How are personality disorders diagnosed and clinically described using traditional and alternative methods? o What are the symptoms of paranoid, antisocial, and avoidant personality disorders? o What personality cluster best fits with Mary’s presentation, and which disorder most specifically describes her condition? o What aspect of her behavior, over time, is the most central to your diagnosis? o What aspect of her “symptom picture” might mislead you to an erroneous diagnosis, and what might that incorrect diagnosis be? o What treatment approach(es) would best address the disorder? Identify the legal and ethical issues. o At what point could outside agents legally intervene in this case? o Who could intervene, and what steps could each actor take? o If she committed a crime, would she be legally competent to stand trial? Why? What issues are involved in this decision? o What aspects of her symptom pattern would suggest/justify a need for civil commitment?
