Deck 10: Disorders Featuring Somatic Symptoms

Question 1

Compare and contrast conversion disorder and somatic symptom disorder.

Answer 1

not answered

Question 2

Compare and contract Type A and Type B personality styles. Which, if any, specific health effects are associated with each?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

As a therapist, you suspect a patient has a somatic symptom disorder. Which DSM-5 criteria must be used in making this diagnosis?

Answer 3

not answered

Question 4

Diego feigns having a mental disorder to avoid military service. This is an example of _____.

Question 5

What are the two patterns of somatic symptom disorder, and how do they differ?

Question 6

The current term for the disorder in which people unrealistically and fearfully interpret relatively minor physical discomforts as signs of serious illness is _____.

Question 7

Explain Munchausen syndrome and give examples. If you suspected this disorder in someone, which risk factors would you look for?

Question 8

A person who has _____ experiences lesions or holes in the wall of his or her stomach.

Question 9

People with _____ display physical symptoms that affect voluntary motor or sensory functioning but the symptoms are inconsistent with known medical diseases.

Question 10

_____ is another name for factitious disorder.

Question 11

What differentiates illness anxiety disorder from traditional psychophysiological disorders?

Question 12

Someone who has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is suffering from _____.

Question 13

A person whose symptoms fulfill some external need, such as avoiding something unpleasant, is achieving _____ gain.

Question 14

Explain relaxation training. Based on available research, for which conditions would you recommend it be used?

Question 15

Distinguish between the psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral explanations for the development (cause) of conversion and somatic symptom disorders.

Question 16

_____ are disorders in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to cause or worsen a physical illness.

Question 17

Freud's view was that hysteria stemmed from an unresolved _____.

Question 18

Why are African Americans more likely than any other racial and ethnic group to develop psychophysiological disorders?

Question 19

From a psychodynamic perspective, people whose symptoms keep their internal conflicts from emerging into consciousness achieve _____ gain.

Question 20

A friend asks you how illness anxiety disorder typically develops. If you were a cognitive-behavioral theorist, how would you respond?

Question 21

The BEST example of malingering is a person who:

A) fakes an illness because he or she enjoys being a patient.
B) pretends to have an illness to get sympathy.
C) falsely claims to have a terminal illness.
D) feigns an illness to achieve some external gain, such as financial compensation.

Question 22

A man appeared at the emergency room complaining of bloody diarrhea. The physician who examined him found that the man was intentionally creating the diarrhea through use of laxatives and anticoagulant medication and that he liked being a patient. The man is MOST likely:

A) experiencing a psychophysical disorder.
B) malingering.
C) experiencing a somatic disorder.
D) experiencing a factitious disorder.

Question 23

The treatment approach in which electrical signals from the body are used to train people how to control physiological processes is called _____.

Question 24

Ben has been a chronically ill child. After being removed from his home and placed in foster care, he became quite healthy. In this case, one might suspect that the parent (usually the mother) was experiencing:

A) malingering.
B) a psychophysical disorder.
C) a somatoform disorder.
D) a factitious disorder.

Question 25

Munchausen syndrome by proxy is MOST likely to adversely affect the physical well-being of:

A) the person experiencing it.
B) the child of the person experiencing it.
C) the spouse of the person experiencing it.
D) the medical personnel caring for the person experiencing it.

Question 26

The _____ was developed by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967.

Question 27

A professional has evidence that a patient has intentionally faked her illness. To determine whether the patient is malingering or experiencing a factitious disorder, what must be examined?

A) The method the patient used to make herself ill
B) The motivation the patient has for assuming the sick role
C) Who else, if anyone, the patient is making ill
D) The severity of the symptoms the patient has experienced

Question 28

Intentionally feigning illness to achieve some external gain is described as:

A) malingering.
B) somatization.
C) conversion disorder.
D) illness anxiety disorder.

Question 29

A physician confronts Addison with evidence that her symptoms are factitious. It is MOST likely that Addison will:

A) create new symptoms that are more difficult to disprove.
B) produce false medical records to support her original symptoms.
C) leave the facility and immediately seek treatment from a different physician.
D) take measures that increase the intensity of her original symptoms.

Question 30

_____ is the study of the connections between stress, the immune system, and illness.

Question 31

Chronic stress can lead to a person sleeping less, eating more junk food, exercising less, and drinking more alcohol. These are all _____ that increase the likelihood that a person will get sick.

