Personality Disorders Essay examples -- Papers

Personality Disorders Personality disorders indicate the presence of chronic rigid and maladjusted personality traits, through which the person's interpersonal or professional functioning is negatively affected, or which lead to personal unhappiness and problems (Louw, 1990). Discuss this statement from a biopsychosocial frame of reference and refer to one personality disorder in any cluster to illustrate your answer. The Biopsychosocial model: ========================== The biopsychosocial model (Engel, 1980, cited in Paris, 1993) suggests an integrated approach that understands psychopathology in terms of multiple causes, none of which is sufficient on its own for the development of the disorder. These factors could include biological vulnerability, the psychological impacts of life experiences and the influence of the social environment all of which may factor as risk variables or protective variables. The biopsychosocial model differs from more linear cause and effect approaches such as heredity in that it is only the cumulative interactive effects of the multiple variables can produce the overt disorder. Personality disorders ===================== Personality disorders are characterised by inflexible and longstanding maladaptive personality traits that cause significant impairment and subjective distress for the individual. The signs of a personality disorder display in adolescence or early adulthood. Individuals differ to the extent that they possess Personality traits and it may be difficult to decide whether the trait exists to an extent that can be considered pathol... ...tice, 10, (2), 161-165. Hayes, S. J. (2002, Mar) Acceptance, mindfulness and science. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9, (1), 101-106. Klein, M.H. (1993, Spring). Issues in the assesment of personality disorders. Journal of Personality Disorders. Supplement 1, 18-33. Morey, L.C. (1993, Spring). Psychological correlates of personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, Supplement 1, 149-166. Paris, J. (1993). Personality disorders: A biopsychosocial model. Journal of Personality Disorders, 7(3), 255-264. Sue, D., Sue, D, W. & Sue, S. (2000). Understanding abnormal behaviour. (6th ed). USA: Houghton Mifflin Vincent, K.R. (1990). The relationship between personality disorders, normality and healthy personality: Personality on a continuum. Social Behavior and Personality, 18(2), 245-250.