Somatic Symptom Disorders Study Guide: Exam Prep for Psychology Students

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🧠 Definition: Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) involves experiencing significant distress and functional impairment due to persistent concerns about physical symptoms. These symptoms may or may not have a clear medical cause.
• 📅 Diagnostic Criteria: According to the DSM-5, individuals must experience somatic symptoms that are distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life, along with excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the symptoms. These symptoms must be persistent (typically more than 6 months).
• 💡 Key Features:
  • Excessive thoughts about the seriousness of one's symptoms.
  • Persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms.
  • Excessive time and energy devoted to health concerns.
• 📈 Prevalence: SSD affects approximately 5-7% of the adult population.
• 🤝 Comorbidity: SSD commonly occurs with other mental health conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, and personality disorders.
• 👩‍⚕️ Treatment Approaches: Treatment often involves a combination of psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy) and medication (e.g., antidepressants). A strong therapeutic relationship is crucial.
• 📑 Related Disorders: It's important to differentiate SSD from Illness Anxiety Disorder (hypochondriasis), Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder), and Factitious Disorder.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is a core feature of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)?
   1. A. Deliberate falsification of medical symptoms.
   2. B. Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to somatic symptoms.
   3. C. Preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, despite minimal symptoms.
   4. D. Loss of physical function with no neurological explanation.
2. According to the DSM-5, how long must symptoms be present for a diagnosis of Somatic Symptom Disorder?
   1. A. At least 1 month.
   2. B. At least 3 months.
   3. C. At least 6 months.
   4. D. At least 12 months.
3. Which of the following is a common comorbidity with Somatic Symptom Disorder?
   1. A. Schizophrenia.
   2. B. Bipolar Disorder.
   3. C. Anxiety Disorders.
   4. D. Autism Spectrum Disorder.
4. A primary goal of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Somatic Symptom Disorder is to:
   1. A. Encourage patients to fully embrace their physical symptoms.
   2. B. Help patients identify and modify maladaptive thoughts and behaviors related to their symptoms.
   3. C. Convince patients that their symptoms are not real.
   4. D. Provide patients with alternative medical treatments.
5. Which disorder involves preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, but with minimal or no somatic symptoms?
   1. A. Somatic Symptom Disorder.
   2. B. Conversion Disorder.
   3. C. Illness Anxiety Disorder.
   4. D. Factitious Disorder.
6. What is a key difference between Somatic Symptom Disorder and Factitious Disorder?
   1. A. In Factitious Disorder, symptoms are intentionally produced or feigned.
   2. B. Somatic Symptom Disorder always involves neurological symptoms.
   3. C. Factitious Disorder is more common in women.
   4. D. There is no significant difference between the two.
7. Which of the following treatments is most likely to be effective for Somatic Symptom Disorder?
   1. A. Placebo.
   2. B. Antidepressants combined with psychotherapy.
   3. C. Suggesting the patient is making up their symptoms.
   4. D. Surgery.