Deck 6: Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

Clients with illness anxiety disorder are likely to

A)avoid doctors.
B)avoid unnecessary medical procedures.
C)reject assurances that they are healthy.
D)ignore the long-term process of illness.

Answer 1

reject assurances that they are healthy.

Question 2

Hippocrates and the Egyptians before him thought that hysterical disorders were the result of a

A)dysfunctional ovary.
B)tense vagina.
C)wandering uterus.
D)none of these

Answer 2

wandering uterus.

Question 3

Panic disorder shares several common characteristics with both somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder.Which of the following is not one of those shared features?

A)age of onset
B)running in families
C)personality characteristics
D)manner in which anxiety is expressed

Answer 3

manner in which anxiety is expressed

Question 4

Since Sindile has been diagnosed with illness anxiety disorder, we can expect her to see her physician

A)often and feel completely reassured that there is nothing wrong with her health.
B)rarely but continue to believe that she is quite ill.
C)almost never because she does not trust physicians.
D)often but continue to be anxious about her health anyway.

Question 5

All of the following are classified as somatic symptom and related disorders EXCEPT

A)dissociative identity disorder.
B)factitious disorder
C)conversion disorder.
D)illness anxiety disorder.

Question 6

Illness anxiety disorder exists when

A)a person is excessively concerned about being sick, even when only experiencing minor symptoms.
B)real physical illness is exaggerated to the point where the patient can focus only on the pain.
C)the patient has an unrealistic fear of contacting germs.
D)the patient is truly ill but does not trust the medical establishment enough to seek treatment.

Question 7

According to psychological theory, neuroses stem from

A)underlying unconscious conflicts.
B)the clash of conscious and unconscious therapy.
C)dream process.
D)identity concepts.

Question 8

With regard to the treatment of somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder, research exploring the use of reassurance in a process called 'explanatory therapy' showed that

A)some significant gains were achieved.
B)reassurance did not work for hypochondriacs.
C)reassurance showed some gains but they lasted less than a few days.
D)the gains were so significant that participants were essentially 'cured'.

Question 9

The common aspect of all somatic symptom disorders is a maladaptive or excessive

A)belief that a serious medical condition will cause death.
B)belief that one's appearance is ugly.
C)response to physical or associated health symptoms.
D)concern with the meaning of a physical pain.

Question 10

Paradoxically, an effective treatment for somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder involves helping the patient to focus on

A)creating their own symptoms.
B)ignoring their own symptoms.
C)getting reassurance about their symptoms.
D)understanding other life stressors.

Question 11

Although Anne-Marie feels fine now and believes that she is healthy, she still worries endlessly about developing a serious illness.Most likely Anne-Marie would be diagnosed with

A)illness anxiety disorder.
B)conversion disorder.
C)somatisation disorder.
D)body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 12

Although both panic disorder patients and people with somatic symptom disorder tend to misinterpret bodily sensations, patients with panic disorder

A)are having real physical sensations, while the sensations of those with somatic symptom disorder are 'all in their head'.
B)tend to fear immediate catastrophe, while those with somatic symptom disorder tend to fear long-term illness.
C)are having imagined physical sensations, while those with somatic symptom disorder are experiencing real physical sensations.
D)tend to ignore the symptoms of their first attacks, while those with somatic symptom disorder tend to seek immediate medical treatment following the first indication of pain.

Question 13

Studies suggest that patients with somatic symptom disorder or illness anxiety disorder are characterised by a tendency to

A)interpret ambiguous stimuli as threatening.
B)minimise physical symptoms.
C)have low sensitivity to perceived illness.
D)avoid bad news cues.

Question 14

Minor, physical complaints are common among

A)young children.
B)adolescents.
C)the middle aged.
D)the elderly.

Question 15

With regard to the treatment of illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder, some research supports the use of

A)conditioning.
B)psychoanalysis.
C)cognitive-behavioural treatment and stress reduction.
D)humanistic therapy.

