Unexplained Symptoms

Question 1

What are the 6 psychiatric disorders associated with unexplained symptoms?

Answer 1

Somatisation disorder
Illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis)
Conversion disorder
Dissociative disorder
Factitious disorder
Malingering

Question 2

What are the 2 diagnostic features of somatisation disorder?

Answer 2

Multiple physical SYMPTOMS present for minimum of 2 years

Refusal to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 3

What are the 2 diagnostic features of illness anxiety disorder or hypochondriasis?

Answer 3

Persistent belief in the presence of SERIOUS underlying disease e.g. cancer
Refusal to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 4

What are the 2 diagnostic features and an additional potential feature of conversion disorder?

Answer 4

Typically involves sensory or motor function loss
Patient doesn’t consciously feign the symptoms (factitious disorder) or seek material gain (malingering)

Patients may be indifferent to their apparent disorder (‘a la belle indifference’)

Question 5

What are the 2 diagnostic features of dissociative disorder and what is the name of the most severe form of this?

Answer 5

Psychiatric symptoms such as amnesia, fugue, or stupor
Patient has dissociated (separated off certain memories from normal consciousness)

DID - dissociative identity disorder

Question 6

What is factitious disorder and what else is it known as?

Answer 6

The intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms
Munchausen’s syndrome

Question 7

What is malingering?

Answer 7

Fraudulent simulation or exaggeration of symptoms with the intention of financial or other material gain