Somatisation and Conversion disorders

Question 1

What is a dissociative/conversion disorder?

Answer 1

In a dissociative disorder, a traumatic event results in a disruption of the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment.

Question 2

Why are dissociative disorders sometimes called conversion disorders?

Answer 2

It reflects the theory that they result from the conversion of anxiety into more tolerable symptoms that attract the benefits of the sick role.

Question 3

According to ICD-10, what can dissociative disorders involve?

Answer 3

1. Amnesia
2. Fugue
3. Stupor
4. Trance
5. Possession
6. Motor loss
7. Sensory loss
8. Convulsions
9. Ganser’s syndrome (people mimic a mental health illness like Schizophrenia, when they don’t really have it)
10. Multiple personalities

Question 4

What is a dissociative convulsion?

Answer 4

A pseudo-seizure that has no organic basis. A serum prolactin taken 10-20 minutes after the event is not raised, as might be expected after a generalised tonic-clonic or complex partial seizure.

Question 5

How is multiple personality disorder described?

Answer 5

Two or more distinct identities that recurrently take control of a shared body, and memory loss of each identify for the other. The rare disorder is thought to result from childhood trauma at a time before the personality is fixed

Question 6

What is a somatoform disorder?

Answer 6

It is characterised by physical symptoms that cannot be accounted for by a physical disorder or other psychiatric disorder, but that are thought to result from psychological factors.

Question 7

What is important to remember about symptoms in somatoform disorders?

Answer 7

The symptoms are real - and are frequently accompanied by symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Question 8

What is encompassed in the title somatoform disorder?

Answer 8

1. Conversion disorder
2. Somatisation disorder
3. Hypochondrial disorder
4. Persistent somatoform pain disorder