Psychiatric nursing: Nursing management of a patient with somatoform disorders

1. By
Mr. Vincent Ejakait

2.  It is a disorder characterized by the presence
of physical symptoms that suggests a medical
condition without a demonstrable organic
basis to fully account for them.

3.  Physical complaints suggest major medical
illness but have no demonstrable organic
basis
 Psychological factors and conflicts seem
important in initiating, exacerbating and
maintaining the symptoms
 Symptoms are not under the clients
conscious control.
 NB: Clients are convinced that they harbour
serious physical problems despite negative
diagnostic tests.

4.  Somatization disorder
 Pain disorder
 Conversion disorder
 Hypochondriosis
 Body dysmorphic disorder
 Other related disorders

5.  Characterized by multiple physical symptoms
 Symptoms extend over several years and
includes a combination of pain and
gastrointestinal, sexual and pseudoneurologic
symptoms

6.  Pain is the primary physical symptom, which
is generally unrelieved by analgesics.
 Greatly affected by psychological factors in
terms of onset, severity, exacerbation and
maintenance

7.  Involves unexplained, usually sudden deficit
in sensory or motor function e.g blindness,
paralysis.
 These deficits suggest a neurological disorder
but are associated with psychological factors

8.  This is a pre-occupation with the fear that
one has a serious disease (disease conviction)
 Or will get a serious disease (disease phobia).
 It is thought that clients with this disorder
misinterpret bodily sensations or functions.

9.  Is the preoccupation with an imagined or
exaggerated defect in physical appearance.

10.  Is the intentional production of false or
grossly exaggerated or psychological
symptoms:
 It is motivated by external incentives like
obtaining financial compensation or
obtaining drugs.

11.  Occurs when a person intentionally produces
or feigns physical or psychological symptoms
solely to gain attention.
 Clients may even inflict injury to themselves
to receive attention. This is commonly
termed as Munchansen’s syndrome:
 Munchansen’s by proxy- occurs when a
person inflicts illness or injury on someone
else to gain attention of emergency medical
personnel or to be a hero for saving the
victim.