Abnormal Psychology

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Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders 359


Moreover, a patient’s symptoms may have been unintentionally reinforced by

friends and family (social factor). A similar shift in interpretation of sensations


(psychological factor) can occur after stressful life events (social factor). In addition,


frustrating interactions with health care providers, family members, or friends can


increase stress (social factor). As with panic disorder (see Chapter 7), the physiologi-


cal arousal that occurs in response to stress can increase troubling bodily sensations


that then become the focus of preoccupations (see Figure 8.3).


Figure 8.3g3

NeuroPsychoSocial NeuroPsychoSocial


Affect
Anxiety
Distress

Mental Processes and
Mental Contents
Bodily preoccupation
Symptom amplification
Heightened attention
to body
Catastrophic thinking
about illness
Behavior

Avoidance of
behaviors that
increase bodily
sensations
associated
with symptoms

NeuroPsychoSocial


Genetics
Genetic link with

Understanding Hypochondriasis


Brain Systems
No known major
contribution

Neural Communication
No known major
contribution

Family

Gender/Culture

Stressful Life Events
History of significant
social stressor Modeling and
reinforcement
of illness
behavior

Symptoms can be a
cultural expression of
helplessness;
members of some
ethnic and SES groups
are more likely to
develop this disorder

8.3 • Feedback Loops in Action: Somatization Disorder

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