Chapter 9 (Exam 2) Flashcards
what causes somatic (physical) symptoms?
PRIMARILY caused by psychological factors
- symptoms trigger excessive anxiety and concern
somatic symptom disorders
- factitious disorder (Munchausen’s)
- factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen’s by proxy)
- conversion disorder
- somatic symptom disorder (illness anxiety disorder)
factitious disorder (Munchausen’s)
an individual feigns or induces physical symptoms TO ASSUME THE ROLE OF A SICK PERSON
factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen’s by proxy)
false creation of symptoms in another person (e.g. child)
clinical symptoms
factitious disorder (Munchausen’s)
- purposely faking being sick, consciously aware of choice
- NOT faking it for an external reward or gain
- onset: early adulthood
- no well-known prevalence rate
- 2/3 are women
- often have a history of poor social support, depression, unsupportive parental relationship
- typically want more attention/care/support
- seek out treatment
malingering
faking being sick for personal gain (e.g. financial)
factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen’s by proxy)
- less common
- typically a parent with their kid (pretending disorder or inducing sickness)
- often seen in mother- rarely the father
- form of child abuse (can lead to death of child)
are clinicians trained to look for factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen’s by proxy)?
yes, they are trained to look for:
- if caregiver is overly involved
- child gets better when separated from caregiver
- caregiver caught red-handed (e.g. injecting medicine into IV)
caregiver profiles of factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen’s by proxy)
- received medical treatment as a child
- medical background
- holds a grudge against medical professionals
conversion disorder (aka functional neurological symptom disorder)
- dramatic physical symptoms that affect motor or sensory functioning suddenly appear
- neurological-like symptoms inconsistent with known neurological or medical disease (symptoms e.g. paralysis, blindness, or loss of feeling/numbness)
- symptoms usually appear suddenly at times of stress
- pt does not want symptoms
glove anaesthesia
the whole hand is numb to the wrist
clinical symptoms and dx checklist
conversion disorder (aka functional neurological symptom disorder)
- most disorders start between late childhood and young adulthood
- 2x seen in women
- prevalence rate: 1 in 1000
somatic symptom disorder
- person becomes excessively distressed, concerned, and anxious about bodily symptoms they experience and their life is greatly disrupted by their symptoms
- symptoms are longer-lasting but less dramatic than conversion disorder
- can be diagnosed AND have a known physiological cause
clinical symptoms and dx checklist
somatic symptom disorder
- diagnosed more often in women
- avg age of onset: teens to young adulthood
- prevalence rate: 4-6%
2 patterns of somatic symptom disorder
- somatization pattern
- predominant pain
somatization pattern (somatic symptom disorder)
- 1+ physical symptom
- 4-6% prevalence rate
- more common in women
predominant pain (somatic symptom disorder)
- pain is main symptom
- usually after injury
- dx more in women
how are conversion and somatic symptom disorders treated?
they focus on the cause of this disorder (treatments are similar to PTSD)
- insight (often psychodynamically oriented)
- exposure (clients think about traumatic events that trigger the physical symptoms)
- cognitive restructuring
- drug therapy (mild antidepressants- esp for somatic symptom disorder)
illness anxiety disorder
- constant anxiety about their health despite little to no symptoms
- although some pt know their worries are excessive, many do not
how to remember somatic symptom vs illness anxiety
somatic symptom- suffering
illness anxiety- ANXIETY
clinical symptoms and dx checklist
illness anxiety disorder
prevalence rate:
1% (according to psych)
3% (according to other med professionals)
EQUALLY DIAGNOSED IN MEN AND WOMEN
how is illness anxiety disorder treated?
typically receive treatments similar to anxiety disorders/OCD
- antidepressant medication
- exposure and response prevention
- CBT
psychophysiological (psychosomatic) disorders
- disorders in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to cause or worsen a physical illness (MEDICAL CONDITION IS REAL)
- e.g. ulcers, asthma, insomnia, chronic headaches, hypertension, coronary artery disease
- DSM labels them as psychological factors affecting medical condition
dx checklist stuff
psychological factors affecting medical conditions
- the presence of a general medical condition
- psychological factors adversely affecting the general medical condition in one of the following ways:
- influencing the course of the general medical condition
- interfering with the treatment of the general medical condition
- posing additional health risks
- stress-related physiological responses precipitating or exacerbating the general medical condition
