Rehana's grandfather is preoccupied with thoughts of developing a serious illness and constantly worries about this possibility. He is continually anxious about his health. He may be suffering from
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Illness anxiety disorder
Option (1) Somatic Symptom disorder — Incorrect. Here a person has persistent body-related symptoms and is overly preoccupied with those symptoms, making frequent visits to doctors. Rehana’s grandfather has no symptoms to speak of; he worries about an illness that may come.
Option (2) Illness anxiety disorder — Correct. It involves persistent preoccupation about developing a serious illness and constant worry about this possibility, accompanied by anxiety about one’s health. The grandfather is preoccupied with thoughts of developing a serious illness and is continually anxious about his health.
Option (3) Conversion disorder — Incorrect. In conversion disorder a person suffers a loss or impairment of a motor or sensory function, such as paralysis or blindness, with no physical cause. The grandfather has lost no function.
Option (4) Panic disorder — Incorrect. Panic disorder consists of recurrent anxiety attacks of intense terror, with shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, choking and a fear of going crazy or dying. The grandfather’s worry is steady and about his health, not sudden attacks of terror.
NCERT (2025-26): “Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders … These are conditions in which there are physical symptoms in the absence of a physical disease. In these disorders, the individual has psychological difficulties and complains of physical symptoms, for which there is no biological cause. These include conversion disorders, somatic symptom disorder, and illness anxiety disorder among others. Somatic symptom disorder involves a person having persistent body-related symptoms which may or may not be related to any serious medical condition. People with this disorder tend to be overly preoccupied with their symptoms and they continually worry about their health and make frequent visits to doctors. As a result, they experience significant distress and disturbances in their daily life. Illness anxiety disorder involves persistent preoccupation about developing a serious illness and constantly worrying about this possibility. This is accompanied by anxiety about one’s health.…” |