Examining the Comorbidity of Panic Anxiety and Somatic Symptoms
Agnieszka Woźniewicz
This case study describes a psychosomatic assessment of a client with symptoms of panic anxiety in comorbidity with ICD-10 dissociative [conversion] disorders. The study aims to contribute a more nuanced understanding of psychosomatic symptoms by assessing a client using self-report tools and a semi-structured interview. The psychosomatic assessment was run via the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), and the Genogram. The result showed that the MMPI-2 highest scores were on the Hysteria Scale (Hy = 65), Masculinity-Femininity (Mf) scale, and Hypochondriasis (Hs = 57) scale. The STAI displayed low levels of state (raw score [RS] = 36) and trait anxiety (RS = 40). The CISS showed the following scores: Task-oriented coping: RS = 74, SS (standardized score) = 9; Emotion-oriented coping RS = 43, SS = 5; Avoidance-oriented coping: RS = 39, SS = 5. The genogram indicates that the family structure of the client could be a significant source of distress for the client herself. The MMPI-2 highlighted the presence of a psychosomatic syndrome that could be associated with stress stemming from impaired family functioning. Implications for further psychological examinations and therapy are also discussed.
Keywords
Psychosomatics, Somatic symptoms, Psychological assessment, MMPI-2, Family functioning.
