Personality disorders: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Psychiatry · Personality disorders

Sample item

A 24-year-old woman has unstable relationships, impulsive spending, recurrent self-cutting, chronic emptiness and intense fear of abandonment. Which psychotherapy has the best evidence for her?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Dialectical behaviour therapy

The picture is borderline personality disorder. Dialectical behaviour therapy, developed by Linehan, combines acceptance with change strategies and reduces self-harm and suicidality. Mentalisation-based therapy and transference-focused therapy are other evidence-based options.

Option by option

  • A. Electroconvulsive therapy

    ECT is not a treatment for borderline personality disorder.

  • B. Exposure and response prevention

    Exposure and response prevention is the therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

  • C. Systematic desensitisation

    Systematic desensitisation is used for phobias.

  • D. Dialectical behaviour therapy (correct)

    Correct. DBT is the best-studied therapy for borderline personality disorder.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Psychiatry questions

Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is D, Dialectical behaviour therapy. The picture is borderline personality disorder.

Why is "Electroconvulsive therapy" not the answer?

ECT is not a treatment for borderline personality disorder.

Why is "Exposure and response prevention" not the answer?

Exposure and response prevention is the therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Why is "Systematic desensitisation" not the answer?

Systematic desensitisation is used for phobias.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Personality disorders in Psychiatry. Dialectical behaviour therapy, developed by Linehan, combines acceptance with change strategies and reduces self-harm and suicidality. Mentalisation-based therapy and transference-focused therapy are other evidence-based options.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Personality disorders?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.