NURS 420 EXAM 4 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A focus on somatic or physical
symptoms such as pain. Clients report excessive concern, anxiety, fear, and preoccupation related to a
condition.
What do Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) and related disorders involve? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A
person having significant focus on physical concerns or complaints that result in disruption in daily life
- Involve physical manifestations that are not explained by any physical or mental health disorders
What is somatization? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅When emotional distress and psychological issues are
exhibited in physical manifestations that cannot be explained medically
- Emotional distress and psychological issues
- Exhibited as manifestation
- Not explained by physical or mental health disorder
Who is at a higher risk for somatization? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Younger children and females
- Older adults
- Individuals with concurrent medical illnesses
Why might SSD be underdiagnosed in older adults? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Many of the common
symptoms (eg: pain, fatigue) are considered normal parts of aging, or because anxiety is understandable
given the number of medical illnesses and medications older clients may have
What are the impacts of somatic symptom disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Manifestations
Disruption in daily living
What are some of the manifestations of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Pain, GI issues, and sexual difficulties
- Severity of symptoms may be exacerbated because client may begin to feel hopeless and helpless as
symptoms cannot be scientifically explained
,- Symptoms cause significant disruptions in daily life
What are some risk factors for SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Adverse childhood experiences, such as
childhood neglect, sexual abuse, inconsistent lifestyle behaviors, and a history of alcohol and substance
abuse
- Environmental factors: child abuse, low socioeconomic status, limited education and academic
experiences, recently experienced health-related life events such as pregnancy or cancer diagnosis
What is the prevalence of SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Unknown exactly, but estimated to be 4-6% of
general population
- Females report more somatic symptoms than males (prevalence higher in females)
What are clients who have SSD significantly more likely to have? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A diagnosis of
major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias like agoraphobia
- Suicidal ideation and history of suicide attempts are more frequent with SSD and related disorders
What does the diagnostic criteria for SSD include? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅One or more manifestations
that are either very distressing to the client or cause a significant disruption in daily functioning:
disproportionate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with the somatic manifestations or
spending excessive time and energy focusing on these manifestations or health
- The thoughts, behaviors, and disruptions must be present for 6 months or more
- To reach this diagnosis, clients must have at least one somatic symptom that is severely distressing or
results in a significant disruption in daily life, such as job loss or the inability to function
What is the DSM-5 criteria for SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- One or more somatic symptoms that are
distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life.
- Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health
concerns as manifested by at least one of the following:
- Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one's symptoms.
- Persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms.
- Excessive time and energy devoted to these symptoms or health concerns.
,- Although any one somatic symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic
is persistent (typically more than six months).
What are some somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Somatic symptom
disorder
Illness anxiety disorder
Functional neurological symptom disorder
Factitious disorder
What are some nursing interventions for somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅- Effective therapeutic communication
- Develop healthy coping strategies and skills
- Encourage healthy lifestyle
- Psychosocial education
- Teach and encourage the use of relaxation techniques.
- Encourage the client to participate in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based
interventions and therapy.
- Encourage positive thinking or assist with cognitive reframing.
- Assist the client in setting realistic goals.
- Provide symptomatic relief measures such as pain medication or digestive relief. Always include a
careful assessment and determine what has worked for the client in the past.
- Encourage self-management.
- Promote education about the disorder and assist clients in exploring the connection between physical
complaints and emotional stressors. - The nurse should avoid statements and judgments such as "your
symptoms are in your head," "you are making up your symptoms," or "there is nothing medically wrong
with you."
- Provide medication education and encourage adherence.
- Focus communication on the facilitation of emotions over symptom severity.
, What is the main treatment goal for somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅To help the client develop positive approaches to manage anxiety, decrease maladaptive
behaviors, and cope with physical manifestations, rather than eliminate them
How can the nursing process be applied to somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Recognizing cues (assessment) (Example: Somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety
disorder)
Generating solutions (planning)
Taking action (implementing)
Evaluate outcomes (evaluation)
What is a summary of Somatic Symptom and related disorders info? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-
Emotional stressors increase the severity of physical symptoms.
- The client experiences real physical symptoms that may or may not have a medical cause that is
identifiable.
- Clients often lack the insight that stress and physical symptoms are related to emotional causes.
- The nurse must be prepared to implement holistic interventions designed to target both physical and
psychological problems and assist the client to maximize their level of functioning.
- Factitious disorder is the only somatic disorder in which the manifestations are under the client's
conscious control.
- Client safety is the priority. Assisting the client with coping, expressing feelings, and
achieving/maintaining maximum functioning are important tasks for the nurse.
- Somatic symptom and related disorders are caused by the client's response to psychosocial stress, but
the client may lack insight into the stressors and how they are manifested in the form of physical
complaints.
What are dissociative disorders characterized by? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Disruption in the way that
memory, consciousness, identity, emotion, motor control, and behavior interact with each other
- Disruption in integration psychological functioning
- Dissociation and re-experiencing trauma
- Defense mechanism: unconscious protection
What is Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A focus on somatic or physical
symptoms such as pain. Clients report excessive concern, anxiety, fear, and preoccupation related to a
condition.
