A 9-Year-Old Girl Is Brought to the Office by Her

question 155

Multiple Choice

A 9-year-old girl is brought to the office by her mother for evaluation of frequent stomach aches.  The mother says that her daughter has always had a "sensitive stomach" but that it has gotten worse since she started going to a new school a few months ago.  The girl has been missing class due to being in the nurse's office multiple times per week.  The patient's symptoms improve when her mother comes to get her.  In response to the doctor's questions about the girl's peer relationships, the mother replies, "She has friends but never enjoys sleepovers."  When the patient is at a friend's house, she often complains of stomach pain and nausea.  She occasionally has nightmares about being left alone and wakes up crying.  Although both parents are healthy, the patient says she worries about them "dying of a terrible illness, like cancer."  Abdominal examination shows no abnormalities.  Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

• A)Adjustment disorder with anxious mood
• B)Dependent personality disorder
• C)Generalized anxiety disorder
• D)Illness anxiety disorder
• E)Separation anxiety disorder
• F)Social anxiety disorder
• G)Somatic symptom disorder

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Definitions:

Specialization

The process of focusing efforts and resources on a limited number of activities to increase efficiency and productivity.

Fixed Input

A resource in the production process whose quantity cannot easily be changed in the short term, such as buildings and machinery.

Marginal Cost

The increase in cost caused by producing one additional unit of a good or service.

Average Total Cost

The total cost of production divided by the quantity of output produced, encompassing both fixed and variable costs.