Question 16

Although its name has changed in the DSM-5, hypochondriasis is essentially an emotional disturbance triggered by

A)physical pathology.
B)misinterpretation of symptoms.
C)social concerns.
D)severe or unusual physical sensations.

Question 17

An essential element of illness anxiety disorder is

A)psychosis.
B)worry.
C)depression.
D)dissociation.

Question 18

With regard to a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder, women are

A)equally likely as men to be diagnosed.
B)less likely than men to be diagnosed.
C)more likely than men to be diagnosed.
D)more likely than men to be diagnosed during middle to late adulthood, but no more likely than men to be diagnosed during teen years and early adulthood.

Question 19

Jan just ate four steak pies and drank a litre of cooldrink.If Jan suffers from illness anxiety disorder, he would probably interpret any resulting stomach discomfort as

A)his own fault for eating so much.
B)the result of poor quality food.
C)gas pains from overeating.
D)a sign that something is seriously wrong with his stomach.

Question 20

Disorders such as amafufunyana and dhat that are similar to somatic symptom disorders demonstrate the

A)influence of culture on psychopathology.
B)physical basis of many hypochondriacs' complaints.
C)difficulty of accurately diagnosing hypochondriasis.
D)influence of genetics on psychopathology.

Question 21

Catharsis is

A)the process of placing a tube into the bladder to release urine.
B)a conscious behavioural process.
C)a purging of emotionally traumatic events.
D)none of these

Question 22

The disorder that involves physical malfunctioning without any physical cause is called

A)conversion disorder.
B)hypochondriasis.
C)somatisation disorder.
D)body dysmorphic disorder.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is TRUE about conversion disorders?

A)The prevalence of conversion disorders is equal in men and women.
B)Conversion disorders typically develop in the late 20s or early 30s.
C)Conversion disorders are not uncommon in males at times of extreme stress.
D)Once conversion disorders disappear, they do not reoccur.

Question 24

Which of the following would be typical for a patient suffering from a conversion disorder?

A)feeling a lump in the throat that interferes with swallowing, eating, or talking
B)ability to see some bright objects when calm but suffering complete loss of sight during a stressful period or emergency
C)great concern with the loss of function and belief that it is a symptom of a potentially fatal disease
D)ability to identify everything in the visual field even though the patient reports that she is blind

Question 25

In terms of antidepressant medication treatments for somatic symptom disorder, the most accurate statement based on the research so far is

A)antidepressants are effective but not significantly different from a placebo condition.
B)antidepressants are not effective.
C)some reports suggest that antidepressants may be effective, but placebo-controlled studies have not been performed.
D)placebo-controlled studies have been performed and the results suggest that antidepressants work for some patients but not for most.

Question 26

George has completely lost his sight during the past year, but medical experts can find no physical reason for his blindness.This could be an example of

A)somatisation disorder.
B)hypochondriasis.
C)conversion disorder.
D)dissociative disorder.

Question 27

Conversion disorder patients were conceptualised by Freud as

A)converting unconscious conflicts into physical symptoms.
B)converting unconscious conflicts into defence mechanisms.
C)experiencing physical symptoms as a result of the superego.
D)experiencing internal conflicts as a result of id impulses being suppressed by the superego.

Question 28

One method that is used to reduce the financial burden associated with somatic symptom disorder is

A)psychoanalysis.
B)encouraging patients to speak to family and friends about their symptoms.
C)exposure therapy.
D)assignment of a gatekeeper physician.

Question 29

With regard to diagnosing a patient's symptoms as a conversion disorder, it is

A)quite apparent when a patient is malingering (faking), but it is difficult to determine whether symptoms are due to real physical disorders or a conversion disorder.
B)quite apparent when a symptom is due to a real physical disorder, but it is impossible to determine the difference between a conversion disorder and patient malingering (faking).
C)rather easy to determine the difference between symptoms that the patient fakes, those caused by real physical disorder and symptoms caused by conversion disorder.
D)very difficult to determine whether the symptoms are due to malingering (faking), real physical disorders or conversion disorder.

