L10 Other Mental Disorders and Prevention_removed

Lecture 10: Other Mental Disorders

Learning Objectives

• Overview of various mental disorders including:

  • Illness Anxiety Disorder

  • Factitious Disorder

  • Dissociative Amnesia

  • Anorexia Nervosa

  • Binge-Eating Disorder

  • Alcohol Use Disorder

  • Gambling Disorder

  • Gender Dysphoria

  • Alzheimer’s Disease

• Emphasis on the importance of prevention in mental health care.

• Discussion of major approaches to prevention in mental health.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

• Newly introduced in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).

• Characterized by a persistent and excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness despite the lack of significant physical symptoms.

• The anxiety experienced is substantial and can lead to considerable life disruption, impacting daily activities and contributing to significant distress.

• Individuals may frequently seek medical evaluations, but typically have few or mild physical symptoms, which can lead to misdiagnosis or under-treatment.

• Distinction from Somatic Symptom Disorder:

  • Illness Anxiety Disorder often involves lower severity of symptoms and fewer comorbid conditions compared to Somatic Symptom Disorder.

  • Patients with Illness Anxiety Disorder tend to visit doctors infrequently and may dismiss medical advice, resulting in a cycle of anxiety and fear regarding health.

Factitious Disorder

• Individuals with Factitious Disorder intentionally simulate, produce, or feign psychological or physical symptoms.

• The primary aim of this behavior is to attain benefits commonly associated with the sick role, such as attention, sympathy, or medical care.

• Unlike malingering, where the motivation is to gain financial compensation or avoid responsibility, the motivations in Factitious Disorder are more complex, linked to psychological needs.