Question 32

Charley brings her young daughter into the emergency room with internal bleeding. The attending physician later concludes that Charley caused the symptoms in her daughter intentionally, wanting to gain attention and praise for her devoted care of her sick child. If this assessment is correct, the appropriate diagnosis is:

A) a psychophysiological disorder.
B) a conversion disorder.
C) Munchausen syndrome.
D) Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Question 33

Someone who tends to be very cynical, impatient, and competitive more than likely has _____ personality style.

Question 34

Someone who has Munchausen syndrome also, by definition, has:

A) Munchausen by proxy.
B) a factitious disorder.
C) somatic symptom disorder.
D) conversion disorder.

Question 35

Having a background in medicine, but also a grudge against the profession, puts a person at risk for:

A) a factitious disorder.
B) body dysmorphic disorder.
C) amnesia conversion disorder.
D) somatic symptom disorder.

Question 36

Which characteristic describes an individual with Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

A) Psychotic
B) Independent
C) Emotionally needy
D) Limited intelligence and education

Question 37

Which individual would be MOST likely to receive a diagnosis of factitious disorder?

A) Someone who engages in cutting and tries to hide it from everyone
B) Someone who breaks a leg while skiing but tells friends and family that the injury occurred in a car accident
C) Someone who purposefully drinks gasoline and then seeks treatment for an unknown stomach ailment
D) Someone who has chronic nausea and vomiting due to high stress but denies that as a possible cause

Question 38

Which statement is TRUE about factitious disorders?

A) Individuals with factitious disorder are not trying to achieve some external gain by faking illness.
B) Individuals with factitious disorder do not intentionally create illness.
C) Individuals with factitious disorder have no control over their behavior.
D) Individuals with factitious disorder do not want to assume the sick role.

Question 39

A woman complains of an assortment of physiological ailments. You think that she is intentionally producing the physical symptoms to appear sick, which fills some psychological need. If this is true, the appropriate diagnosis is:

A) factitious disorder.
B) conversion disorder.
C) generalized anxiety disorder.
D) psychophysical disorder.

Question 40

An example of a factitious disorder is:

A) mass hysteria.
B) Munchausen syndrome.
C) hypochondriasis.
D) untreated migraine disorder.

Question 41

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, a person who today is diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder would MOST likely have been diagnosed with:

A) Freudian syndrome.
B) pseudopsychological syndrome.
C) Briquet's syndrome.
D) referenced pain syndrome.

Question 42

Conversion disorders most often begin between:

A) late childhood and young adulthood.
B) adolescence and middle age.
C) early childhood and adolescence.
D) middle age and late adulthood.

Question 43

Why do some researchers believe mass psychogenic illnesses will increase and become more severe in the future?

A) Cities will become more population dense.
B) The power of social media will increase.
C) Education is in decline.
D) Treatment has not proved to be helpful.

Question 44

Just before debuting at Carnegie Hall, a pianist suffered abrupt paralysis of her entire left hand. She has no known medical conditions that are associated with this symptom. This description MOST closely aligns with:

A) conversion disorder.
B) somatization disorder.
C) pain disorder associated with psychological factors.
D) factitious disorder.

Question 45

A 35-year-old woman hobbles into the office of a physician complaining of a debilitating illness that has robbed her of the use of her left leg and right arm. The physician finds no physical basis for her symptoms. The patient appears totally unaware that the cause of her symptoms may be psychological. The appropriate diagnosis in this case is:

A) malingering.
B) factitious disorder.
C) conversion disorder.
D) illness anxiety disorder.

Question 46

If a person's bodily symptoms affect his or her voluntary motor and sensory functions, but the symptoms are inconsistent with known medical diseases, this condition is referred to as:

A) malingering.
B) illness anxiety disorder.
C) selective symptomatology.
D) conversion disorder.

Question 47

Which finding would lead you to suspect someone has a conversion disorder rather than another medical cause?

A) Muscle atrophy in the "paralyzed" body part
B) Uniform and even numbness in the "damaged" hand
C) Symptoms consistent with the way the neurological system is known to work
D) A great number of accidents and an inability, in a "blind" person, to get around

Question 48

Which is likely to be useful in distinguishing conversion or somatic symptom disorders from true medical problems?

A) The particular body part showing the symptom
B) The failure of a condition to develop as expected
C) The patient's description of the source of the symptoms
D) The patient's experiencing the usual course of development for the physical symptoms characteristic of the condition

Question 49

If you looked in Leijla's medicine cabinet, you would find dozens of prescriptions and even more over-the-counter medications. Every time she sneezes, Leijla is sure she has the latest deadly flu, although no physician has ever found anything wrong with her. Leijla probably suffers from:

A) conversion disorder.
B) body dysmorphic disorder.
C) Munchausen syndrome.
D) somatic symptom disorder.

