Psychiatric Assessment and Fundamentals Q 49
A male client is diagnosed with a schizotypal personality disorder. Which signs would this client exhibit during a social situation?
A. Paranoid thoughts
B. Emotional affect
C. Independence need
D. Aggressive behavior
Correct Answer: A. Paranoid thoughts
Clients with schizotypal personality disorder experience excessive social anxiety that can lead to paranoid thoughts. People with schizotypal personality disorder are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close relationships. They generally don’t understand how relationships form or the impact of their behavior on others. They may also misinterpret others’ motivations and behaviors and develop significant distrust of others. These problems may lead to severe anxiety and a tendency to avoid social situations, as the person with schizotypal personality disorder tends to hold peculiar beliefs and may have difficulty with responding appropriately to social cues.
Option B: People with schizotypal personality disorder are loners who prefer to keep their distance from others and are uncomfortable being in relationships. They sometimes exhibit odd speech or behavior, and they have a limited or flat range of emotions. This pattern begins early in adulthood and continues throughout life. Those with this disorder also tend to have markedly illogical thinking, with unusual ideas or odd beliefs that are not consistent with prevailing ideas, for example, a strong belief in extrasensory perception (ESP). They may report unusual perceptions or strange body experiences.
Option C: People with schizotypal personality disorder are loners who prefer to keep their distance from others and are uncomfortable being in relationships. They sometimes exhibit odd speech or behavior, and they have a limited or flat range of emotions. This pattern begins early in adulthood and continues throughout life.
Option D: Many people with schizotypal personality disorder have subtle difficulties with memory, learning, and attention. They usually do not have the more severe and disabling psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations that appear in schizophrenia. However, people with a schizotypal personality disorder do sometimes develop schizophrenia.