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A common misconception in medicine is that eating disorders present similarly in males and females. Research suggests that this is untrue: males meeting diagnostic criteria for eating disorders are more likely than females to have another psychiatric illness, demonstrate a later age of onset, and engage in excessive exercise. They are less likely to engage in purging behaviors, be diagnosed by clinicians, or seek treatment. When males do enter treatment, they are generally further along in the course of the illness.The classification of eating disorders in males according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) has recently been debated. Research suggests that one very common manifestation of eating disorder etiology in males, called muscle dysmorphia (MD) , includes an obsession with a larger and more muscular body, which contrasts with the thin, idealized body for females with eating disorders. Characterized as a subset of body dysmorphic disorder, MD is more recently conceptualized as part of a spectrum of eating disorders; however, it is still classified under the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders umbrella in the DSM-5.One study applied the latest DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) , bulimia nervosa (BN) , binge eating disorder (BED) , and MD to the medical records of male veterans treated in Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals across the United States from 2000 to 2015. The study (Table 1) found a significant increase in psychiatric comorbidity compared to controls (C) .Table 1 Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders for Eating Disorder and MD Cases and Controls in a National Sample of Male Veterans Treated at VA Hospitals from 2000 to 2015

-A physician suspects that a young woman seen in the clinic displays symptoms of an eating disorder. Which of the following responses best demonstrates the ego defense mechanism of rationalization in the patient?

Question

Passage
A common misconception in medicine is that eating disorders present similarly in males and females. Research suggests that this is untrue: males meeting diagnostic criteria for eating disorders are more likely than females to have another psychiatric illness, demonstrate a later age of onset, and engage in excessive exercise. They are less likely to engage in purging behaviors, be diagnosed by clinicians, or seek treatment. When males do enter treatment, they are generally further along in the course of the illness.The classification of eating disorders in males according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) has recently been debated. Research suggests that one very common manifestation of eating disorder etiology in males, called muscle dysmorphia (MD) , includes an obsession with a larger and more muscular body, which contrasts with the thin, idealized body for females with eating disorders. Characterized as a subset of body dysmorphic disorder, MD is more recently conceptualized as part of a spectrum of eating disorders; however, it is still classified under the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders umbrella in the DSM-5.One study applied the latest DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) , bulimia nervosa (BN) , binge eating disorder (BED) , and MD to the medical records of male veterans treated in Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals across the United States from 2000 to 2015. The study (Table 1) found a significant increase in psychiatric comorbidity compared to controls (C) .Table 1 Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders for Eating Disorder and MD Cases and Controls in a National Sample of Male Veterans Treated at VA Hospitals from 2000 to 2015

-A physician suspects that a young woman seen in the clinic displays symptoms of an eating disorder. Which of the following responses best demonstrates the ego defense mechanism of rationalization in the patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_0c69_60c0_a3bf_ebb5ba3cec6d_MD0008_00 According to psychoanalytic theory, ego defense mechanisms are an unconscious way to deal with the anxiety caused by unacceptable urges and thoughts. Ego defense mechanisms were first proposed by Sigmund Freud (considered the father of psychoanalytic theory) and later expanded on by other psychoanalytic theorists. There are many defense mechanisms; denial, repression, rationalization, projection, and sublimation are five common mechanisms. Rationalization occurs when an individual unconsciously generates an acceptable excuse for an unacceptable behavior or thought. For example, skipping meals is not normal or acceptable behavior; the patient using this defense mechanism is rationalizing the behavior by telling herself that she will eat a lot later on. (Choice A) Sublimation involves turning unacceptable thoughts or behaviors into productive, acceptable ones. An individual who writes in a journal when feeling the urge to binge and purge is using this ego defense mechanism. (Choice C) Repression involves an inability to consciously recall unacceptable thoughts or behaviors. An individual who is unable to remember engaging in binging behaviors is using this ego defense mechanism. (Choice D) Projection involves the attribution of one's own unacceptable thoughts and behaviors to another person or group. Individuals who focus on the real or imagined unacceptable behaviors of others instead of their own behaviors may be using this ego defense mechanism. Educational objective: Psychoanalytic theory suggests that ego defense mechanisms are a method of dealing with unacceptable thoughts and behaviors that cause anxiety. Rationalization is an ego defense mechanism in which an individual generates an acceptable excuse for an unacceptable behavior or thought.