A 27-Year-Old Man Is Brought to a Family Therapist by His

question 106

Multiple Choice

A 27-year-old man is brought to a family therapist by his wife following a violent outburst in which he nearly injured her.  They were having what seemed like a minor argument over a miscommunication about her being late when he suddenly flew into a rage, started shouting, and threw several plates against the wall.  His wife is now threatening to leave him because similar episodes keep happening despite his promise to control his anger.  The patient is remorseful and says, "I have been getting into trouble because of my temper since high school.  Once I get angry, I feel out of control and it's impossible to stop."  The patient has no medical history.  He drinks beer and uses cannabis to relax approximately 2-3 times a month.  Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

• A)Antisocial personality disorder
• B)Bipolar disorder, manic episode
• C)Borderline personality disorder
• D)Conduct disorder
• E)Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
• F)Intermittent explosive disorder
• G)Phencyclidine intoxication

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Definitions:

Availability

The extent to which a resource or service can be used or obtained.

Representativeness Heuristic

A cognitive shortcut used in decision making and judgments, where the likelihood of an object or event is assessed based on how closely it matches the typical case or stereotype.

Preexisting Beliefs

Ideas or convictions that an individual holds before being exposed to new information or experiences.

Availability Heuristic

A mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision.