Onset of conversion disorder may be associated with which of the following antecedents?

• A. Trauma, psychological or physical
• B. Genetic predisposition
• C. Infectious disease
• D. Nutritional deficiency

Answer: (A)

Conversion disorder typically emerges in the context of psychological distress or a trauma that the person may not consciously acknowledge. The symptoms are neurologic in appearance but cannot be explained by medical disease, and they’re thought to reflect a psychic response to stress or conflict, sometimes following a physical injury or emotional trauma. That makes trauma—whether psychological or physical—the most fitting antecedent.

Genetic predisposition can influence vulnerability to some conditions, but it doesn’t explain a triggering event for conversion symptoms. Infectious disease or nutritional deficiency would point to an organic medical cause rather than a psychogenic, stress-related onset.