A nurse is caring for a school-age client in an outpatient clinic.

Exhibits

The nurse should identify which of the client findings are manifestations of a factitious disorder? (Select all that apply.)

A. Somatic symptom disorder. This disorder involves experiencing physical symptoms that cause significant distress or impairment, typically related to an underlying medical condition. The client’s actions do not reflect a focus on physical symptoms for relief of anxiety or distress in the same way.
B. Illness anxiety disorder. This disorder is characterized by excessive worry about having a serious illness despite minimal or no symptoms. The client’s behavior of intentionally cutting themselves does not align with this disorder, as there is no indication of anxiety over illness.
C. Factitious disorder. This disorder involves intentionally producing or feigning symptoms for the purpose of assuming the sick role, without external incentives. The client’s admission of boredom as the reason for self-harm indicates an intent to create a situation for attention or care, aligning with factitious disorder.
D. Functional neurological symptom disorder. This condition involves neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical findings, often presenting as involuntary symptoms. The client’s self-inflicted injuries are not indicative of this disorder, as they intentionally engaged in self-harm.

A. Clients who have somatic symptom disorder exhibit more than one personality. Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by the presence of physical symptoms that cause significant distress or impairment, but it does not involve multiple personalities. This concept is more relevant to dissociative identity disorder.
B. Somatic symptom disorder impacts more women than men. Research indicates that somatic symptom disorder is more prevalent in women, making this information accurate. Women are more likely to report physical symptoms and seek medical help for them.
C. Somatic symptom disorder impacts the majority of clients who have depression. While there is a notable overlap between somatic symptom disorder and depression, it is not accurate to say that most clients with depression have somatic symptom disorder. The relationship is complex and varies among individuals.
D. Clients who have this disorder are intentionally faking their symptoms. Individuals with somatic symptom disorder genuinely experience distress related to their symptoms. Unlike factitious disorder, where symptoms are intentionally produced, clients with somatic symptom disorder do not intentionally fake their symptoms.