Which statement about psychological factors affecting other medical conditions is true?

• A. It is never diagnosed in children.
• B. It requires the co-occurrence of a mental disorder.
• C. It is diagnosed only when psychological factors affect the course or outcome of a medical condition.
• D. It is identical to somatic symptom disorder.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that psychological factors can influence how a medical condition progresses or is managed. This diagnosis is used when psychological or behavioral factors have an adverse impact on the course, treatment, or outcome of a medical condition. It’s not about whether someone has a separate mental disorder, and it can be applied to people of any age, including children. It is also distinct from somatic symptom disorder, which centers on distress from somatic symptoms themselves rather than the effect on another medical illness. For example, high stress or poor coping might worsen asthma control by increasing symptoms or reducing adherence to inhaler use. Because the defining feature is the adverse influence on the medical condition’s course or management, the statement that it is diagnosed only when psychological factors affect the course or outcome is the best description.