy, emotionally cold, shuns close relationships, is introspective, and prefers solitary activities, residing alone, with no delusions or hallucinations, is likely to be classified into which personality disorder?

Accepted Answer

Schizoid personality disorder

Answer

Paranoid personality disorder

Answer

Emotionally unstable personality disorder

Answer

Antisocial personality disorder

Question 4

Anxious, shy, and avoidant symptoms are characteristic of which cluster of personality disorders?

Accepted Answer

Cluster C

Answer

Cluster A

Answer

Cluster B

Answer

Cluster D

Question 5

All are true about borderline personality disorder except?

Accepted Answer

Attention seeking behavior

Answer

Unstable interpersonal relationship

Answer

Impulsivity

Answer

Self destructive behavior

Question 6

All of the following are considered components of personality except:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive processes

Answer

Physical characteristics

Answer

Emotional responses

Answer

Intelligence

Question 7

Which of the following is characteristic of a Type D personality?

Accepted Answer

Feelings of worry

Answer

Achievement-oriented

Answer

Reward dependent

Answer

Odd and eccentric

Question 8

A 25-year-old female presented to the emergency department after an intentional overdose of clonazepam following an argument with her fiancé. Her history revealed a pattern of unstable relationships and previous similar incidents, along with self-inflicted injuries such as cut marks on her wrists. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Borderline personality disorder

Answer

Narcissistic personality disorder

Answer

Histrionic personality disorder

Answer

Anxious personality disorder

Question 9

Markedly inappropriate sensitivity, self-importance, and suspiciousness are clinical features of which personality disorder?

Accepted Answer

Paranoid PD

Answer

Antisocial PD

Answer

Histrionic PD

Answer

Schizoid PD

Question 10

Kleptomania is defined as:

Accepted Answer

An impulse control disorder

Answer

A delusion disorder

Answer

An obsession

Answer

A compulsive seclusion

Personality Disorders — MCQs

Personality Disorders — MCQs

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