Personality Disorders

CE Course Description

Patients experiencing personality disorders present with unique experiences and challenges. They require treatment to learn effective coping strategies and reduce difficult symptoms. It is necessary for mental health professionals to be trained on how to identify a patient presenting with a personality disorder and how to treat their symptoms. This course will review information regarding the ten personality disorders that are identified on three different clusters: A, B, and C. It will discuss diagnosis, comorbid conditions, treatment, and review case studies.

Author: Sara Amundson, MSW

CE Course Objectives

1. Explore the symptoms, presentation, and diagnosis of personality disorders
2. Identify comorbid conditions that are common for patients with personality disorders
3. Discuss how personality disorders may contribute to suicide ideation and criminal behavior
4. Review personality disorder treatment options
5. Examine difficulties for clinicians in treatment and review certification options

CE Course Outline

Introduction (4 mins)

1. Brief overview of personality disorders and their significance in clinical practice (4 mins)

Section 1: What is a Personality Disorder? (8 mins)

1. Definition and general symptoms of personality disorders (2 mins)
2. Overview of the three clusters of personality disorders (3 mins)
   1. Cluster A: Odd or eccentric disorders (1 min)
   2. Cluster B: Dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders (1 min)
   3. Cluster C: Anxious or fearful disorders (1 min)
3. Section summary (3 mins)

Section 2: Cluster A Personality Disorders (10 mins)

1. Presentation of patients with Cluster A disorders (4 mins)
2. Description and treatment of the three disorders in Cluster A (4 mins)
   1. Paranoid Personality Disorder (2 mins)
   2. Schizoid Personality Disorder (1 min)
   3. Schizotypal Personality Disorder (1 min)
3. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 3: Cluster B Personality Disorders (13 mins)

1. Presentation of patients with Cluster B disorders (4 mins)
2. Description and treatment of the disorders in Cluster B (4 mins)
   1. Antisocial Personality Disorder (2 min)
   2. Borderline Personality Disorder (2 min)
   3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder (2 min)
   4. Histrionic Personality Disorder (1 min)
3. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 4: Cluster C Personality Disorders (12 mins)

1. Presentation of patients with Cluster C disorders (4 mins)
2. Description and treatment of the disorders in Cluster C (4 mins)
   1. Avoidant Personality Disorder (2 mins)
   2. Dependent Personality Disorder (2 min)
   3. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (2 min)
3. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 5: Treatment Challenges for Clinicians (10 mins)

1. Disorders that are particularly challenging to treat (4 mins)
2. Stigma associated with personality disorders and its impact (4 mins)
3. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 6: Comorbidity of Personality Disorders and Substance Use (12 mins)

1. Exploring the relationship between substance use and personality disorders (5 mins)
2. Strategies for treating substance use in patients with personality disorders (5 mins)
3. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 7: Other Comorbid Conditions (5 mins)

1. Common comorbidities associated with personality disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression) (3 mins)
2. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 8: Personality Disorders and Suicidal Ideation (8 mins)

1. The relationship between personality disorders and suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts (4 mins)
2. Preparing clinicians to support patients with suicidal ideation (3 mins)
3. Section summary (1 min)

Section 9: Personality Disorders and Criminal Behavior (6 mins)

1. Examining the connection between personality disorders and criminal behavior (3 mins)
2. Understanding the increased likelihood of violence in these patients (2 mins)
3. Section summary (1 min)

Section 10: Training for Clinicians (10 mins)

1. Key treatment modalities for clinicians working with personality disorders (6 mins)
   1. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (3 mins)
   2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (3 mins)
   3. Schema Therapy (2 min)
2. Section summary (2 mins)

Section 11: Case Studies (18 mins)

1. Jennifer (3 mins)
2. Carlos (3 mins)
3. Jackson (3 mins)
4. Ashley (3 mins)
5. Harold (3 mins)
6. Catherine (3 mins)

Conclusion (4 mins)

1. Recap of key points (2 mins)
2. Importance of compassionate, informed, and evidence-based approaches to care (2 mins)