What do Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) and related disorders involve? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A
person having significant focus on physical concerns or complaints that result in disruption in daily life
- Involve physical manifestations that are not explained by any physical or mental health disorders
What is somatization? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅When emotional distress and psychological issues are
exhibited in physical manifestations that cannot be explained medically
- Emotional distress and psychological issues
- Exhibited as manifestation
- Not explained by physical or mental health disorder
Who is at a higher risk for somatization? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Younger children and females
- Older adults
- Individuals with concurrent medical illnesses
Why might SSD be underdiagnosed in older adults? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Many of the common
symptoms (eg: pain, fatigue) are considered normal parts of aging, or because anxiety is understandable
given the number of medical illnesses and medications older clients may have
What are the impacts of somatic symptom disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Manifestations
Disruption in daily living
What are some of the manifestations of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD)? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Pain, GI issues, and sexual difficulties
- Severity of symptoms may be exacerbated because client may begin to feel hopeless and helpless as
symptoms cannot be scientifically explained
,- Symptoms cause significant disruptions in daily life
What are some risk factors for SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Adverse childhood experiences, such as
childhood neglect, sexual abuse, inconsistent lifestyle behaviors, and a history of alcohol and substance
abuse
- Environmental factors: child abuse, low socioeconomic status, limited education and academic
experiences, recently experienced health-related life events such as pregnancy or cancer diagnosis
What is the prevalence of SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Unknown exactly, but estimated to be 4-6% of
general population
- Females report more somatic symptoms than males (prevalence higher in females)
What are clients who have SSD significantly more likely to have? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A diagnosis of
major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias like agoraphobia
- Suicidal ideation and history of suicide attempts are more frequent with SSD and related disorders
What does the diagnostic criteria for SSD include? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅One or more manifestations
that are either very distressing to the client or cause a significant disruption in daily functioning:
disproportionate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with the somatic manifestations or
spending excessive time and energy focusing on these manifestations or health
- The thoughts, behaviors, and disruptions must be present for 6 months or more
- To reach this diagnosis, clients must have at least one somatic symptom that is severely distressing or
results in a significant disruption in daily life, such as job loss or the inability to function
What is the DSM-5 criteria for SSD? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- One or more somatic symptoms that are
distressing or result in significant disruption of daily life.
- Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to the somatic symptoms or associated health
concerns as manifested by at least one of the following:
- Disproportionate and persistent thoughts about the seriousness of one's symptoms.
- Persistently high level of anxiety about health or symptoms.
- Excessive time and energy devoted to these symptoms or health concerns.
,- Although any one somatic symptom may not be continuously present, the state of being symptomatic
is persistent (typically more than six months).
What are some somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Somatic symptom
disorder
Illness anxiety disorder
Functional neurological symptom disorder
Factitious disorder
What are some nursing interventions for somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅- Effective therapeutic communication
- Develop healthy coping strategies and skills
- Encourage healthy lifestyle
- Psychosocial education
- Teach and encourage the use of relaxation techniques.
- Encourage the client to participate in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based
interventions and therapy.
- Encourage positive thinking or assist with cognitive reframing.
- Assist the client in setting realistic goals.
- Provide symptomatic relief measures such as pain medication or digestive relief. Always include a
careful assessment and determine what has worked for the client in the past.
- Encourage self-management.
- Promote education about the disorder and assist clients in exploring the connection between physical
complaints and emotional stressors. - The nurse should avoid statements and judgments such as "your
symptoms are in your head," "you are making up your symptoms," or "there is nothing medically wrong
with you."
- Provide medication education and encourage adherence.
- Focus communication on the facilitation of emotions over symptom severity.
, What is the main treatment goal for somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅To help the client develop positive approaches to manage anxiety, decrease maladaptive
behaviors, and cope with physical manifestations, rather than eliminate them
How can the nursing process be applied to somatic symptom and related disorders? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Recognizing cues (assessment) (Example: Somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety
disorder)
Generating solutions (planning)
Taking action (implementing)
Evaluate outcomes (evaluation)
What is a summary of Somatic Symptom and related disorders info? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-
Emotional stressors increase the severity of physical symptoms.
- The client experiences real physical symptoms that may or may not have a medical cause that is
identifiable.
- Clients often lack the insight that stress and physical symptoms are related to emotional causes.
- The nurse must be prepared to implement holistic interventions designed to target both physical and
psychological problems and assist the client to maximize their level of functioning.
- Factitious disorder is the only somatic disorder in which the manifestations are under the client's
conscious control.
- Client safety is the priority. Assisting the client with coping, expressing feelings, and
achieving/maintaining maximum functioning are important tasks for the nurse.
- Somatic symptom and related disorders are caused by the client's response to psychosocial stress, but
the client may lack insight into the stressors and how they are manifested in the form of physical
complaints.
What are dissociative disorders characterized by? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅- Disruption in the way that
memory, consciousness, identity, emotion, motor control, and behavior interact with each other
- Disruption in integration psychological functioning
- Dissociation and re-experiencing trauma
- Defense mechanism: unconscious protection
