Which of the following statements about somatic symptom disorder are correct?
(A) Somatic symptom disorder involves persistent body-related symptoms which may or may not be related to any serious medical condition.
(B) People with somatic symptom disorder tend to be overly preoccupied with their symptoms and make frequent visits to doctors.
(C) In somatic symptom disorder, the concern about medical illness is expressed mainly as anxiety rather than as physical complaints.
(D) The symptoms of somatic symptom disorder are the reported loss of part or all of some basic body functions, such as paralysis or blindness.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A and B only
(A) Somatic symptom disorder involves persistent body-related symptoms which may or may not be related to any serious medical condition. — Correct. Somatic symptom disorder centres on persistent body-related symptoms. These may or may not be linked to a serious medical condition.
(B) People with somatic symptom disorder tend to be overly preoccupied with their symptoms and make frequent visits to doctors. — Correct. People with this disorder are overly preoccupied with their symptoms, keep worrying about their health and keep visiting doctors. This brings real distress to their daily life.
(C) In somatic symptom disorder, the concern about medical illness is expressed mainly as anxiety rather than as physical complaints. — Incorrect. The feature is reversed. In somatic symptom disorder the concern shows as physical complaints; it is in illness anxiety disorder that anxiety itself is the main concern.
(D) The symptoms of somatic symptom disorder are the reported loss of part or all of some basic body functions, such as paralysis or blindness. — Incorrect. This describes conversion disorders, where a person reports loss of a basic body function, such as paralysis, blindness or deafness, often suddenly after stress. Somatic symptom disorder involves persistent body symptoms.
NCERT (2026-27): “Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders … “… In general, both somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder are concerned with medical illnesses. But, the difference lies in the way this concern is expressed. In the case of somatic symptom disorder, this expression is in terms of physical complaints while in case of illness anxiety disorder, as the name suggests, it is the anxiety which is the main concern.” |