A 5-Year-Old Boy Is Brought to the Office by His

question 28

Multiple Choice

A 5-year-old boy is brought to the office by his mother for a checkup.  He is healthy and about to start kindergarten.  His mother is concerned about his recent reaction to her brother's death.  "Although I told him that Uncle John died and can't be with us anymore, he insists that he is coming for his birthday and will take him to a ballgame.  He died over 3 months ago, but my son repeatedly asks me when he is coming back.  When I try to explain, he starts crying that his stomach hurts."  Physical examination is normal.  During the examination he tells the physician, "I try to clean up my toys before bedtime so mommy won't cry."  Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the patient's behavior?

• A)Age-appropriate behavior
• B)Complicated grief reaction
• C)Developmental delay
• D)Post-traumatic stress disorder
• E)Regression
• F)Somatic symptom disorder

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Definitions:

Unconscious Mind

Part of the mind that is not within an individual's immediate awareness, containing thoughts, memories, and desires believed to influence behavior.

Unconscious Thought

Mental processes that occur without conscious awareness, influencing behaviors, decisions, and emotions.

Conscious Thought

Mental processes and concepts that are within an individual's awareness and can be deliberately considered or manipulated.

Primary Process

In psychoanalytic theory, the unconscious thought process that is illogical, irrational, and driven by the pleasure principle, often associated with dreams and neurotic symptoms.