NRNP 6635 Dissociative and Somatic Symptom-Related Disorders

NRNP 6635 Dissociative and Somatic Symptom-Related Disorders

Consider the following two scenarios:

Tim is a 6-year-old boy brought to the family medicine clinic for an initial visit. On entering the examination room, the physician observed Tim spinning in circles on the stool while his mother pled, “If I have to tell you one more time to sit down….” Tim was not permitted to begin first grade until his immunizations were updated. His mother explained that Tim had visited several physicians for immunization but was so disruptive that the physicians and nurses always gave up. She hoped that with a new physician, Tim might comply. The mother described a several-year history of aggressive and destructive behavior as well as four school suspensions during kindergarten. He often becomes “uncontrollable” at home and has broken dishes and furniture. Last year, Tim was playing with the gas stove and started a small fire. Tim frequently pulls the family dog around by its tail. Tim’s older sisters watched him in the past but have refused to do so since he threw a can of soup at one of them. Tim’s father is a long-haul truck driver who sees Tim every 3 to 4 weeks (Searight et al., 2001).

Wallace is a recently retired 55-year-old man and is the primary caregiver for his wife, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. As his wife became weaker from the treatment, Wallace became increasingly anxious about his own ability to care for his wife and his sense of agency in the situation. After a serious infection led his wife to be hospitalized, Wallace’s symptoms grew worse. He stopped eating and lost 25 pounds during a matter of weeks. On a trip to the grocery store to purchase food for the household, Wallace had to stop and ask directions to get back to the house at which he had lived for 15 years. This further exacerbated his depression and anxiety and he grew fearful of leaving the home, often sitting in one chair for hours without moving.

This week, you explore three disparate groupings of disorders. With the first—disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders—

NRNP 6635 Dissociative and Somatic Symptom-Related Disorders
NRNP 6635 Dissociative and Somatic Symptom-Related Disorders

patients experience issues with self-control of emotions or behavior that involve aggression, destruction/violating others’ rights, defiance, or violating societal norms. Secondly, dissociative disorders involve a disconnection from elements in a person’s life, such as sense of identity, memories, environment, or perception of time. Lastly, somatic symptom-related disorders deal with excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to physical symptoms (e.g., pain, gastrointestinal issues) that cannot be fully explained by diagnosed medical conditions.

Conduct Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment in Primary Care by Searight, H. R., Rottnek, F., Abby, S. L., in American Family Physician, Vol. 63/ Issue 8. Copyright 2001 by American Academy of Family Physicians. Reprinted by permission of American Academy of Family Physicians via the Copyright Clearance Center.

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Learning Resources

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm15

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Dissociative disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm08

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Somatic symptom and related disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm09

Sadock, B. J., Sadock, V. A., & Ruiz, P. (2015). Kaplan & Sadock’s synopsis of psychiatry (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Chapter 12, Dissociative Disorders
Chapter 13, Psychosomatic Medicine
Chapter 19, Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders
Chapter 31, Child Psychiatry (Sections 31.13 and 31.14 only)
Required Media (click to expand/reduce)

Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2015). Dissociative disorders [Video]. Walden University.

Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2016). Impulse and conduct disorders [Video]. Walden University.

Classroom Productions. (Producer). (2016). Somatic symptoms and related disorders [Video]. Walden University.

MedEasy. (2017). Somatic symptoms and factitious disorders | USMLE & COMLEX [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-NN8fHB_a4