Question 1

Anita's parents are from India and continue to follow the traditions of that country. Her parents have matched a husband for her, and she is to be married in two weeks. One morning, however, Anita wakes up paralyzed, and has no use of her legs. A thorough medical examination can find nothing physically wrong that would account for Anita's paralysis. Anita would most likely be diagnosed with ____.

Accepted Answer

Anita's symptoms are indicative of functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder), where psychological stress or conflict is converted into physical symptoms without an identifiable physical cause. Her impending arranged marriage, which may be causing her significant stress or conflict, could be the psychological trigger for her paralysis.

Question 2

Bethany has spent the past ten years in and out of hospitals. She suffers from numerous physical complaints including severe hip, joint, leg, and head pain, and frequent bouts of diarrhea and bloating, and often reports breathing problems. Although numerous doctors and extensive tests revealed no physical problems, Bethany still reports vague symptoms of physical problems. Her problems would best fit a diagnosis of ____.

Accepted Answer

Bethany's experience of having numerous physical complaints with no identifiable medical cause fits the criteria for somatic symptom disorder. This condition is characterized by an excessive focus on physical symptoms, such as pain or fatigue, that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning, even when no medical explanation is found.

Question 3

Because glove anesthesia does not correspond to the distribution of nerve pathways in the body, it leads to a diagnosis of ____.

Accepted Answer

Glove anesthesia, where a person experiences a loss of sensation in the hand and wrist that does not align with the way nerves are distributed in the body, is a classic symptom of functional neurological symptom disorder (formerly known as conversion disorder). This condition involves neurological symptoms that can't be explained by medical or neurological conditions.

Question 4

Pain is to ____ as paralysis and absence of pain are to ____.

Accepted Answer

Pain is a key feature of somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain (previously known as pain disorder), where the primary symptom is significant pain with psychological factors playing a significant role in the onset, severity, exacerbation, or maintenance of the pain. Paralysis and absence of pain, which are symptoms that can't be explained by medical conditions, are characteristic of functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder), where symptoms affect voluntary motor or sensory functions suggesting a neurological or other general medical condition.

Question 5

Tulugaq, an Inuit, experiences dissociative-like episodes that are accompanied by extreme excitement. He often performs aggressive and dangerous acts, although he does not remember them. One of his recent episodes was followed by convulsions and he went into a coma for two days. Tulugaq suffers from ____.

Accepted Answer

Piblokto, also known as Arctic hysteria, is a culture-bound syndrome found in Inuit societies, characterized by dissociative episodes, extreme excitement, and sometimes aggressive or dangerous behavior, followed by amnesia for the event. Tulugaq's symptoms align with this description.

Question 6

As Will approaches the witness stand, he stops and clutches his throat. He has to leave the courtroom because he is unable to speak. If he has no other symptoms, his condition might be diagnosed as ____.

Accepted Answer

Will's symptoms suggest a functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder), where psychological stress manifests as physical symptoms without an underlying medical cause. Panic disorder and agoraphobia involve intense fear or anxiety, and factitious disorder involves intentionally producing or faking symptoms for a psychological need to assume a sick role, which doesn't align with Will's sudden, symptom-specific distress.

Question 7

Sharon frequently causes diarrhea in her three-year-old daughter by feeding her spoiled milk and rotten eggs. When the child is repeatedly hospitalized, Sharon acts like a very worried and caring mother. Because Sharon is not playing the sick role and receives no obvious reward for her behavior, her appropriate diagnosis is ____.

Accepted Answer

Sharon's behavior fits the description of factitious disorder imposed on another (previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy), where an individual deliberately causes illness or injury to someone else (in this case, her daughter) to gain attention and sympathy for themselves as a caring caregiver, without direct benefit to themselves from the illness.

Question 8

Marge has gone to doctors with more than twenty different somatic complaints in the past year and has had surgery four times. She has few anxiety or depressive symptoms, but doctors never satisfy her when they say, "There's nothing wrong with you physically." What is unusual about this patient?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder often includes psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety, which can accompany the physical symptoms, making the condition more complex and challenging to treat.

Question 9

"Persistent preoccupation with one's health despite consistent medical evaluations showing no organic problems" is a definition of ____.

Accepted Answer

Illness anxiety disorder, previously known as hypochondriasis, is characterized by a persistent fear or belief of having a serious, undiagnosed medical illness despite medical evaluation and reassurance.

Question 10

Which individual has symptoms that most likely indicate a possible functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder)?

