Question 1

When Sarah gets anxious, she compulsively picks at her skin.She now must seek medical attention for the tissue damage her picking has caused.Sarah's doctor will most likely diagnose her with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Excoriation disorder, also known as skin-picking disorder, is characterized by recurrent skin picking resulting in skin lesions. It often occurs as a result of anxiety or stress. The fact that Sarah is seeking medical attention for the tissue damage strongly suggests that she is suffering from excoriation disorder. A) Somatic symptom disorder involves persistent physical symptoms with no apparent medical cause, while B) trichotillomania involves hair pulling, and C) body dysmorphic disorder involves preoccupation with imagined or minor flaws in one's appearance.

Question 2

Brian, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, holds fundamentalist religious beliefs.Which concern is Brian most likely to present with?

Accepted Answer

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder who have fundamentalist religious beliefs often have an attitude of inflated responsibility, feeling responsible for preventing harm and punishing wrongdoing. They may struggle with perfectionism and have rigid beliefs about right and wrong. Therefore, choice B is the most likely concern for Brian to present with.

Question 3

Donna has twelve cats (and would happily accept more), but her cats live in unsanitary conditions and some are not very healthy.Donna often attributes human characteristics to her cats and has dysfunctional relationships with people.Based on her poor mental health, along with the symptoms mentioned, what would Donna's diagnosis most likely be?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Donna has twelve cats (and would happily...

Question 4

Why is it difficult to describe effective treatments for conversion disorder?

Accepted Answer

There have been very few systematic, controlled studies evaluating treatment for conversion disorder, making it difficult to describe effective treatments.

Question 5

Mark has intense anxiety about his health.He focuses on slight changes in his heartbeat and greatly exaggerates minor aches and pains.He frequently visits multiple doctors because he resents doctors telling him that nothing is physically wrong with him.What condition does Mark appear to have?

Accepted Answer

Mark appears to have illness anxiety disorder, also known as hypochondriasis. This is a condition where an individual is excessively worried about having a serious illness, despite no or minimal symptoms. They may research their symptoms obsessively and frequently seek reassurance from multiple doctors, but often struggle to accept medical explanations that do not fit their beliefs. Conversion disorder involves physical symptoms that are not based on any neurological or medical explanation, while Munchausen syndrome involves deliberately faking symptoms for attention or sympathy. Somatic symptom disorder involves excessive and persistent focus on physical symptoms, but does not necessarily center around fear of illness.

Question 6

A man who has obsessive-compulsive disorder was compelled to take very small steps as he walked and to look back repeatedly.What was he trying to do?

Accepted Answer

The man's behavior of taking small steps and looking back repeatedly is likely an attempt to ward off an imagined disaster, which is a common compulsion in obsessive-compulsive disorder to prevent something bad from happening.

Question 7

Some people with obsessive-compulsive disorder attempt to neutralize or suppress disturbing, intrusive thoughts.How successful do these strategies tend to be?

Accepted Answer

Attempting to neutralize or suppress disturbing, intrusive thoughts usually increases the frequency of the obsessive thoughts. This is because these strategies actually reinforce the belief that the thoughts are dangerous or unacceptable, leading to a cycle of obsession and compulsion.

Question 8

What is the meaning of the word soma?

Accepted Answer

Soma means body in Greek.

Question 9

In which behavioural treatment are patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder NOT permitted to carry out their compulsions while in the presence of the anxiety-producing stimulus or situation?

Accepted Answer

Exposure and ritual prevention (ERP) is a type of behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in which patients are exposed to the anxiety-producing stimulus or situation, but are not allowed to engage in their compulsive behaviors. This process is repeated until the patient's anxiety decreases and they are able to tolerate the situation without engaging in their compulsions. This process of exposure helps patients to learn that their anxiety decreases over time and that they are able to tolerate the situation without engaging in compulsive behaviors.

