Re-attribution therapy is used in:

IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2023

Psychiatric Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2023

Explanation

Re-attribution therapy is a structured psychological intervention specifically designed for somatoform disorders.
The core principle is to help patients shift their understanding of their physical symptoms from a purely organic cause to one linked with psychological distress and life stressors.
This approach validates the patient's suffering while gently broadening their perspective to include the mind-body connection.
The therapy progresses through distinct stages: feeling understood, broadening the agenda, making the link, and negotiating a new treatment plan.

Option A: Psychosis is treated with antipsychotic medications and therapies focused on reality testing and managing delusions/hallucinations, not re-attributing physical symptoms.
Option B: The primary cognitive therapy for depression focuses on challenging the 'negative cognitive triad' (negative views of self, world, and future) and using behavioral activation, not re-attribution of physical symptoms.
Option D: Mania is an acute psychiatric emergency requiring pharmacological stabilization with mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Psychological therapies are not the primary treatment in the acute phase.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Application of Re-attribution Therapy helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses in primary care and general hospital settings frequently encounter patients with medically unexplained symptoms. Understanding the principles of re-attribution can help nurses build rapport and avoid frustrating and unnecessary investigations.
The first stage, 'Feeling Understood,' is a critical nursing skill. By listening empathetically and validating the patient's experience of their symptoms, the nurse lays the groundwork for a successful therapeutic alliance.
What if? If a patient with known somatoform disorder presents with a new, acute symptom like chest pain, the nurse's priority must shift. While their history is relevant, the immediate action should be to rule out an acute medical emergency (like a myocardial infarction) before considering a psychological origin. The principle is 'treat as organic until proven otherwise' in acute situations.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core term in the question stem: 'Re-attribution therapy'. This is a specific, named psychological therapy.
Access your knowledge base about different psychological therapies and their primary indications.
Evaluate each option: Psychosis, Depression, Somatoform disorders, and Mania.
Recall that 're-attribution' implies changing the patient's belief about the 'attribution' or cause of their symptoms.
Connect this concept to the disorder where the primary issue is a misattribution of physical symptoms. This is the hallmark of somatoform disorders, where patients attribute normal or benign bodily sensations to serious disease.
Eliminate the other options by recalling their primary treatment modalities (e.g., antipsychotics for psychosis, cognitive restructuring for depression, mood stabilizers for mania).

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Medicine Davidson Principles Practice 24e p. 1210-1212