Question

Difficulty: HardPersonality Disorders

Match each clinical vignette with the most appropriate personality disorder diagnosis.

  • A 45-year-old physician demands a dedicated parking spot, frequently belittles nursing staff for 'lacking intellectual depth,' and reacts with explosive rage when patients request a second opinion.Narcissistic personality disorder
  • A 32-year-old manager refuses to delegate tasks because others 'cannot do them correctly,' frequently misses deadlines due to endless formatting revisions, and rigidly adheres to scheduling rules.Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
  • A 50-year-old engineer repeatedly files HR grievances claiming baseless sabotage by colleagues, meticulously guards personal information, and constantly questions the loyalty of his team without exhibiting bizarre delusions.Paranoid personality disorder
  • A 26-year-old artist uses idiosyncratic phrasing, believes he possesses a 'sixth sense' to read emotional auras, and has severe social anxiety that remains intense despite prolonged familiarity with peers.Schizotypal personality disorder

Answer

The 45-year-old physician matches Narcissistic personality disorder. The 32-year-old manager matches Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. The 50-year-old engineer matches Paranoid personality disorder. The 26-year-old artist matches Schizotypal personality disorder.
Each vignette represents a distinct personality disorder characterized by pervasive, inflexible, and maladaptive patterns of behavior. The physician demonstrates Narcissistic PD through grandiosity and entitlement. The manager demonstrates OCPD through rigid perfectionism. The engineer demonstrates Paranoid PD through unwarranted suspiciousness. The artist demonstrates Schizotypal PD through magical thinking and eccentric behavior.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first vignette for core interpersonal dynamics.
Identifies grandiosity, entitlement, lack of empathy, and hypersensitivity to criticism (narcissistic injury).
These are the diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic personality disorder (Cluster B).
2
Evaluate the second vignette's focus on work and rules.
Identifies rigid perfectionism, reluctance to delegate, and over-devotion to work at the expense of efficiency.
These features define Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (Cluster C), which is ego-syntonic unlike OCD.
3
Assess the third vignette for psychotic versus personality disorder features.
Identifies pervasive distrust, guardedness, and interpreting motives as malevolent, but specifically notes the absence of bizarre delusions.
This rules out psychotic disorders and confirms Paranoid personality disorder (Cluster A).
4
Examine the fourth vignette for oddities in thought and behavior.
Identifies magical thinking (sixth sense), odd speech, and paranoid social anxiety that does not habituate.
These are the classic cognitive and perceptual distortions characteristic of Schizotypal personality disorder (Cluster A).

Key Concept

Differentiating personality disorders based on core clinical features, defense mechanisms, and interpersonal deficits across Clusters A, B, and C.
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