Conversion Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria
Conversion disorder is classified as a conversion disorder or a dissociative disorder depending on the diagnostic criteria used. The DSM-5 classifies conversion disorder as a somatoform disorder, whereas the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) classifies conversion disorder as a dissociative disorder. With the publication of the DSM-5 in 2013, the association between somatoform and dissociative disorders was acknowledged, and it was no longer necessary to rule out feigning, which was too subjective (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Kanaan et al., 2010; Lai, 2013).
For the diagnosis of conversion disorder to be made, a patient must present …show more content…
It is believed that as many a 90% of people diagnosed with conversion disorder are also diagnosed with a dissociative disorder (Stonnington, Barry, & Fisher, 2006). This high correlation rate between dissociative disorder and conversion disorder has many pushing for conversion disorder to be reclassified as a dissociative disorder as in the ICD-10. People diagnosed with conversion disorder often report dissociative amnesia and have no recollection of symptomatic attacks. Derealization, the experience of detachment from surrounding causing one to feel dream like or unreal, is also comorbid with conversion disorder. Anxiety and depressive disorders commonly co-occur with conversion disorder at a rate of possibly 80% (Feinstein, 2011; Lai, 2013; Stonnington et al., 2006). Alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe emotions, is comorbid with motor conversion disorder and increases a person's risk of developing PTSD (Demartini, Ricciardi, Crucianelli, Fotopoulou, & Edwards, 2015; Nicholson et al., 2011). Since stress is the main cause of conversion disorder, PTSD is very often diagnosed in addition to conversion disorder (Boeckle et al., 2016; Lai, 2013). Having a personality disorder such as borderline personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder puts one at a higher risk of developing conversion …show more content…
Most studies on conversion disorder lack power due to small sample sizes as a result of low prevalence rates. It is difficult to conduct a randomized trial on patients with conversion disorder, so case studies are done instead. The used of case studies results in a lack of strong empirical supporting evidence on the treatment and outlook of conversion disorder (Lai, 2013; McCormak et al., 2014; Moene et al, 2003). Many researchers look to the future in hopes of conducting longitudinal studies over this patient population to track brain changes over the course of the disease (FitzGerald et al., 2015). More research should be done to study the genetic contributions to conversion disorder and the impact of family and environment of the
Conversion disorder is classified as a conversion disorder or a dissociative disorder depending on the diagnostic criteria used. The DSM-5 classifies conversion disorder as a somatoform disorder, whereas the 10th edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) classifies conversion disorder as a dissociative disorder. With the publication of the DSM-5 in 2013, the association between somatoform and dissociative disorders was acknowledged, and it was no longer necessary to rule out feigning, which was too subjective (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Kanaan et al., 2010; Lai, 2013).
For the diagnosis of conversion disorder to be made, a patient must present …show more content…
It is believed that as many a 90% of people diagnosed with conversion disorder are also diagnosed with a dissociative disorder (Stonnington, Barry, & Fisher, 2006). This high correlation rate between dissociative disorder and conversion disorder has many pushing for conversion disorder to be reclassified as a dissociative disorder as in the ICD-10. People diagnosed with conversion disorder often report dissociative amnesia and have no recollection of symptomatic attacks. Derealization, the experience of detachment from surrounding causing one to feel dream like or unreal, is also comorbid with conversion disorder. Anxiety and depressive disorders commonly co-occur with conversion disorder at a rate of possibly 80% (Feinstein, 2011; Lai, 2013; Stonnington et al., 2006). Alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe emotions, is comorbid with motor conversion disorder and increases a person's risk of developing PTSD (Demartini, Ricciardi, Crucianelli, Fotopoulou, & Edwards, 2015; Nicholson et al., 2011). Since stress is the main cause of conversion disorder, PTSD is very often diagnosed in addition to conversion disorder (Boeckle et al., 2016; Lai, 2013). Having a personality disorder such as borderline personality disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder puts one at a higher risk of developing conversion …show more content…
Most studies on conversion disorder lack power due to small sample sizes as a result of low prevalence rates. It is difficult to conduct a randomized trial on patients with conversion disorder, so case studies are done instead. The used of case studies results in a lack of strong empirical supporting evidence on the treatment and outlook of conversion disorder (Lai, 2013; McCormak et al., 2014; Moene et al, 2003). Many researchers look to the future in hopes of conducting longitudinal studies over this patient population to track brain changes over the course of the disease (FitzGerald et al., 2015). More research should be done to study the genetic contributions to conversion disorder and the impact of family and environment of the