Question

Taking into consideration that the common feature of the somatoform disorders is the presence of physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition, what of the following statements regarding Factitious Disorders is incorrect?

A. Malingering and Factitious Disorder both involve the intentional production
B. In Factitious Disorder, panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks
C. In Malingering, the individual has an external incentive (money, getting out of work, etc.) that he/she hopes to achieve by his/her presentation
D. In Factitious Disorder, there is no apparent external motivation for the faking other than to receive medical attention.

Answer 1

The incorrect statement about Factitious Disorders among the options provided is that panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks in Factitious Disorder. Factitious Disorders are characterized by intentional symptom fabrication without external incentives, unlike Malingering which involves external motivators.

Step-by-step explanation:

In regards to somatoform disorders, the statement that is incorrect about Factitious Disorders is: B. In Factitious Disorder, panic attacks are often mistaken for heart attacks. This statement is not accurate as Factitious Disorder involves falsifying illness or injury without obvious external rewards, not specifically confusing one condition (panic attacks) for another (heart attacks).

Malingering and Factitious Disorder do indeed both involve the intentional production of symptoms, but their motivations differ. While malingering is motivated by an external incentive such as money or avoiding work, Factitious Disorder is characterized by the absence of external incentives. Instead, individuals with Factitious Disorder seek medical attention or play the sick role without external benefits. This differentiates it from Malingering.