Question 1

Carson recently lost his job and has a huge debt due to gambling. He also has been feeling extreme pressure about not being able to take care of his eight children. After he was robbed at gunpoint on the street, but was not physically hurt, Carson could not tell the officer his name, address, or anything about his past. Carson is experiencing a

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, which is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Carson's inability to remember his name, address, or anything about his past after a traumatic event (being robbed at gunpoint) aligns with this condition.

Question 2

Mac has been to numerous doctors regarding the pain in his hips and knees. Although Mac is clearly experiencing pain in these areas, the doctors can find no sign of arthritis or muscular damage. Mac may be experiencing

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an individual experiencing significant focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, that results in major distress and/or problems functioning. The individual may or may not have an identified medical condition associated with these symptoms. This choice fits Mac's situation, where he experiences pain without a clear medical cause.

Question 3

Sarah says that she feels "sick" all the time and has consulted many different doctors regarding her numerous physical complaints. However, no organic cause can be identified for any of these physical complaints. Sarah most likely has a(n)

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by having one or more chronic physical complaints for which no medical explanation can be found, much like Sarah's situation. Patients with this disorder often experience significant distress and may frequently seek medical care for their symptoms, despite the lack of identifiable medical conditions.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of somatic symptom disorder?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder involves experiencing physical symptoms that cause significant distress or problems in functioning, which are not fully explained by a general medical condition. In choice D, Wally's belief that he has blocked arteries due to an increased heart rate during exertion, despite likely having no medical evidence to support this belief, aligns with the characteristics of somatic symptom disorder. Choices A, B, and C describe situations where physical symptoms are directly related to identifiable physical causes or conditions, not somatic symptom disorder.

Question 5

A person that has the dissociative disorder known as a fugue exhibits a confusion about his or her personal identity and

Accepted Answer

A dissociative fugue is characterized by sudden, unexpected travel away from one's home or customary place of work, with an inability to recall one's past. This travel is often accompanied by confusion about personal identity or the assumption of a new identity.

Question 6

Three years after Hurricane Katrina, Shelia's family found her living in Los Angeles, California, under the self-chosen name of Priscilla Elliot and working as a bartender. Sheila claimed to have no memory of her previous life as a nurse in New Orleans or all the lives she had saved during the hurricane. Sheila appears to have

Accepted Answer

Sheila's situation is indicative of a dissociative fugue, a disorder characterized by suddenly forgetting one's identity and past, and sometimes embarking on a journey or assuming a new identity, as Sheila did by moving to Los Angeles and adopting a new name. This condition is part of the dissociative disorders category, which involves a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness, and memory. The other options listed do not typically involve forgetting one's past identity or adopting a new one.

Question 7

Even though Tomas has never smoked, he immediately thinks that his bad cough is the result of lung cancer rather than the common cold. If he has a mild rash, he immediately thinks he has skin cancer or shingles and goes to the doctor. His friends tell Tomas that he is a hypochondriac, but the correct DSM-5 diagnosis for Tomas' condition is

Accepted Answer

Tomas exhibits a pattern of excessive preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, despite having minor or no symptoms, which aligns with the criteria for somatic symptom disorder as defined in the DSM-5. This disorder is characterized by persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one's symptoms, leading to significant anxiety and frequent medical visits.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of dissociative fugue?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative fugue is characterized by sudden, unexpected travel away from one's home or workplace, with an inability to recall one's past. Jerry's situation, where he is found disoriented and wandering far from home without understanding how he got there, fits this description.

Question 9

Edgar is experiencing severe back pain that has no identifiable physical cause, that is, there is no damage to bone, muscle, or nerve tissue. Edgar's imaginary pain would be classified as a

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by excessive focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning, even when no medical cause is identified. This fits Edgar's experience of severe back pain with no identifiable physical cause.

Question 10

People with which disorder typically interpret normal bodily sensations as proof that they have a terrible disease, express their anxieties through various bodily complaints, and\or experience disabling pain that has no identifiable physical basis?