Question 30

Yunis injured his back at work several years ago.Although he was treated and considered healed by his physicians, he still complains of severe and debilitating back pain.Other than some minor scar tissue, his doctors can't find anything that could be causing more than some minor stiffness.It appears that Yunis might be diagnosed with

A)conversion disorder.
B)depersonalisation-derealisation disorder.
C)somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain.
D)illness anxiety disorder.

Question 31

A commonly seen form of factitious disorder imposed on another is a set of conditions that

A)falls somewhere between malingering and conversion disorders.
B)falls under voluntary control like malingering.
C)is an atypical form of child abuse.
D)is a combination of a somatic symptom disorder and a dissociative disorder.

Question 32

Factitious disorder imposed on another is often characterised by

A)deliberate actions directed toward making a child sick.
B)a parent denying that a child has symptoms that have, in fact, been observed.
C)a parent developing the same symptoms that their child has.
D)convincing a child to lie to a doctor about factitious symptoms.

Question 33

Conversion disorder symptoms generally appear

A)randomly.
B)following a physical injury to the affected area.
C)shortly after some marked stress.
D)in children.

Question 34

A mother who repeatedly seeks medical treatment for her child's unusual illness and is overly involved in the child's treatment might need to be assessed for

A)factitious disorder imposed on another.
B)malingering.
C)conversion disorder.
D)illness phobia.

Question 35

The hypothesised connections between somatic symptom disorder and antisocial personality disorder are

A)poor modelling by parents and other authority figures.
B)sibling rivalry and attention deficits.
C)pleasure seeking and impulsivity.
D)genetic defects and poor nutrition.

Question 36

A possible link between antisocial personality disorder and somatic symptom disorder is

A)a lack of impulse control.
B)a lack of aggression.
C)social isolation.
D)dependence.

Question 37

A person who fakes symptoms for a goal is called a _________, while a person who fakes a disease for no clear goal has a ________disorder:

A)malingerer; factitious
B)conversion disorder patient; malingering
C)fictitious disorder patient; conversion
D)hypochondriac; factitious

Question 38

Which of the following statements is TRUE about factitious disorders?

A)Fortunately, the disorder does not seem to extend to other members of the family.
B)The symptoms are under involuntary control.
C)There is no obvious reason for voluntarily producing symptoms.
D)The symptoms lead to a splintering off of one's identity into several 'subpersonalities'.

Question 39

A patient with somatic symptom disorder tends to generate higher healthcare costs than an average patient due to

A)an extensive medical and physical check up with every visit to a new physician.
B)the person's tendency to visit numerous medical specialists.
C)both a and b
D)neither a or b

Question 40

Research suggests that somatic symptom disorder often occurs in families with a strong tendency towards

A)antisocial personality disorder.
B)schizophrenia.
C)depression.
D)obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 41

In dissociative amnesia, the individual typically has no memory of

A)any events.
B)events prior to a trauma.
C)selective events, particularly those involving trauma.
D)events following a trauma, particularly those involving interpersonal issues.

Question 42

Freud called the reduction in anxiety by converting unconscious conflicts into physical symptoms

A)primary narcissism.
B)secondary narcissism.
C)primary gain.
D)secondary gain.

Question 43

Dissociative trance disorder is diagnosed

A)only when the trance is unpredictable in terms of when it appears (i.e.individual goes into a trance without prior religious ritual).
B)only when the trance is undesirable and considered pathological in the individual's culture.
C)only when the trance causes harm to the individual or others.
D)whenever an individual repeatedly enters a trance state.

Question 44

While driving alone in her car, Lumka suddenly looks around and, for a moment, she can't remember where she is, how she arrived at this point on the road, or even why she is driving her car.Lumka is experiencing

A)derealisation.
B)depersonalisation.
C)the early stages of what will eventually become a severe psychotic disorder.
D)the symptoms of a mood disorder.

Question 45

In dissociative fugue, the term fugue relates to

A)confusion.
B)flight or travel.
C)loss of consciousness.
D)hallucination.

