RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2018
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

Which is the characteristic of anorexia nervosa?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2018

Explanation

  • Anorexia nervosa is a complex syndrome characterized by multiple essential criteria.
  • According to diagnostic guidelines (DSM-5), the core features include a relentless drive for thinness (obsession with weight loss) and a significant disturbance in body image.
  • Both components are required for a diagnosis, making the combined option the most complete and accurate answer.
  • The disorder involves self-induced starvation leading to a significantly low body weight, which is a direct result of these psychological drivers.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: This is a core feature of anorexia nervosa, but it is incomplete. A diagnosis also requires a disturbance in body image.
  • Option B: This is also a core feature of anorexia nervosa, but it is incomplete. A diagnosis also requires an intense fear of gaining weight or an obsession with weight loss.
  • Option D: Vomiting is a purging behavior that can be present in the binge-eating/purging subtype of anorexia nervosa, but it is not a universal or essential criterion for diagnosis. The restricting subtype does not involve purging. Furthermore, vomiting is more characteristic of bulimia nervosa.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses must recognize that anorexia nervosa is not simply about weight loss but a severe psychiatric illness with the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, often due to medical complications or suicide.
  • Management requires a multidisciplinary team approach, including medical monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, and psychotherapy. Nurses play a vital role in monitoring for refeeding syndrome, a potentially fatal complication.
  • What if? If a patient presents with purging behaviors but maintains a normal body weight, the diagnosis is more likely to be bulimia nervosa, not anorexia nervosa. The key differentiator is the significantly low body weight in anorexia.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the core concept of the question, which is the defining characteristics of anorexia nervosa.
  • Evaluate each option individually. Recognize that 'Obsessed with weight loss' and 'Body image disturbance' are both correct symptoms.
  • Notice that one option combines these two correct symptoms. In questions where multiple options seem correct, look for a more comprehensive or inclusive option.
  • The option that combines the essential diagnostic criteria is superior to options that only list one criterion.
  • Eliminate the option 'Vomiting with nausea' by recalling that while purging can occur, it's not a required feature for all cases of anorexia and is more typical of bulimia.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa
  • Stem keywords: characteristic, anorexia nervosa
  • Lead-in keywords: Which is
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QDlBA_ugDtfx7E9QTYfbmp

Reference Book

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) pp. 1496-1498, 1498-1500

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

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