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OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is schizotypal personality disorder. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how schizotypal personality disorder will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS CONDITION (ON EXAMS)
When it comes to standardized exams, each topic has its own “code” marked by key buzzwords, lab findings, clues, etc. If you are well versed in this code you will be able to more quickly identify the condition that is being discussed, and get the right answer on the exam you are taking. Below is the “code” for schizotypal personality disorder.
- Refusal to socialize: patients typically live alone and do not like to socialize/work with others.
- Disinterest in sex: this detail is fairly specific to this personality disorder. Patines may have never had sex and/or be interested in having it.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 45 year old man comes to the office due to a swollen elbow he sustained during an incident when he tripped while walking outside his apartment. He blames his injury on “negative energy” he was getting form the next door neighbor whom he believes doesn’t like him. The patient thinks he has a “special sense” to detect “negative people” but has no belief that anyone has a plot to harm him. He refuses an X-ray because he believes it will interfere with his “positive energy”. The patient live alone, does not have many friends, and has worked for a long time in a used record store. He generally does not engage in social situations because they make him feel anxious. The patient is dressed in multiple layers of mismatched closers, has a flat affect, and barely make eye contact. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Explanation # 1
Question # 2
A 60-year-old woman lives alone in a run-down home, although her family members have tried persistently to improve her living situation. She wears odd and out-of-fashion clothes and searches in her neighbors trash for redeemable cans and bottles. She is very wary of her neighbors. She was convinced for a brief time that her neighbors were plotting against her after she was mugged and by a teenager, but now thinks that this is not the case. She believes in the “power of healing crystals to protect me” and has them strewn throughout her home. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Explanation # 2
TESTABLE FACTS ABOUT THIS TOPIC (BEYOND ITS IDENTIFICATION)
Many questions on standardized exams go beyond simply recognizing the underlying topic. Often there are specific testable facts regarding some aspect of the topic’s pathophysiology/management/clinical implications that are commonly asked. Some of these are listed below:
Page Updated: 09.13.2016