Question 46

With regard to Freud's explanation of la belle indifference (the observation that conversion disorder patients are not concerned about their symptoms), research conducted by Lader and Sartorius (1968) suggests that

A)conversion disorder patients do display la belle indifference, but Freud's explanation of primary gain is not supported.
B)Freud's explanation is essentially correct since there is great variability in the amount of concern that conversion disorder patients display regarding their symptoms.
C)conversion disorder patients actually are quite concerned with their symptoms, so Freud's explanation of primary gain is not supported.
D)la belle indifference is a myth, thus validating Freud's explanation of primary gain.

Question 47

Sipho suddenly notices that the world looks weird to him.Some objects look bigger than normal and others look smaller.Cars passing by seem oddly shaped and people appear dead or mechanical.Sipho is experiencing

A)derealisation.
B)depersonalisation.
C)classic early psychosis symptoms.
D)mania.

Question 48

The modern view of the causes of conversion disorder is

A)completely different from Freud's ideas of the aetiology of this disorder.
B)somewhat similar to the causes that Freud described for this disorder.
C)a combination of genetic predisposition and neurobiological deficits.
D)based on social learning theory.

Question 49

Individuals with depersonalisation show

A)decreased emotional responsiveness.
B)increased emotional responsiveness.
C)erratic emotions.
D)insincere emotions.

Question 50

The disorder in which more than one distinct personality exists within one individual was changed from multiple personality disorder to ___________ in DSM-IV.

A)dissociative identity disorder
B)dissociative trance disorder
C)schizophrenia
D)dissociative fugue

Question 51

The diagnosis of depersonalisation-derealisation disorder is

A)rare and only applied when the experience of depersonalisation interferes with normal functioning.
B)rare but applied to anyone who experiences depersonalisation.
C)fairly common since many people experience depersonalisation.
D)fairly common and applied to anyone who is frightened by an experience of depersonalisation.

Question 52

During a dissociative fugue state, it is not uncommon for individuals to

A)commit suicide.
B)see the world as a strange and foreign place.
C)take on a new identity.
D)contact friends and family.

Question 53

A man who finds himself living in a small town in Limpopo with no recall of how he got there may have

A)dissociative amnesia with dissociative fugue.
B)conversion disorder.
C)depersonalisation-derealisation disorder.
D)dissociative identity disorder.

Question 54

In non-Western cultures, trance and possession are

A)extremely rare.
B)never considered a disorder.
C)the most common forms of dissociative disorders.
D)the rarest forms of dissociative disorders.

Question 55

Depersonalisation is defined as

A)altered perception including loss of the sense of one's own reality.
B)altered perception involving loss of the sense of reality of the external world.
C)vivid hallucinations.
D)the feeling that one is no longer a person.

Question 56

Losing your own sense of reality is called

A)depersonalisation.
B)a fugue state.
C)a trance state.
D)a dissociative disorder.

Question 57

The experience of dissociation occurs in

A)psychotic disorders only.
B)individuals with dissociative disorders only.
C)only in those individuals who have experienced great personal trauma.
D)certain psychological disorders as well as in non-disordered people at times.

Question 58

An alter is

A)a new identity created by someone with dissociative fugue.
B)a new identity created by someone with generalised amnesia.
C)a physical symptom with no physical cause experienced by someone with somatic symptom disorder.
D)a separate identity experienced by someone with dissociative identity disorder.

Question 59

A distinctive dissociative state that is not found in Western cultures is

A)voodoo.
B)exorcism.
C)trance.
D)amok.

Question 60

Patients diagnosed with dissociative amnesia with a dissociative fugue

A)will travel and typically experience memory loss during their trip.
B)will travel but do not experience memory loss.
C)typically experience memory loss but do not travel.
D)seldom recover any sense of their own identity.

Question 61

Dissociative identity disorder tends to be associated with

A)child abuse.
B)multiple psychological disorders.
C)dissociation.
D)all of these

Question 62

Dissociative identity disorder is most commonly found in

A)females.
B)males.
C)children.
D)the elderly.

