The nurse is caring for a 40-year-old woman complaining of the sudden onset of numbness and tingling in her legs and difficulty standing. She has been informed that there is no physical basis for her symptoms. Which of the following depicts her present complaints?

Explanation

• Conversion disorder involves unexplained, usually sudden, deficits in sensory or motor function (e.g. blindness, paralysis) that do not have an underlying organic cause.

• Conversion disorder involves a psychological cause usually in response to stress or anxiety.

• Incorrect: Illness anxiety disorder (formerly hypochondriasis) refers to a persistent preoccupation with fears of having a serious disease based on the person’s misinterpretation or exaggeration of bodily functions.

• Incorrect: Malingering is the fabrication of symptoms for a personal gain such as financial benefit or obtaining drugs.

• Incorrect: Restless legs syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to reduce uncomfortable sensations.

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