Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders Flashcards
Category of disorders defined by anxiety about health and excessive focus on physical symptoms
Somatic symptom and related disorders
What are 2 neurobiological factors in the shared etiology of somatic symptom and related disorders?
- Increased activity in anterior insula and anterior cingulate (both of which are strongly connected with the somatosensory cortex)
- Stress hormones
How does reinforcement play a role in somatic symptom and related disorders?
When the person assumes the role of being sick, they may seek reassurance, which may be reinforced if they get attention or sympathy.
Somatic symptom and related disorder involving extreme and long-lasting focus on multiple physical symptoms for which no medical cause is evident
Somatic symptom disorder
How long should the distress over somatic symptom(s) persist to meet the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder?
Typically more than 6 months
True or False: 1 somatic symptom should be continuously present for more than 6 months to meet the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder.
False
Any one somatic symptom may not be continuously present, but the state of being symptomatic should be persistent.
True or False: Somatic symptoms without an evident medical explanation are sufficient to make the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder.
False
It is not sufficient to make this diagnosis.
True or False: Somatic symptom disorder and a concurrent medical illness are not mutually exclusive.
True
They frequently occur together.
From a psychological perspective, where do individuals with somatic symptom disorder get their dysfunctional illness beliefs and attitudes from?
Parents who catastrophize their somatic symptoms (which is modeled by the individual)
State at least 3 social contributions to the development of somatic symptom disorder.
- Childhood neglect by parents who somatize
- Family history of physical illness
- Early trauma
- Low socioeconomic status
- Low educational attainment
What medication is prescribed to reduce chronic pain and distress in somatic symptom disorder?
Antidepressants
Apart from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), state 1 psychotherapy approach used to treat somatic symptom disorder.
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Third-wave therapies (e.g., acceptance and commitment therapy [ACT])
Somatic symptom and related disorder involving severe anxiety over the belief in having a disease without any evident physical cause
Illness anxiety disorder
What is the minimum duration for illness preoccupation in illness anxiety disorder?
At least 6 months
What are the 2 specifiers of illness anxiety disorder
- Care-seeking type
- Care-avoidant type
A mistaken, difficult-to-share belief that one has a disease
Disease conviction
True or False: Reassurance and education can be effective in some cases with health anxiety.
True
Somatic symptom and related disorder characterized by physical malfunctioning that suggests neurological impairment but with no organic pathology to account for it
Functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder)
True or False: The term conversion disorder originated with Jean-Martin Charcot.
False
The term originated with Sigmund Freud, who thought that anxiety and psychological conflcit were converted into physical symptoms.
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.
False
Conversion symptom defined by the loss of the sense of smell
Anosmia
Conversion symptom that occurs when the person experiences little or no sensation in the hand and lower arm
Glove anesthesia
Seizures that are psychological in origin
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
Conversion symptom characterized by the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes it difficult to swallow, eat, or sometimes talk
Globus hystericus
Phenomenon in which the visual field is constricted, as it would be if the person were peering through a tube
Tunnel vision
Conversion symptom whereby the individual loses their voice other than whispered speech
Aphonia
Phenomenon characterized by a lack of concern about one’s conversion symptoms
La belle indifference
The course of functional neurological symptom disorder is often persistent.
False
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.
Freud’s term for reduction in anxiety from transferring psychic energy attached to repressed emotions or memories to physical symptoms
Primary gain
Freud’s term for benefits gained, such as receiving attention and concern and being relieved of obligation and expectations, that reinforce the conversion symptoms
Secondary gain
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?
Spontaneous self-hypnosis
What parenting style contributes to the development of functional neurological symptom disorder?
Overinvolved or overprotective parenting
State 2 sociocultural contributions in the development of functional neurological symptom disorder.
- Repressive sexual attitudes
- Low educational attainment
- Low socioeconomic status (SES)
State 2 psychotherapy approaches used to treat functional neurological symptom disorder.
- Psychoanalytic therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
True or False: Psychodynamic treatment for somatic symptom and related disorders shows long-term effectiveness in alleviating physical symptoms.
False
It is only effective in the short term.
State at least 2 behavioral strategies in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for somatic symptom and related disorders.
- Exposure
- Assertiveness training
- Social skills training
Disorder defined by deliberate faking of a physical or psychological disorder motivated by gain
Malingering
True or False: Malingerers are fully aware of what they are doing.
True
Disorder whereby the individual deliberately fakes a nonexistent physical or psychological disorder for no apparent gain except possibly sympathy and attention
Factitious disorder
Condition when an individual deliberately makes someone else sick
Factitious disorder imposed on another (Munchausen syndrome by proxy)
True or False: In factitious disorder imposed on another, the individual who is deliberately making someone else sick is aware of their abuse.
False
Awareness of abuse is not usually present.
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
Pseudocyesis
