Preoccupation with body diseases is seen in:

Appeared in: HP CHO -9 October 2022

Explanation

Hypochondriasis (Illness Anxiety Disorder) is defined by persistent preoccupation with fears of having a serious illness.
The focus is on the idea of being ill, not just the presence of symptoms.
Patients seek repeated reassurance but remain anxious.
Distinguished from somatization (multiple symptoms) and conversion disorder (neurological symptoms).

Option A: Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts or urges, not specifically about health or disease.
Option B: Somatization involves multiple, recurring physical complaints across different body systems, not just preoccupation with disease.
Option D: Conversion disorder presents with neurological symptoms (e.g., paralysis, blindness) that are incompatible with known medical conditions, not a preoccupation with disease.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Differentiation of psychiatric disorders involving preoccupation with health or physical symptoms as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must recognize illness anxiety disorder to avoid unnecessary investigations and reinforce healthy coping.
Regular, brief appointments and consistent reassurance can help manage patient anxiety.
What if? If the patient had multiple physical symptoms across different systems, somatization disorder would be considered instead.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the main symptom or feature described in the stem (preoccupation with body diseases).
Recall the definitions and key features of each listed disorder.
Eliminate options that focus on physical symptoms (somatization, conversion) or intrusive thoughts unrelated to health (obsession).
Select the disorder characterized by persistent health-related anxiety despite medical reassurance.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Differentiation of psychiatric disorders involving preoccupation with health or physical symptoms
Stem keywords: preoccupation, body diseases
Lead-in keywords: seen in
Clinical cues: persistent health-related anxiety
Clinical cues: minimal or no physical symptoms

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E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) pp. 1441-1443, 1448-1450

E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 1222-1224

Practise the full HP CHO -9 October 2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.