Critiquing Personality Disorder

In order to work effectively with people with personality disorders it is important that Mental Health Social Workers (MHSWs) have a clear understanding of trauma and its impact on the person. It is also important that they have good relational skills and the support of the team and organisation. Drawing on an analysis of the similarities (and differences) in service user and MHSWs’ perspectives, the book outlines the further skills, knowledge and conditions that will help them to make a more effective contribution to the support of those with personality disorder. The book will appeal to qualified Mental Health Social Workers and those on Post-Qualifying Programmes because, uniquely, it explores personality disorder from a social work perspective.

Essays written by social work master's degree students responding to the categories of psychological diagnosis issued by the American Psychiatric Association.

Scientific Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Psychology - Personality Psychology, grade: A+, , language: English, abstract: This word is a critique of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) in terms of its reliability, validity and other psychometric issues. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) is a test that was developed by Raskin and Hall (1979) in order to measure the personality trait of narcissism for research in social psychology. It is the most commonly used test to measure Narcissism, in fact, it is used in over 75% of studies on Narcissism and is based on the definition found in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Research suggests that there are two variants of Narcissism: Grandiose narcissism which is characterized by arrogance, over-inflation of one’s qualities such as talent or intelligence, sense of entitlement, as well as the tendency to denigrate others in order to boost their own self-esteem. Vulnerable Narcissism on the other hand, is characterized by self-inhibition, and the desire for approval by others and emotional instability, but vulnerable narcissists still have unrealistically high expectations of themselves, such as the attainment of unlimited power and money and personal features such as beauty. The NPI was not meant to be used for diagnostic purposes, that is, for the clinical diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is a mental illness characterized by an extremely fragile sense of self and significant life impairments. This disorder is generally assessed by using other tests such as the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI). The NPI is intended to measure the normal (sub-clinical) levels of narcissism that can be commonly found among the general population. This means that even if an individual obtains a high score on the NPI, it may not mean that they have Narcissistic Personality Disorder per se.

Feminist Perspectives in Therapy: Empowering Diverse Womenaddresses core issues in feminist psychological practice along withstrategies and techniques for understanding the development andexperiences of women throughout their lives. Two leading feministpsychologists provide a model that integrates feminist andmulticultural theory and practice, incorporating both internal andexternal sources of women's psychological distress andwell-being. This Second Edition is filled with valuable information on thelatest developments in research and major issues faced bytherapists treating women, along with clinical case studies thatprovide practical examples of how to put theory intopractice. Topics covered include: * Promoting physical and psychological health * Confronting interpersonal abuse and violence * Balancing career and family * Integrating multicultural and diversity issues * Negotiating relationships Complete with self-assessment activities, experimental exercises,and resources for further reading, Feminist Perspectives inTherapy: Empowering Diverse Women, Second Edition is a practicalbook for students and a valuable resource for mental healthprofessionals.

The fascinating and controversial history of personality disorders. The concept of personality disorders rose to prominence in the early twentieth century and has consistently caused controversy among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social scientists. In Personality Disorders, Allan V. Horwitz traces the evolution of defining these disorders and the historical dilemmas of attempting to mold them into traditional medical conceptions of disorder. Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, as a guide, Horwitz explores the group of conditions that make up personality disorders and considers when they have been tied to or separated from other types of mental illnesses. He also examines how these disorders have often entailed negative moral and cultural evaluations more focused on perceived social deviance than on actual medical conditions. Deep conflicts exist in a variety of disciplines in determining the nature of these disorders. During the twentieth century, a particularly sharp division arose between researchers who study personality disorders and the clinicians who treat them. Because researchers strive to develop general laws and clinicians attempt to understand individuals' specific problems, their values, methods, and goals often conflict. Synthesizing historical and contemporary scholarship, Horwitz examines controversies over the definitions and diagnoses of personality disorders and how the perception of these illnesses has changed over time.

The DSM-5 promises to be a major reformulation of psychopathology, and no section is likely to change diagnostic practice more than that of personality pathology. Unlike the DSM-IV, the DSM-5 personality disorders will be conceptualized as involving core deficits in interpersonal and self-functioning, and will utilize a hybrid assessment model involving both pathological trait dimensions and a limited set of personality disorder types. These changes are based on empirical and theoretical work conducted during the era of DSM-III/IV, but nevertheless there is significant disagreement among personality assessors regarding the DSM-5 proposal. In this volume, several members of the DSM-5 work group offer rationales for the proposal and offer empirical evidence regarding suggested changes, and several personality assessment researchers critique the proposal and offer alternative conceptualizations. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Personality Assessment.

An Evidence-Based Critique of Contemporary Psychoanalysis assesses the state of psychoanalysis in the 21st century. Joel Paris examines areas where analysis needs to develop a stronger scientific and clinical base, and to integrate its ideas with modern clinical psychology and psychiatry. While psychoanalysis has declined as an independent discipline, it continues to play a major role in clinical thought. Paris explores the extent to which analysis has gained support from recent empirical research. He argues that it could revive its influence by establishing a stronger relationship to science, whilst looking at the state of current research. For clinical applications, he suggests while convincing evidence is lacking to support long-term treatment, brief psychoanalytic therapy, lasting for a few months, has been shown to be relatively effective for common mental disorders. For theory, Paris reviews changes in the psychoanalytic paradigm, most particularly the shift from a theory based largely on intrapsychic mechanisms to the more interpersonal approach of attachment theory. He also reviews the interfaces between psychoanalysis and other disciplines, ranging from "neuropsychoanalysis" to the incorporation of analytic theory into post-modern models popular in the humanities. An Evidence-Based Critique of Contemporary Psychoanalysis concludes by examining the legacy of psychoanalysis and making recommendations for integration into broader psychological theory and psychotherapy. It will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic psychotherapists, and scholars and practitioners across the mental health professions interested in the future and influence of the field.

This text provides a summary of what is currently known about the diagnosis, assessment, construct validity, etiology, pathology, and treatment of personality disorders. It also provides extensive coverage of the many controversial changes for the DSM-5, including chapters by proponents and opponents to these changes.