Which disorder is defined by the presence of one or more psych/behavioral factors that adversely affect a medical condition and interfere with treatment?

• A. Adjustment Disorders
• B. Illness Anxiety Disorder
• C. Somatic Symptom Disorder
• D. Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions

Answer: (D)

Psychological or behavioral factors that affect the course of a medical illness or its treatment. This item targets the DSM-5 concept of Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions, which refers to psych/behavioral factors that worsen a medical condition or interfere with its management—such as poor medication adherence, maladaptive coping, or stress that worsens symptoms.

That’s why the correct choice fits best: the scenario describes factors that negatively influence the medical condition and its treatment, which is exactly what this category is meant to capture.

The other conditions don’t fit this interactional focus. Adjustment disorders involve emotional or behavioral responses to a stressor that are out of proportion or not brief, but they don’t specify how psych factors alter a medical condition or its treatment. Illness anxiety disorder centers on preoccupation with having a serious illness without necessarily impacting the course of another medical condition or its management. Somatic symptom disorder emphasizes distress and excessive thoughts about somatic symptoms, not the influence of psych factors on a separate medical condition or its treatment.