Question 63

With regard to dissociative identity disorder, the term 'alter' refers to ______________ within the individual.

A)the host personality
B)a dangerous personality
C)the most recent personality to emerge
D)a different personality

Question 64

The process of changing from one personality to another generally occurs ________ in most patients with dissociative identity disorder.

A)slowly
B)quickly
C)rarely
D)only after many warning signs that a change is about to occur

Question 65

Which of the following statements is FALSE about dissociative identity disorder?

A)Once established, the disorder lasts a lifetime if not managed.
B)For prevalence rates, the ratio of females to males is approximately 9 to 1.
C)The frequency of switching increases with age.
D)The form the disorder takes does not differ substantially over the lifespan.

Question 66

With regard to evidence for the scientific validity of dissociative identity disorder (DID), the most accurate statement is

A)most DID patients are faking.
B)research suggests that faking dissociative experiences is possible.
C)it is virtually impossible to fake the types of changes that occur in dissociative identity disorder.
D)objective tests can always determine which patients are faking dissociative identity disorder.

Question 67

In dissociative identity disorder, the host personality usually

A)is of a gender opposite to that of the individual.
B)is male.
C)becomes overwhelmed trying to hold all of the personality fragments together.
D)is well aware of each personality and everything that happens while each personality is active.

Question 68

In dissociative identity disorder, the transition from one personality to another is called a

A)transformation.
B)substitution.
C)switch.
D)alteration.

Question 69

Without treatment, it is expected that DID will last ___________.

A)ten years.
B)a lifetime.
C)several months.
D)20 years.

Question 70

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder generally

A)have only one other distinct personality.
B)suffer a loss of their own identity that lasts several years.
C)maintain complete awareness of all of their personalities.
D)have several distinct personalities.

Question 71

Vareesa, who is 40, apparently believes that she is a 20-year-old woman.Suddenly, she starts to speak and behave very differently, and says she no longer thinks of herself as 'Vareesa'.Instead, she claims to be Elise, a 10-year-old child.It is likely that Vareesa has just experienced a

A)switch.
B)dissociative trance disorder.
C)conversion reaction.
D)schizophrenic moment.

Question 72

Ronelle has DID.It is extremely likely that she also has

A)at least one other psychological disorder.
B)a problem with her weight.
C)a history of problems with the law.
D)no desire to get better.

Question 73

The average number of alter personalities observed in individuals with dissociative identity disorder is

A)one.
B)two.
C)15.
D)100.

Question 74

One aspect of the DSM-5 criteria for the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder is

A)patient awareness of the distinct personalities.
B)existence of three or more personality fragments.
C)amnesia.
D)history of abuse.

Question 75

The average length of time between an individual's first symptoms of DID and the identification and diagnosis of the disorder by a professional is

A)one year .
B)20 years.
C)less than a month.
D)seven years.

Question 76

One distinction that may help determine those with DID from individuals who are malingering (faking their symptoms) is that malingerers are

A)usually eager to demonstrate their symptoms.
B)usually hiding the existence of a major life crisis.
C)more likely to have many alters.
D)less likely to seek treatment.

Question 77

A switch

A)usually occurs instantaneously.
B)is the transition from one personality to another.
C)may exhibit physical transformations.
D)all of these

Question 78

Studies of faking, amnesia and hypnosis such as the one conducted by Spanos (1996) suggest that symptoms of dissociative identity disorder

A)cannot be developed through therapist suggestion and reinforcement.
B)are almost always the result of hypnotically inserted (false) memories.
C)can be developed through therapist suggestion and reinforcement.
D)are almost never the result of therapist intervention.

Question 79

In dissociative identity disorder, the host personality is usually the one that

A)is the most aggressive of the personalities.
B)asks for treatment and becomes the patient.
C)earns income for the individual.
D)is sexually provocative.

Question 80

Studies examining the incidence of DID in non-clinical populations (the population at large or a university population) suggest that approximately ________ percent of the general population suffer from DID.

A)0.001
B)0.01- 0.05
C)5
D)1.5