Question 1

Behavioral treatments for somatic symptom disorders seek to

Accepted Answer

Behavioral treatments for somatic symptom disorders often focus on teaching patients more appropriate techniques for interacting with others, as these disorders can be influenced by interpersonal dynamics and communication patterns.

Question 2

People with somatic symptom disorders

Accepted Answer

People with somatic symptom disorders tend to make more negative attributions about physical symptoms, often believing that they are a sign of a serious medical condition, even when medical evaluations fail to reveal any significant physical problems. This can lead to excessive worry, anxiety, and preoccupation with physical symptoms. While gender and blame attribution may be factors that contribute to psychological distress in some individuals, they are not necessarily defining characteristics of somatic symptom disorders. The term "hysterical" is outdated and stigmatizing, and does not accurately describe the complex psychological factors involved in this disorder.

Question 3

Conversion disorder symptoms typically begin

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder, also known as functional neurological symptom disorder, typically begins in adolescence or early adulthood, although it can occur at any age.

Question 4

The new DSM-5 system places more emphasis on ___________ than on ____________.

Accepted Answer

The DSM-5 system emphasizes the distress and behavior accompanying somatic symptoms more than the mere number of somatic symptoms, reflecting a shift towards understanding the impact of symptoms on a patient's life rather than just quantifying symptoms.

Question 5

Antidepressants reduce pain even when

Accepted Answer

Antidepressants can have analgesic properties that reduce pain independently of their effects on mood, even at low doses that may not be sufficient to treat depression.

Question 6

Claudia is experiencing intermittent pain in her stomach and back.Medical examination and testing have revealed no physical explanation for her symptoms.The most likely DSM-5 diagnosis for Claudia is

Accepted Answer

Intermittent pain in the absence of a clear physical explanation is a common symptom of Somatic Symptom Disorder. In this disorder, individuals may experience pain or other somatic symptoms that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition or substance use. They may excessively worry about their symptoms, experience significant distress or impairment due to the symptoms, and may seek medical attention repeatedly without relief.

Question 7

The DSM-5 includes all of the following dissociative disorders except:

Accepted Answer

Dissociative Disintegrative Disorder is not included in the DSM-5. This disorder was previously included in the DSM-IV-TR, but was eliminated in the DSM-5 because it was deemed to be a rare and poorly understood disorder.

Question 8

Cognitive behavioral treatment therapists help people do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive behavioral treatment therapists aim to help people identify and change emotions that trigger somatic concerns, change their cognitions regarding their somatic symptoms, and change their behaviors so they stop playing the role of a sick person and gain more reinforcement for engaging in other types of social interactions. So, all of the above options are correct.

Question 9

Controlled trials of psychological treatment for conversion disorder

Accepted Answer

Controlled trials specifically designed to evaluate psychological treatments for conversion disorder have been limited, making it difficult to conclusively determine the effectiveness of specific interventions like supportive psychotherapy, biofeedback, or relaxation training.

Question 10

Psychological treatment of somatic symptom disorders often includes

Accepted Answer

The psychological treatment of somatic symptom disorders typically focuses on addressing the underlying anxiety, stress, and mood disorders rather than medical testing to show the symptoms have no physical basis. Keeping a diary of symptoms and exploring childhood experiences may be part of therapy but are not the primary treatment approach.

Question 11

Which of these dissociative disorders is no longer a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5?

Accepted Answer

Dissociative Fugue is no longer a distinct diagnosis in the DSM-5. It is now considered a subtype of Dissociative Amnesia.

Question 12

Cognitive treatments for somatic symptom disorders seek to

Accepted Answer

Cognitive treatments for somatic symptom disorders aim to reduce the excessive attention and negative thoughts about bodily sensations. This is done through cognitive restructuring, challenging cognitive distortions and reframing the way patients think about their symptoms. Relaxation techniques may be a part of the treatment but they do not address the underlying cognitive processes driving the disorder. Operant conditioning approaches are not effective or appropriate for treating somatic symptom disorders.

Question 13

In the case of Anna O.,her conversion disorder symptoms appeared

Accepted Answer

Anna O.'s conversion disorder symptoms first appeared while she was sitting at the bedside of her seriously ill father.

Question 14

Cognitive-behavioral treatments for somatic symptom disorder

Accepted Answer

Cognitive-behavioral treatments for somatic symptom disorder aim to challenge and modify the person's catastrophic beliefs about their physical symptoms, reduce anxiety related to bodily sensations, and improve coping skills. This approach has been shown to be effective in reducing health concerns and health care utilization. It is not aimed at focusing the person on their bodily sensations or encouraging them to seek reassurance from a medical doctor. This treatment approach is not gender-specific and has been found to be effective for both men and women.

Question 15

The treatment of somatic symptom disorders is relatively primitive because

Accepted Answer

Somatic symptom disorders are characterized by physical symptoms that may have no medical explanation. Sufferers may be reluctant to seek mental health treatment because they believe their symptoms are due to a physical illness. This makes it difficult to accurately diagnose and treat the disorder. The lack of effective treatments may also discourage sufferers from seeking help.

Question 16

In an effort to reduce Alan's somatic symptoms,his behaviorally-oriented therapist would most likely

Accepted Answer

A behaviorally-oriented therapist would focus on reinforcing positive behaviors, such as returning to work, by suggesting that his family reward these efforts.

Question 17

Conversion disorder is not a likely diagnosis for someone

Accepted Answer

Conversion disorder is a somatoform disorder that often arises in response to stressors or conflicts. While it can present with a variety of physical symptoms such as blindness, paralysis, or loss of sensation, it is often triggered by emotional stress. Therefore, it is unlikely that someone would develop conversion disorder in the midst of a lawsuit, which is typically a very stressful and emotional situation.

Answer: B, C, and D 
 While conversion disorder is unlikely in the context of a lawsuit, sudden loss of sensation, ceasing to speak, and tunnel vision are all possible symptoms. These symptoms are examples of possible manifestations of conversion disorder, which occurs when unconscious emotional conflicts are expressed as physical symptoms. Therefore, a sudden onset of sensory or motor symptoms in the absence of a clear medical explanation could be indicative of conversion disorder.

Question 18

A behavioral reinforcer for someone with somatic symptom disorder would be

Accepted Answer

Individuals with somatic symptom disorder often experience physical symptoms that are not fully explained by medical conditions. These individuals may seek attention and sympathy from others as a way to cope with their symptoms. Therefore, receiving attention and sympathy may serve as a positive reinforcement for the individual's behavior of exhibiting somatic symptoms. The other options (A, B, and D) are not directly related to the symptoms or behavior associated with somatic symptom disorder.

Question 19

Nina has illness anxiety disorder.She notices a red splotch on her face that seems to be getting larger each day.Nina will most likely believe that this symptom

Accepted Answer

Individuals with illness anxiety disorder often interpret physical symptoms as signs of a serious illness, even if there is no medical evidence to support this belief. Nina's belief that the red splotch on her face is getting larger each day is consistent with this pattern of thinking, suggesting that she is likely to believe that the symptom is due to a serious underlying disease.

Question 20

Miguel experienced a sudden,inexplicable blindness.Tests have shown no physical basis for his symptoms.The most likely diagnosis is

Accepted Answer

Miguel's sudden, unexplained blindness points towards Conversion Disorder, which involves the manifestation of physical symptoms without any underlying physical cause. Somatic Symptom Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and Illness Anxiety Disorder all involve physical symptoms as well, but they either have a clear physical basis or involve different symptoms altogether.

Quiz 8: Dissociative Disorders and Somatic Symptom Disorders