Somatic Factitious

Question 1

What is conversion disorder?

Answer 1

• An illness of symptoms or deficits that affect voluntary motor or sensory functions (neurological)
• Suggest another medical condition, but that is judged to be caused by psychological factors because the illness is preceded by conflicts or other stressors.

Question 2

What are the causes/gain of sxs in a pt with conversion disorder?

Answer 2

• Sxs are not intentionally produced
• Not caused by substance use
• Not limited to pain or sexual symptoms
• Gain is primarily psychological and not social, monetary, or legal

Question 3

What is somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 3

• AKA hypochondriasis
• Characterized by 6 or more mos of a general and non-delu­sional preoccupation w/ fears/idea of having a serious disease based on the person’s misinterpretation of bodily symptoms.

Question 4

A pt with somatic symptom disorder usually believes what?

Answer 4

They believe that they have a serious disease that has not yet been detected and they can­ not be persuaded to the contrary.

Question 5

What is factitious disorder?

Answer 5

• Intentional
• A pt will simulate, induce, or aggravate illness to receive medical attention, regardless of whether or not they are ill. Thus, they may inflict painful, deforming, or even life-threatening injury on themselves, their children, or other dependents.

Question 6

What is the primary motivation for factitious disorder?

Answer 6

• To receive medical care and to partake in the medical system.
• The primary motivation is NOT avoidance of duties, financial gain, or anything concrete.

Question 7

Who is more affected my somatic symptom disorder, men or women? and what age range does this MC’ly appear?

Answer 7

• Men and women are equally affected

- MC’ly appears in persons 20 - 30 years of age.

Question 8

What is the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 8

• 1 or more somatic symptoms that are distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life.
• Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health concerns as mani­fested by at least 1 characteristic persistently for >6 mos

Question 9

What are some somatic characteristics that a pt must have 1 of in order to be dx with somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 9

• Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one’s sxs.
• Persistently high level of anxiety about health or sxs.
• Excessive time and energy devoted to these sxs or health concerns.

Question 10

How would you distinguish between somatic symptom disorder from conversion disorder?

Answer 10

• Sxs of somatic symptom disorder cannot be demonstrated to be clearly incompatible with pathophysiology (e.g., pain, fatigue), whereas in conversion disorder, such incompatibility is required for the di­agnosis.
• Excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors characterizing somatic symptom disorder are often absent in conversion disorder.

Question 11

What are some clinical presentation of somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 11

• Prominent physical sxs may involve 1 or more organ systems and are associated with distress, impairment, or both.
• Longstanding somatic complaints, including multiple pain and gastrointestinal symptoms (such as dys­pareunia, dysmenorrhea, headache, backache, abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating) and pseudoneurologic symptoms (such as amnesia or pseudoepileptic seizures)