Somatic symptom disorder and a concurrent medical illness frequently do not occur together.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Cannot be determined

Answer: (B)

Somatic symptom disorder is defined by excessive distress, thoughts, and time focused on physical symptoms, which may or may not have a medical explanation. Crucially, having a real medical illness does not exclude somatic symptom disorder. In fact, comorbidity is common: a person can have a medical condition and still meet criteria for SSD if their preoccupation and anxiety about symptoms are disproportionate and impair daily functioning. So the statement that they frequently do not occur together is not correct. If there’s a medical condition with symptoms that are fully explained and the person’s concern is proportionate rather than excessive, that would not be SSD, but that distinction hinges on the level of distress and preoccupation, not on the mere presence of a medical illness.