Accepted Answer

Functional neurological symptom disorder, previously known as conversion disorder, involves neurological symptoms that are inconsistent with or cannot be fully explained by medical or neurological conditions. Joan's report of paralysis without muscle atrophy is characteristic of this disorder, as the symptoms are not aligned with what would be expected from a neurological or medical standpoint (e.g., muscle atrophy following prolonged paralysis).

Question 11

Conversion disorder used to be called ____.

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder was historically referred to as hysteria. This term was used to describe a condition where psychological distress is expressed through physical symptoms.

Question 12

Yassir has been under great stress at work. He tells his doctor that he cannot feel his hand from his wrist to his fingertips. He says it is as though all the feeling in the nerves has been cut off at the wrist. The doctor, knowing how nerves are distributed, will probably see Yassir as having ____.

Accepted Answer

Yassir's symptoms, where he reports a loss of sensation in his hand that does not align with the typical distribution of nerve pathways (since nerves run throughout the arm and hand in a complex network, not stopping at the wrist), suggest a psychological cause rather than a neurological or physical one. This aligns with a functional neurological symptom disorder (formerly known as conversion disorder), where patients experience neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical or neurological conditions.

Question 13

Monica complains of chest and head pains, amnesia, nausea, and sexual problems. She goes from doctor to doctor, but none can find a physical cause for her complaints. Stephen suddenly becomes blind one day shortly after his boss gives him several stressful deadlines. There is no physiological explanation for his blindness. Monica best illustrates ____, whereas Stephen best illustrates ____.

Accepted Answer

Monica's symptoms, which include a variety of physical complaints without a physical cause, best illustrate somatic symptom disorder (previously known as somatization disorder). Stephen's sudden blindness, which also lacks a physical cause, is an example of functional neurological symptom disorder (previously known as conversion disorder), where psychological stress is converted into physical symptoms.

Question 14

Suppose you are the director of a mental health clinic in a neighborhood where many immigrants from India, China, and Korea live. You could expect that clients coming from these Asian backgrounds would ____.

Accepted Answer

In many Asian cultures, expressing emotional distress directly is often stigmatized. Instead, it's common for individuals to express psychological stress through physical symptoms, as this is more socially acceptable. This cultural tendency means that individuals from these backgrounds may be more likely to present physical complaints as a reaction to stress.

Question 15

Which symptom is necessary for a diagnosis of illness anxiety disorder?

Accepted Answer

Illness anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry about having a serious, undetected medical illness despite having few or no symptoms, making option C the correct answer.

Question 16

Worldwide, the most common forms of somatic symptom disorder symptoms are ____.

Accepted Answer

Gastrointestinal complaints and abnormal skin sensations are the most common forms of somatic symptom disorder symptoms worldwide.

Question 17

Barbie has complained of an unexplained illness for several years. She has had many painful and high-risk surgeries and other treatments, which she has willingly undergone. In fact, she seems to enjoy playing the "sick role." She gets extremely angry when anyone questions whether she really has an actual physical problem. These symptoms suggest that Barbie suffers from ____.

Accepted Answer

Barbie's enjoyment of playing the "sick role" and willingness to undergo painful and high-risk treatments without clear medical necessity suggests she may have a factitious disorder. This condition is characterized by intentionally fabricating or inducing symptoms of illness in oneself for the primary purpose of assuming the sick role, rather than for external incentives (which would be malingering).

Question 18

Barbara is in a car accident and experiences neck pain immediately afterward. Doctors say that any injury to her neck will heal within two weeks of the accident. Nine months later, Barbara begins to visit her doctor weekly, saying the pain is still unbearable and she needs stronger pain medication. What is a reasonable diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Given the information, the most reasonable diagnosis is somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain (pain disorder). This diagnosis is appropriate because Barbara is experiencing significant pain that is the primary focus of her clinical presentation, and the pain persists well beyond any expected period of healing, indicating that the pain might not be fully explained by a medical condition.

Question 19

Which statement about somatic symptom disorder is accurate ?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an excessive focus on physical symptoms, such as pain or fatigue, that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. The prevalence rates mentioned in option C are accurate, indicating that the disorder is relatively rare, with a higher prevalence in women than in men.

Question 20

Paralysis, anesthesia, and impairment in sight or hearing are common complaints in ____.

Accepted Answer

Functional neurological symptom disorder, also known as conversion disorder, involves the occurrence of neurological symptoms such as paralysis, anesthesia, or sensory impairments (including sight and hearing) that cannot be explained by medical or neurological conditions. These symptoms are thought to result from psychological factors.

Quiz 7: Somatic Symptom, Related, and Dissociative Disorders