Question 50

Conversion disorders in men:

A) are extremely rare.
B) occur approximately half as often as they do in women.
C) are twice as likely as they are in women.
D) occur at about the same rate as they do in women.

Question 51

Gabe appeared at the clinic complaining of pain in his knee, shoulder, and abdomen; nausea and vomiting; blurred vision; and exhaustion. The patient history revealed that he had been going to clinics for years trying to get treatment for these complaints as well as a host of other physical symptoms. The diagnostic consensus was that Gabe suffered from:

A) factitious disorder.
B) somatic symptom disorder.
C) illness anxiety disorder.
D) body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 52

Somatic symptom disorders differ from conversion disorders in that conversion disorders:

A) usually last less time.
B) usually begin later in life.
C) are more common in the United States.
D) are more common in men.

Question 53

The disorder with a wide range of vague, long-lasting, and disturbing physical symptoms without a medical cause is:

A) somatic symptom disorder (somatization pattern).
B) somatic symptom disorder (predominant pain pattern).
C) conversion disorder (somatization pattern).
D) conversion disorder (predominant pain pattern).

Question 54

An individual develops somatic symptom disorder after a near-fatal car crash. The diagnosis is:

A) unlikely to be either somatization pattern or predominant pain pattern.
B) about equally likely to be somatization pattern or predominant pain pattern.
C) more likely to be somatization pattern than predominant pain pattern.
D) less likely to be somatization pattern than predominant pain pattern.

Question 55

A patient with a heart condition complains of adhesions from his postoperative scar, leg cramps, and joint stiffness. He seems to be hurting all over, but no medical reason can be found to explain the symptoms. The BEST diagnosis for this disorder is:

A) conversion disorder.
B) somatic symptom disorder (somatization pattern).
C) somatic symptom disorder (predominant pain pattern).
D) preoccupation disorder.

Question 56

If a person complains of a wide variety of physical symptoms over time in the absence of a physical basis for the symptoms, the diagnosis would likely be:

A) conversion disorder.
B) somatic symptom disorder.
C) body dysmorphic disorder.
D) psychophysiological disorder.

Question 57

Abnormalities that are thought to have both biological and psychological causes are diagnosed as:

A) factitious disorders.
B) somatic symptom disorder.
C) psychogenic disorders.
D) psychological factors affecting one's medical condition.

Question 58

A woman has close female relatives diagnosed with a somatization pattern of somatic symptom disorder. According to research, her probability of being diagnosed with the same disorder is approximately:

A) 2 percent.
B) 10 percent.
C) 20 percent.
D) 50 percent.

Question 59

Disorders that represent the conversion of conflicts and anxiety into physical symptoms would include:

A) phobia disorders.
B) dissociative disorders.
C) psychophysiological disorders.
D) conversion disorders.

Question 60

The relationship between gender and somatic symptom disorder generally is that:

A) more men than women are diagnosed with both the somatization pattern and predominant pain pattern forms of somatic symptom disorder.
B) more women than men are diagnosed with both the somatization pattern and predominant pain pattern forms of somatic symptom disorder.
C) more men than women are diagnosed with the somatization pattern, but more women than men are diagnosed with the predominant pain pattern form of somatic symptom disorder.
D) more women than men are diagnosed with the somatization pattern, but more men than women are diagnosed with the predominant pain pattern form of somatic symptom disorder.

Question 61

Which statement would a cognitive-behavioral theorist be MOST likely to make about hysterical disorders?

A) The patient is receiving secondary gains from the symptoms.
B) The patient is unable to express any emotion except anxiety.
C) The patient is being rewarded for behaving in this way.
D) The patient is otherwise unable to communicate difficult emotions.

Question 62

Rowena had been terrified about testifying in court. One morning shortly before she was scheduled to appear, she awoke blind. In this example, Rowena is achieving:

A) conditioning.
B) primary gain.
C) reinforcement.
D) secondary gain.

Question 63

Every time Miguel had a headache, his mother let him miss school. Now, as an adult, his headaches have become more frequent. His head pounds any time he is required to do something he would rather not do. This is a _____ explanation of conversion symptoms.

A) psychodynamic
B) biological
C) cognitive-behavioral
D) cultural

Question 64

Compared with a therapist with a psychodynamic view, what would a therapist with a cognitive-behavioral view be most likely to ask someone whom he or she suspected might have a somatic symptom disorder?

A) "What underlying conflict do you think might have caused your symptoms?"
B) "Do you think drug therapy would help you deal with the physical symptoms?"
C) "Has any friend of yours had similar symptoms recently?"
D) "What are you thinking about when you experience your symptoms?"

