Functional Psychiatric Disorders

Question 1

What are functional psychiatric disorders?

Answer 1

They are defined as conditions in which patients present with psychiatric features for which there is no obtainable organic cause

Question 2

What are the seven functional psychiatric disorders?

Answer 2

Somatisation Disorder

Illness Anxiety Disorder

Conversion Disorder

Dissociative Disorder

Factitious Disorder

Malingering

Othello Syndrome

Question 3

What is somatisation disorder?

Answer 3

This is defined as the presentation of multiple physical clinical features for a period of at least two years

These patients refuse to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 4

How do we remember the features of somatisation disorder?

Answer 4

Somatisation = Symptoms

Question 5

What is another term for illness anxiety disorder?

Answer 5

Hypochondriasis

Question 6

What is illness anxiety disorder?

Answer 6

It is defined as the persistent belief in the presence of an underlying serious disease, such as cancer

These patients refuse to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 7

How do we remember the features of hypochondriasis?

Answer 7

hypoChondriasis = Cancer

Question 8

What is another term for conversion disorder?

Answer 8

Functional neurological disorder

Question 9

What is conversion disorder?

Answer 9

It is defined as a loss of motor/sensory function with no obtainable organic cause

Question 10

What is a common cause of conversion disorder?

Answer 10

Stress

Question 11

What are the five clincial features associated with conversion disorder?

Answer 11

Neuropathic Pain

Motor Weakness

Tremor

Ataxia

Seizures

Question 12

What are two clincial examination features associated with conversion disorder?

Answer 12

Hoover’s sign

Drop arm sign

Question 13

How do we conduct the Hoover’s test?

Answer 13

It involves the patient being placed in a supine position, in which the examiner places their hand under the patient’s heel

The patient is then instructed to press their heels down onto the table, followed by elevation of the limb against downward resistance applied by the examiner

Question 14

What is a positive Hoover’s test?

Answer 14

It occurs when flexion of the unaffected leg against resistance, results in involuntary extension of the affected leg

Question 15

How do we conduct the drop-arm test?

Answer 15

It nvolves the examiner standing behind the seated patient and passively abducting the patient’s arms to 90 degrees and full external rotation, whilst supporting the arm at the elbow

The examiner then releases the elbow support and asks the patient to slowly lower the arm back to neutral

Question 16

What is a positive drop-arm test?

Answer 16

It occurs when the patient unconsciously exhibits a controlled drop to prevent the arm from hitting their face

Question 17

What is dissociative disorder?

Answer 17

It is defined as a disconnection between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions and identity from normal consciousness

Question 18

What is another term for factitious disorder?

Answer 18

Munchausen’s syndrome

Question 19

What is factitious disorder?

Answer 19

It is defined as the intentional production of physiological or psychological symptoms

Question 20

What is malingering?

Answer 20

It is defined as fraudulent simulation or exaggeration of clinical features, with intention of financial or other gain - such as drug administration

Question 21

What is Othello syndrome?

Answer 21

It is defined as pathological jealousy, in which individuals most commonly believe that their partner is not faithful