In one week, a psychologist at a district hospital in Pune meets three new clients. Geeta, 19, says that at times she seems to watch herself from outside her body, like a person in a film, and her own home feels strange and far away. Anjali, 28, has no pain or other bodily complaint, yet she is sure that she will get cancer one day soon; every night she reads about it and asks her doctor for fresh tests. Sunil, 30, at times speaks in a child's voice and calls himself 'Bittu'; on other days he turns into a stern man named 'Major Singh'. Later he cannot say what 'Bittu' or 'Major Singh' did.
Identify the disorder that Anjali's condition shows.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Illness anxiety disorder
Option (1) Somatic symptom disorder — Incorrect. Somatic symptom disorder means body-related symptoms, such as pains, with no medical condition, or one far milder than the symptoms. Anjali has no bodily complaint at all.
Option (2) Conversion disorder — Incorrect. Conversion disorder is a loss or impairment of a motor or sensory function, such as paralysis, with no physical cause. Anjali has lost no function.
Option (3) Generalised anxiety disorder — Incorrect. Generalised anxiety disorder means long, vague fears not tied to any one object. Anjali's fear is fixed on one thing, getting cancer.
Option (4) Illness anxiety disorder — Correct. Anjali has no symptoms but is sure she will get cancer and keeps asking for tests. This worry about the possibility of developing a serious medical condition is illness anxiety disorder.
NCERT (2026-27): “Dissociative Disorders … |