Question 65

A therapist treating an individual with a conversion disorder works to reduce pleasurable outcomes associated with being sick, while increasing pleasurable outcomes associated with being well. This technique is called:

A) confrontation.
B) reinforcement.
C) suggestion.
D) posthypnotic suggestion.

Question 66

A woman who is particularly threatened by any display of anger becomes unable to speak when she is most angry with her husband, thereby keeping the anger out of her awareness. According to psychodynamic theorists, she is achieving _____ from her illness.

A) primary gain
B) secondary gain
C) tertiary gain
D) no gain

Question 67

The first time the patient reported vague chest pains to a 911 operator, local EMTs responded with obvious attention and concern. Over the next several months, the patient called 911 more and more often, receiving the same concerned care for the same symptoms. This pattern of patient response is MOST easily explained by which theoretical perspective?

A) Biological
B) Cognitive-behavioral
C) Humanistic
D) Psychodynamic

Question 68

"It's obvious that the patient observed friends who had symptoms of illness, then imitated those symptoms to get attention," says the therapist. This therapist MOST likely has which theoretical perspective?

A) Cognitive-behavioral
B) Psychodynamic
C) Biological
D) Humanistic

Question 69

About what percentage of Americans experience a somatization pattern of somatic symptom disorder in a given year?

A) 4 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 33 percent

Question 70

Which statement BEST reflects our understanding of hysterical disorders?

A) Hysterical disorders are explained similarly to how anxiety disorders are explained.
B) Currently, hysterical disorders are thought to be due to a "wandering uterus."
C) Hysterical disorder symptoms appear to be particularly resistant to hypnosis.
D) The causes of hysterical disorders are poorly understood, with no theory predominant in aiding understanding.

Question 71

Both psychodynamic theorists and cognitive-behavioral theorists believe that in conversion disorder, the symptoms that appear:

A) are physical manifestations of unconscious conflicts carried forth from childhood.
B) reflect an exaggeration of existing symptoms from another medical condition.
C) help the person avoid unpleasant situations.
D) reflect repression of unresolved sexual desires.

Question 72

Isaac had finally had enough of his inability to walk. He went to therapy and eventually addressed a traumatic car crash from his past. Over time, he began to walk again. According to his psychodynamic therapist, why did these positive changes occur?

A) Isaac became conscious of and resolved his underlying fears, thereby eliminating the need to convert anxiety into physical symptoms.
B) Isaac got increased rewards for healthy behaviors, which motivated him to walk.
C) Isaac began to think differently about the nature and causes of his physical symptoms and illness.
D) The antidepressant medications Isaac was prescribed helped alleviate his physical symptoms as well as his feelings of anxiety and depression.

Question 73

If a man's behavior elicited kindness and sympathy from his wife when he was mute, he would be receiving _____ gains from his behavior.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) no

Question 74

Therapists who take a reinforcement approach while treating a conversion disorder would be MOST likely to focus on:

A) identifying underlying emotional causes for the disorder.
B) helping the patient gain insight into how the disorder is reinforcing.
C) reducing the rewards available for displaying the disorder.
D) replacing the primary gain with a secondary gain.

Question 75

According to the psychodynamic view, conversion disorder symptoms function to keep unacceptable thoughts and conflicts out of consciousness. This is called:

A) sociocultural stress.
B) primary gain.
C) reinforcement.
D) secondary gain.

Question 76

The main criticism of the cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic explanations for the maintenance of hysterical disorders is that:

A) they focus too much on the gains the patient receives from the disorder.
B) they fail to take into account the gains the patient receives from the disorder.
C) they confuse the ideas of gain and reward.
D) they cannot explain how the gains can outweigh the pain of the disorder.

Question 77

Somatic complaints are very common in non-Western medical settings. This pattern MOST likely reflects:

A) higher levels of the emotions in these countries that produce somatization.
B) the effects of living in a collectivist culture.
C) a Western bias that sees somatization as an inferior way to handle emotions.
D) an Asian bias to celebrate somatization as the only "real" response to emotion.

Question 78

An individual who has been diagnosed with a somatic symptom disorder would MOST likely first seek:

A) psychological help.
B) medical help.
C) both psychological and medical help.
D) neither psychological nor medical help.

Question 79

Freud believed that "hysterical" symptoms:

A) were rooted in the oral stage.
B) enabled people to avoid unpleasant activities.
C) reflected medical problems that needed medical, not psychological, treatment.
D) were more common in men than women.

Question 80

People with somatic symptom disorders use their symptoms to express emotions they cannot easily express otherwise. This statement reflects the:

A) cognitive-behavioral view.
B) multicultural view.
C) humanistic view.
D) psychodynamic view.