Which of the following best describes illness anxiety disorder, formerly known as hypochondriac?
Overreaction of a medical symptom.
Faked symptoms.
Abnormal voluntary motor or sensory dysfunction.
Worry about health despite no symptoms.
The Correct Answer is D
A. Overreaction of a medical symptom. While individuals with illness anxiety disorder (IAD) may misinterpret normal bodily sensations as signs of serious illness, the key feature is excessive health-related worry in the absence of significant symptoms, rather than just overreacting to existing symptoms.
B. Faked symptoms. Feigning symptoms is characteristic of factitious disorder (formerly Munchausen syndrome) or malingering, where individuals intentionally produce or exaggerate symptoms for attention or external gain. In IAD, the concern is genuine but unfounded, rather than intentionally fabricated.
C. Abnormal voluntary motor or sensory dysfunction. This describes conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder), where individuals experience neurological symptoms (e.g., paralysis, blindness, or seizures) without a medical explanation, typically triggered by psychological stress.
D. Worry about health despite no symptoms. Illness anxiety disorder (IAD) is marked by persistent, excessive fear of having a serious illness, despite minimal or no symptoms and repeated medical reassurance. Patients often engage in excessive health-related behaviors (e.g., frequent doctor visits, checking their body) or avoid medical care altogether due to fear of diagnosis.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Difficulty in reading skills. This describes dyslexia, a learning disorder characterized by challenges in reading, spelling, and phonemic awareness. Individuals with dyslexia may struggle with word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension, but their math skills may remain unaffected.
B. Difficulty in fine motor skills. This describes dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), which affects motor planning and coordination rather than numerical skills. Individuals with dyspraxia may struggle with writing, buttoning clothes, or other tasks requiring precise hand movements.
C. Difficulty in math skills. Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability in mathematics, affecting number sense, calculations, problem-solving, and understanding mathematical concepts. It is linked to difficulties in basic arithmetic, number sequencing, and spatial reasoning, often unrelated to intelligence or overall cognitive ability.
D. Difficulty in writing. This describes dysgraphia, a learning disorder that impairs handwriting, spelling, and written expression. Individuals with dysgraphia may have poor letter formation, inconsistent spacing, and difficulty organizing thoughts on paper, but their math abilities may not be affected.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Hallucinations are a core positive symptom of schizophrenia and involve false sensory perceptions without an external stimulus (e.g., hearing voices, seeing things that are not there). According to the DSM-5, hallucinations are one of the three essential symptoms that must be present for a diagnosis.
B. Delusions are fixed, false beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary (e.g., persecutory delusions, grandiose delusions). Delusions are a hallmark symptom of schizophrenia and are required as a diagnostic criterion if present.
C. Disorganized speech reflects disorganized thinking, a key symptom of schizophrenia. It includes incoherence, tangentiality, and word salad, demonstrating the cognitive dysfunction associated with the disorder. If disorganized speech is present, it fulfils one of the primary diagnostic criteria.
D. Negative symptoms such as avolition, anhedonia, alogia, and flat affect, are common in schizophrenia but are not required for diagnosis. According to the DSM-5, at least one of the following three symptoms hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech must be present to meet the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.
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