While the nurse at the personality disorders clinic is interviewing a patient, the patient constantly scans the environment and frequently interrupts to ask what the nurse means by certain words or phrases. The nurse notes that the patient is very sensitive to the nurse's nonverbal behavior. His responses are often argumentative, sarcastic, and hostile. He suggests that he is being hospitalized 'so they can exploit me.' The patient's behaviors are most consistent with the clinical picture of:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: paranoid personality disorder. The patient's behaviors align with the diagnostic criteria for paranoid personality disorder, characterized by suspicion, distrust, sensitivity to criticism, and interpreting benign interactions as threatening. The patient's constant scanning of the environment, interrupting to clarify meanings, being sensitive to nonverbal cues, and displaying argumentative and hostile responses are all indicative of paranoid traits. Additionally, the belief that hospitalization is for exploitation is consistent with paranoid beliefs.
Choices B, C, and D can be ruled out:
B: Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by attention-seeking behavior, emotional instability, and dramatic expression. The patient's behaviors are not suggestive of seeking attention or being overly dramatic.
C: Avoidant personality disorder is marked by social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. The patient's behaviors are more indicative of suspiciousness rather than avoidance.
D: Narcissistic personality disorder involves grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of