HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
What is the primary psychopathological feature that characterizes anorexia nervosa?
Appeared in: HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Explanation
- The defining psychological characteristic of anorexia nervosa is an intense and irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming fat.
- This fear, often termed 'weight phobia,' persists even when the individual is at a significantly low and unhealthy weight.
- This core fear drives the associated behaviors, such as severe food restriction and excessive exercise.
- It is coupled with a significant disturbance in how one's body weight or shape is experienced, leading to a distorted body image.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: A complete loss of appetite is not the primary feature. The term 'anorexia' is a misnomer because patients often feel hunger but intentionally restrict their food intake due to the overwhelming fear of gaining weight. True loss of appetite may only occur late in the illness.
- Option C: Recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors are the defining feature of Bulimia Nervosa. While a subtype of anorexia nervosa involves binging and purging, the primary characteristic across all of anorexia is the severe restriction and intense fear of weight gain leading to low body weight.
- Option D: This is the opposite of what is observed in anorexia nervosa. Patients have an extreme preoccupation with and a distorted perception of their body image, which is a core diagnostic criterion.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The primary psychopathological feature of anorexia nervosa as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Nurses play a crucial role in the multidisciplinary care of patients with anorexia nervosa. This includes monitoring for severe medical complications like bradycardia, hypothermia, and electrolyte imbalances.
- Building a therapeutic alliance is critical but challenging due to the patient's fear and lack of insight. Trust is essential for encouraging adherence to treatment.
- Patient and family education is vital. Nurses can help families understand that anorexia is a serious psychiatric illness, not a choice, and guide them on how to support the patient's recovery.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core subject of the question: 'anorexia nervosa' and the specific aspect being asked: its 'primary psychopathological feature'.
- This is a recall-based question that requires knowledge of the defining diagnostic criteria for the disorder.
- Evaluate each option against the established definition of anorexia nervosa.
- Option A (loss of appetite) is a common misconception; the term is a misnomer.
- Option C (binge eating) is the hallmark of a different eating disorder, bulimia nervosa.
- Option D (lack of concern) is the direct opposite of the intense body image distortion seen in anorexia.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: The primary psychopathological feature of anorexia nervosa.
- Stem keywords: anorexia nervosa, psychopathological feature, primary
- Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QcRg8Z3Wcf5wk1x0XP9IpK
Reference Book
E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1498-1500
E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 312-314
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 15612-15615
Practise the full HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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