What are some important complications of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa? Eating disorders are among the most debilitating and potentially lethal mental health disorders due to the accompanying malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, and potential for seizures.
Treatment strategies for SSD What treatment for SSD has been shown to decrease rates of hospitalization and reduce patient’s health care spending by 50%? What additional should be employed? Individual and group psychotherapy. Additional strategies include scheduling frequent follow-up visits with a single provider (establishing a “medical home”) and following a collaboratively developed treatment plan. …
Key features to differentiate factitious disorder and malingering from SSDs In SSD, symptoms are not intentionally (consciously) produced. Symptoms produced intentionally to assume the sick role (i.e., “primary gain”) or without obvious external reward are characteristic of factitious disorder. Symptoms produced intentionally for monetary or other “secondary gain” are consistent with malingering. Reporting to the …
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Factors which contribute to SSDs What are some major factors that are thought to contribute to SSDs? Genetic and biological susceptibilities (e.g., decreased pain tolerance) Childhood trauma (e.g., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) Operant conditioning—learning (i.e., somatic complaints gain attention) Sociocultural norms (e.g., if somatic complaints are valued over emotional complaints)
New diagnostic scheme DSM 5 The diagnosis of somatoform disorder in DSM-4 has been replaced with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in DSM-5. What is the difference? The new diagnostic scheme focuses on the presence of symptoms and the excessive distress and abnormal/maladaptive emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to the symptoms rather than the absence of a medical explanation. Indeed, SSD is …
Are Dissociative amnesias and amnesia of dementia different Yes, dissociative amnesia and amnesia of dementia are different conditions with distinct causes and characteristics. Here’s a brief explanation of each: Dissociative Amnesia: Dissociative amnesia is a psychological condition characterized by the inability to recall important personal information, usually related to a traumatic or stressful event. It …
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What historical elements may be common in dissociative disorders such as dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization/derealization disorder? A history of severe childhood physical and emotional abuse, or a history of traumatic wartime or natural disaster experiences is common in these disorders. Dissociation or depersonalization can be part of the normal experience during extreme …
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