MUS

Question 1

Define MUS

Answer 1

A wide variety of psychiatric conditions for patients who have symptoms for which no organic cause can be found.

Question 2

Somatisation disorder

Answer 2

• Multiple physical SYMPTOMS present for at least 2 years.
• Patient refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results.

Question 3

Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis)

Answer 3

• Persistent belief in the presence of an underlying serious DISEASE, e.g. cancer.
• Patient refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results.

Question 4

Conversion disorder

Answer 4

• Typically involves loss of motor or sensory function.
• The patient doesn’t consciously feign the symptoms (factitious disorder) or seek material gain (malingering).
• May be caused by stress.

Question 5

Dissociative disorder

Answer 5

• Dissociation is a process of ‘separating off’ certain memories from normal consciousness.
• In contrast to conversion disorder involves psychiatric symptoms e.g. amnesia, fugue, stupor.
• Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the new term for multiple personality disorder as is the most severe form of dissociative disorder.

Question 6

Munchausen’s syndrome

Answer 6

• AKA Factitious disorder.
• The intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms.
• Someone fabricates or induces symptoms of illness in themselves.
• e.g. diabetic taking too much insulin to cause hypos.

Question 7

Malingering

Answer 7

• Fraudulent simulation or exaggeration of symptoms with the intention of financial or other gain.
• e.g. someone who fakes whiplash after a road traffic accident for an insurance payment.