Question 10

When would Paul be most likely to be diagnosed with a somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain typically involves physical symptoms that have a psychological origin or are exacerbated by psychological factors. In this scenario, Paul has physical reasons for his pain but psychological factors are also contributing to its severity, making him more likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Choices A, C, and D do not necessarily align with the diagnostic criteria for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain.

Question 11

You hear two colleagues talking, and one of them states that a friend has just been diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder.What is your colleague's friend's gender and status most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that somatic symptom disorder is more common in women than men, and it is often associated with being unmarried. Wealth or financial status is not typically a factor in the diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder.

Question 12

Ordinary people have occasional intrusive thoughts with bizarre, sexual, or aggressive content, but they would not be considered to have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).What is required for someone to be diagnosed with OCD?

Accepted Answer

To be diagnosed with OCD, the person must experience recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and unwanted, and cause marked anxiety or distress. These thoughts must be accompanied by compulsions or repetitive behaviors or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform in response to the obsession, aimed at reducing the anxiety or preventing a feared outcome. In addition, the obsessions and/or compulsions must take up significant time, interfere with daily activities, and cause significant impairment or distress to the person's functioning. The person must recognize that their thoughts are excessive or unreasonable and try to resist or eliminate them.

Question 13

Which cognitive change seems to occur by preventing rituals and teaching the person with obsessive-compulsive disorder that no harm will result if they do not perform the ritual?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which cognitive change seems to occur by...

Question 14

Which of the following characterizes factitious disorder by proxy?

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorder by proxy (also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy) involves a caregiver deliberately causing or fabricating symptoms in a child in order to gain attention or sympathy for themselves. This can involve actions such as falsifying medical records or inducing illness in the child. Option A is the only choice that accurately characterizes this disorder. Option B refers to somatic symptom disorder, option C refers to malingering, and option D refers to a form of factitious disorder in which the patient is intentionally lying about their own symptoms.

Question 15

Children presenting with obsessive-compulsive disorder and tics, referred to as Pandas, suggest that these problems occurred after a bout of?

Accepted Answer

Pandas is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections. It is believed that antibodies produced in response to a strep infection can mistakenly attack the brain, leading to symptoms of OCD and tics. Influenza, high fevers, and chicken pox have not been linked to Pandas.

Question 16

Gisele has somatic symptom disorder.Which statement most likely describes Gisele?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is more common in individuals from lower socioeconomic groups.

Question 17

Anne feels as though she has a lump in her throat, but the doctors can find no obstructions.What diagnosis is a psychiatrist most likely to give Anne?

Accepted Answer

The sensation of a lump in the throat without any physical obstruction is a common symptom of globus hystericus, also known as globus sensation or globus pharyngeus. It is a somatic symptom disorder that is often associated with anxiety or stress. La belle indifférence refers to a lack of emotional response to a physical symptom or illness, and Echerichia coli is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Malingering refers to intentionally faking or exaggerating symptoms for some kind of external gain.

Question 18

When treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, how effective is combining exposure and ritual prevention (ERP) with medication?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When treating patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, how...

Question 19

The neurosurgical procedure called a cingulotomy is sometimes used to relieve severe symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Why would a cingulotomy usually be considered only after drugs and psychological treatments had failed?

Accepted Answer

A cingulotomy is a last resort measure because only about 30 percent of patients who undergo this procedure benefit substantially. Therefore, other treatments such as drugs and psychological treatments are usually considered first to avoid subjecting patients to the risks and consequences of neurosurgery.

Question 20

What does research suggest about the etiology of body dysmorphic disorder?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that body dysmorphic disorder shares many similarities with obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as intrusive, repetitive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. However, there may also be psychological and social factors that contribute to the development of the disorder. While there may be a genetic component, it is not as strongly supported as the similarities to OCD. Unconscious conflict is not considered a primary cause of body dysmorphic disorder.

Quiz 6: Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and Dissociative Disorders