Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

Question 1

Category of disorders defined by anxiety about health and excessive focus on physical symptoms

Answer 1

Somatic symptom and related disorders

Question 2

What are 2 neurobiological factors in the shared etiology of somatic symptom and related disorders?

Answer 2

• Increased activity in anterior insula and anterior cingulate (both of which are strongly connected with the somatosensory cortex)
• Stress hormones

Question 3

How does reinforcement play a role in somatic symptom and related disorders?

Answer 3

When the person assumes the role of being sick, they may seek reassurance, which may be reinforced if they get attention or sympathy.

Question 4

Somatic symptom and related disorder involving extreme and long-lasting focus on multiple physical symptoms for which no medical cause is evident

Answer 4

Somatic symptom disorder

Question 5

How long should the distress over somatic symptom(s) persist to meet the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 5

Typically more than 6 months

Question 6

True or False: 1 somatic symptom should be continuously present for more than 6 months to meet the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder.

Answer 6

False

Any one somatic symptom may not be continuously present, but the state of being symptomatic should be persistent.

Question 7

True or False: Somatic symptoms without an evident medical explanation are sufficient to make the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder.

Answer 7

False

It is not sufficient to make this diagnosis.

Question 8

True or False: Somatic symptom disorder and a concurrent medical illness are not mutually exclusive.

Answer 8

True

They frequently occur together.

Question 9

From a psychological perspective, where do individuals with somatic symptom disorder get their dysfunctional illness beliefs and attitudes from?

Answer 9

Parents who catastrophize their somatic symptoms (which is modeled by the individual)

Question 10

State at least 3 social contributions to the development of somatic symptom disorder.

Answer 10

• Childhood neglect by parents who somatize
• Family history of physical illness
• Early trauma
• Low socioeconomic status
• Low educational attainment

Question 11

What medication is prescribed to reduce chronic pain and distress in somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 11

Antidepressants

Question 12

Apart from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), state 1 psychotherapy approach used to treat somatic symptom disorder.

Answer 12

• Psychodynamic therapy
• Third-wave therapies (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy [ACT])

Question 13

Somatic symptom and related disorder involving severe anxiety over the belief in having a disease without any evident physical cause

Answer 13

Illness anxiety disorder

Question 14

What is the minimum duration for illness preoccupation in illness anxiety disorder?

Answer 14

At least 6 months

Question 15

What are the 2 specifiers of illness anxiety disorder

Answer 15

1. Care-seeking type
2. Care-avoidant type

Question 16

A mistaken, difficult-to-share belief that one has a disease

Answer 16

Disease conviction

Question 17

True or False: Reassurance and education can be effective in some cases with health anxiety.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Somatic symptom and related disorder characterized by physical malfunctioning that suggests neurological impairment but with no organic pathology to account for it

Answer 18

Functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder)

Question 19

True or False: The term conversion disorder originated with Jean-Martin Charcot.

Answer 19

False

The term originated with Sigmund Freud, who thought that anxiety and psychological conflcit were converted into physical symptoms.

Question 20

True or False: The diagnosis of functional neurological symptom disorder should be made when the results from investigations are normal or when the symptom is bizarre.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

Conversion symptom defined by the loss of the sense of smell

Answer 21

Anosmia

Question 22

Conversion symptom that occurs when the person experiences little or no sensation in the hand and lower arm

Answer 22

Glove anesthesia

Question 23

Seizures that are psychological in origin

Answer 23

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

Question 24

Conversion symptom characterized by the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes it difficult to swallow, eat, or sometimes talk

Answer 24

Globus hystericus

Question 25

Phenomenon in which the visual field is constricted, as it would be if the person were peering through a tube

Answer 25

Tunnel vision

Question 26

Conversion symptom whereby the individual loses their voice other than whispered speech

Answer 26

Aphonia

Question 27

Phenomenon characterized by a lack of concern about one's conversion symptoms

Answer 27

La belle indifference

Question 28

The course of functional neurological symptom disorder is often persistent.

Answer 28

False ## Footnote The course can be transient and may often disappear after a time, only to return later in the same or similar form when a new stressor occurs.

Question 29

Freud's term for reduction in anxiety from transferring psychic energy attached to repressed emotions or memories to physical symptoms

Answer 29

Primary gain

Question 30

Freud's term for benefits gained, such as receiving attention and concern and being relieved of obligation and expectations, that reinforce the conversion symptoms

Answer 30

Secondary gain

Question 31

What psychological factor is implicated in functional neurological symptom disorder, in which sensory or motor functions are dissociated from consciousness in reaction to extreme stress?

Answer 31

Spontaneous self-hypnosis

Question 32

What parenting style contributes to the development of functional neurological symptom disorder?

Answer 32

Overinvolved or overprotective parenting

Question 33

State 2 sociocultural contributions in the development of functional neurological symptom disorder.

Answer 33

* Repressive sexual attitudes * Low educational attainment * Low socioeconomic status (SES)

Question 34

State 2 psychotherapy approaches used to treat functional neurological symptom disorder.

Answer 34

* Psychoanalytic therapy * Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Question 35

**True or False:** Psychodynamic treatment for somatic symptom and related disorders shows long-term effectiveness in alleviating physical symptoms.

Answer 35

False ## Footnote It is only effective in the short term.

Question 36

State at least 2 behavioral strategies in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for somatic symptom and related disorders.

Answer 36

* Exposure * Assertiveness training * Social skills training

Question 37

Disorder defined by deliberate faking of a physical or psychological disorder motivated by gain

Answer 37

Malingering

Question 38

**True or False:** Malingerers are fully aware of what they are doing.

Answer 38

True

Question 39

Disorder whereby the individual deliberately fakes a nonexistent physical or psychological disorder for no apparent gain except possibly sympathy and attention

Answer 39

Factitious disorder

Question 40

Condition when an individual deliberately makes someone else sick

Answer 40

Factitious disorder imposed on another (*Munchausen syndrome by proxy*)

Question 41

**True or False:** In factitious disorder imposed on another, the individual who is deliberately making someone else sick is aware of their abuse.

Answer 41

False ## Footnote Awareness of abuse is not usually present.

Question 42

Other specified somatic symptom and related disorder characterized by a false belief of being pregnant that is associated with objective signs and reported symptoms of pregnancy

Answer 42

Pseudocyesis