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an excessive focus on physical symptoms, such as pain or fatigue, that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. Individuals may believe they have a serious illness despite medical reassurance, interpreting normal bodily sensations as signs of severe disease.

Question 11

In most cases, dissociative identity disorder tends to occur as a response to

Accepted Answer

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is most commonly a response to extreme trauma experienced in childhood, including severe abuse, whether it be physical, sexual, or emotional. This condition is thought to stem from a combination of factors that may include the trauma itself along with a person's ability to dissociate memories or experiences from consciousness as a coping mechanism.

Question 12

Which of the following disorders was formerly referred to as multiple personalities and is characterized by having two or more alternating personalities, each with its own name, personal history, and self-image?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was formerly known as multiple personality disorder. It is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states or identities that control a person's behavior in different situations.

Question 13

Susan was unable to explain or remember her frequent escapades, strange clothing, or phone calls from people she claimed she did not know. While in a therapy session, Susan's demeanor changed and she became Jan, who stated that Susan was a bore and did not know anything. Susan's psychologist thinks that Susan may be suffering from

Accepted Answer

Susan's experience of having another identity (Jan) who has a distinct personality and memories suggests she may be suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder. This condition is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states or identities within a single individual, along with the inability to recall personal information beyond what is expected through normal forgetfulness.

Question 14

Dorothy, a Connecticut homemaker, disappeared after her husband and children were killed in a car accident. Four months later, she was found in Mobile, Alabama, working as a waitress. Dorothy claimed that her name was Abby, which was her daughter's name, and that she did not know anyone by the name of Dorothy. Even after being positively identified by family members, Dorothy continues to insist that her name is Abby. Dorothy is most likely suffering from

Accepted Answer

Dorothy's behavior is indicative of dissociative fugue disorder, a condition characterized by sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one's customary place of work, with inability to recall one's past and confusion about personal identity or assumption of a new identity.

Question 15

Factitious disorders and conversion disorder would be classified in the DSM-5 as

Accepted Answer

Factitious disorders and conversion disorder are classified under "somatic symptom and related disorders" in the DSM-5. This category includes disorders that manifest with physical symptoms suggesting illness or injury, but which cannot be fully explained by a general medical condition, direct effects of a substance, or another mental disorder. Factitious disorders involve falsifying illness or injury for the purpose of assuming the sick role, while conversion disorder involves neurological symptoms incompatible with medical conditions, both fitting within the somatic symptom framework.

Question 16

Which of the following disorders is characterized by symptoms of sudden, unexplained traveling from home and confusion about one's personal identity?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative fugue is characterized by sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one's customary place of work, with an inability to recall one's past and confusion about personal identity or the assumption of a new identity.

Question 17

Multiple personalities, or dissociative identity disorder, often begins

Accepted Answer

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personalities, often originates in childhood as a coping mechanism to deal with severe trauma or unbearable experiences. This disorder is a complex psychological condition that is believed to stem from extreme stress or trauma during early development, rather than from combat exhaustion, phobias, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Question 18

In a somatic symptom disorder, the person

Accepted Answer

In a somatic symptom disorder, the individual experiences and expresses psychological distress through physical symptoms, often without a medical cause, which aligns with choice A. Choices B, C, and D describe conditions that are not characteristic of somatic symptom disorder.

Question 19

Jeremy is unable to recall who he is or where he lives. If Jeremy's only symptom is this loss of memory, and if he has not experienced any physical trauma to the brain, his amnesia would be considered a(n)__________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Dissociative disorders involve a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. Jeremy's inability to recall personal information without any physical trauma to the brain fits the characteristics of a dissociative disorder.

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of dissociative amnesia?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative amnesia is characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. Vince's situation, where he cannot identify himself or recall his past following personal traumas, is a classic example of dissociative amnesia.

Quiz 14: Psychological Disorders