Homework: Somatic Symptom Disorders
Individuals with somatic symptom disorders tend to have considerable difficulty with how they experience and appraise their bodily symptoms. The illness and the dysfunctional focus and behavior around the illness can assume a central role in the person's life.
Somatic symptom disorders were originally thought of as "hysterical," without legitimate medical causation, or as hypochondriasis. Though thinking has changed, negative judgments about unfounded illnesses can still be attached to individuals with these disorders. The boundary between medical and emotional problems can be further blurred. In some cases, an individual labeled with one of these illnesses may simply be experiencing a developing medical condition that has not yet been well defined. For all of these reasons, social workers need to take particular care in diagnosing somatic symptom disorders and in providing a fully biopsychosocial and multidisciplinary approach.
In this Homework, you describe what that approach might look like for one client.
To prepare:
a) Imagine that Jennifer Brea, whose TEDTalk (TED Conferences, LLC, 2016) you watched, is referred to you for ongoing supportive therapy when her psychiatry consultant decides that she does not have a conversion disorder. Despite the psychiatrist's opinion, her primary care physician ignores that consult and labels Jennifer with the conversion disorder anyway. Be sure to investigate what the ‘conversion' diagnosis means when responding.
b) Record your presentation using Personal Capture (record audio, video, and screen). See Kaltura Media Uploader in left-hand navigation menu in course for directions on recording and uploading media.
Submit a 5-minute recorded PowerPoint (5 to 7 slides) in which you address the following:
1) Explain in a concise professional manner how you would conduct your first meeting with Jennifer. Identify specific steps you would take to understand her circumstance and needs.
2) Explain how you would proceed with her medical team in terms of advocacy for her as a client believed to have this condition.
3) Explain why you would need to take a biopsychosocial approach to her ongoing care.
4) Explain what social, family, vocational, Internet, and medical supports you would explore to help with her longer-term stabilization.
5) Analyze the controversy in diagnosing a mental disorder based on unexplained physical symptoms. Within your analysis, consider how power and privilege influence who provides the diagnoses and which groups are more likely to be diagnosed with certain disorders. Explain your thoughts on this debate.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Required Readings
American Psychiatric Association. (2013g). Feeding and eating disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm10
Khalsa, S. S., Portnoff, L. C., McCurdy-McKinnon, D., & Feusner, J. D. (2017). What happens after treatment? A systematic review of relapse, remission, and recovery in anorexia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(20), 1-12. doi:10.1186/s40337-017-0145-3
Lewis, B., & Nicholls, D. (2016). Behavioural eating disorders. Paediatrics and Child Health, 26(12), 519-526. doi:10.1016/j.paed.2016.08.005
American Psychiatric Association. (2013p). 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
Brown, P., Lyson, M., & Jenkins, T. (2011). From diagnosis to social diagnosis. Social Science & Medicine, 73(6), 939-943. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.05.031
Kaltura Media Uploader (HTML)
Required Media
Accessible player --Downloads--Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptLaureate Education (Producer). (2018d).
Psychopathology and diagnosis for social work practice podcast: Feeding and eating disorder and somatic symptom disorders [Audio podcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
TEDx Talks. (2016b, June 29). Starving for the good: An anorexic's search for meaning and perfection | Elisabeth Huh | TedxUChicago [YouTube Video file].
TEDx Talks. (2013b, October 21). An epidemic of beauty sickness | Renee Engeln | TedxUConn 2013 [YouTube Video file].
TED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2016). What happens when you have a disease doctors can't diagnose [ Ted TalkVideo file].