Which of the following is included in the somatic symptom and related disorders spectrum?

• A. Factitious disorder
• B. Generalized anxiety disorder
• C. Schizophrenia
• D. Major depressive disorder

Answer: (A)

The key idea is which disorders fall under the somatic symptom and related disorders cluster, which centers on significant somatic symptoms or concerns about illness and the psychological ways people respond to them. Factitious Disorder fits here because it involves intentional production or feigning of symptoms, or inducing illness, with the main aim to assume the sick role rather than to gain external rewards. This makes it part of the somatic symptom and related disorders by focusing on somatic presentations shaped by psychological factors.

The other conditions listed belong to different diagnostic families: Generalized anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder focused on excessive worry rather than prominent, deliberately produced somatic symptoms; schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder; major depressive disorder is a mood disorder. While these can interact with somatic concerns, they aren’t categorized under the somatic symptom and related disorders spectrum.