Week 8: Feeding and Eating Disorders, Somatic Symptom Disorders, and Other Related Disorders Both eating disorders and somatic symptom disorders involve a mind-body relationship. However, those living

Week 8: Feeding and Eating Disorders, Somatic Symptom Disorders, and Other Related Disorders

Both eating disorders and somatic symptom disorders involve a mind-body relationship. However, those living with somatic disorders tend to be highly sensitized to their body experiences in a different way than those with eating disorders. While eating disorders can cause individuals to lose their interoceptive awareness of the body, those with somatic disorders tend to have a magnified awareness, often coupled with preoccupation and a high level of anxiety that is deemed to be excessive to the cause.

These spectrums of illness require that social workers take an early-intervention, multidisciplinary, and biopsychosocial approach to treatment to be successful in supporting recovery. Both require knowledge and extensive communication with medical providers and other specialists. That priority for interdisciplinary knowledge and teamwork increases in importance given the mortality rates of eating disorders and the mind-body factors in both.

This week you analyze the impact of living with an eating disorder and the problems (nutritional, medical, social, and psychological) in the recovery process. You also consider current societal influences that impact the onset, recognition, and recovery process for eating disorders and somatic symptom disorders.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze the impact of the digital age and social influences on eating disorders
• Analyze biopsychosocial treatment strategies for eating disorders
• Apply advocacy strategies within an interprofessional treatment approach
• Analyze treatment strategies for clients with somatization disorders
• Analyze challenges with power and privilege during diagnosis

Learning Resources

Required Readings

American Psychiatric Association. (2013h). Feeding and eating disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm10Khalsa, S. S., Portnoff, L. C., McCurdy-McKinnon, D., & Feusner, J. D. (2017). What happens after treatment? A systematic review of relapse, remission, and recovery in anorexia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(20), 1–12. doi:10.1186/s40337-017-0145-3Lewis, B., & Nicholls, D. (2016). Behavioural eating disorders. Paediatrics and Child Health, 26(12), 519–526. doi:10.1016/j.paed.2016.08.005American Psychiatric Association. (2013q). Somatic symptom and related disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm09Brown, P., Lyson, M., & Jenkins, T. (2011). From diagnosis to social diagnosis.Social Science & Medicine,73(6), 939–943. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.05.031Kaltura Media Uploader (HTML)

Required Media

Accessible player --Downloads--Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptLaureate Education (Producer). (2018d). Psychopathology and diagnosis for social work practice podcast: Feeding and eating disorder and somatic symptom disorders [Audio podcast]. Baltimore, MD: Author.TEDx Talks. (2016b, June 29). Starving for the good: An anorexic’s search for meaning and perfection | Elisabeth Huh | TedxUChicago [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxI0ewBJdMoTEDx Talks. (2013b, October 21). An epidemic of beauty sickness | Renee Engeln | TedxUConn 2013 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/63XsokRPV_YTED Conferences, LLC (Producer). (2016). What happens when you have a disease doctors can’t diagnose [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jen_brea_what_happens_when_you_have_a_disease_doctors_can_t_diagnose

Optional Resources

Axelsson, E., Andersson, E., Ljótsson, B., Finn, D. W., & Hedman, E. (2016). The health preoccupation diagnostic interview: Inter-rater reliability of a structured interview for diagnostic assessment of DSM-5 somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 45 (4), 259–269. doi:10.1080/16506073.2016.1161663Marzilli, E., Cerniglia, L., & Cimino, S. (2018). A narrative review of binge eating disorder in adolescence: Prevalence, impact, and psychological treatment strategies. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 2018(9), 17–30. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S148050Vartanian, L. R., Trewartha, T., & Vanman, E. J. (2016). Disgust predicts prejudice and discrimination toward individuals with obesity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46(6), 369–375. doi:10.1111/jasp.12370Document: Suggested Further Reading for SOCW 6090 (PDF)Note: This is the same document introduced in Week 1.

Optional Media

Sagey, L., & Blair, R. (Producers). (n.d.). Anorexia: What therapists and parents need to know [Video file]. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from http://www.psychotherapy.net.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/stream/waldenu/video?vid=386

Discussion: The Complexity of Eating Disorder Recovery in the Digital Age

Through this week’s Learning Resources, you become aware not only of the prevalence of factors involved in the treatment of eating disorders, but also the societal, medical, and cultural influences that help individuals develop and sustain the unhealthy behaviors related to an eating disorder. These behaviors have drastic impacts on health. In clinical practice, social workers need to know about the resources available to clients living with an eating disorder and be comfortable developing interdisciplinary, individualized treatment plans for recovery that incorporate medical and other specialists.

For this Discussion, you focus on guiding clients through treatment and recovery.

To prepare:

• Review the Learning Resources on experiences of living with an eating disorder, as well as social and cultural influences on the disorder.
• Read the case provided by your instructor for this week’s Discussion.

By Day 3

Post a 300- to 500-word response in which you address the following:

• Provide the full DSM-5 diagnosis for the client. Remember, a full diagnosis should include the name of the disorder, ICD-10-CM code, specifiers, severity, and the Z codes (other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention).Keep in mind a diagnosis covers the most recent 12 months.
• Explain the diagnosis by matching the symptoms identified in the case to the specific criteria for the diagnosis.
• Explain why it is important to use an interprofessional approach in treatment. Identity specific professionals you would recommend for the team, and describe how you might best utilize or focus their services.
• Explain how you would use the client’s family to support recovery. Include specific behavioral examples.
• Select and explain an evidence-based, focused treatment approach that you might use in your part of the overall treatment plan.
• Explain how culture and diversity influence these disorders. Consider how gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and/or ethnicity/race affect the experience of living with an eating disorder.

Note: You do not need to include an APA reference to the DSM-5 in your response. However, your response should clearly be informed by the DSM-5, demonstrating an understanding of the risks and benefits of treatment to the client. You do need to include an APA reference for the treatment approach and any other resources you use to support your response.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two colleagues who identified a treatment strategy that differs from yours in the following ways:

• Explain whether you agree or disagree with your colleague’s treatment strategy.
• Explain additional cultural influences that your colleague should consider when addressing the specific eating disorder they identified.

Note:You are required to create a thread for your initial Discussion post before you will be able to view other colleagues’ postings in this forum.If you have not yet visited the weekly resources and assignments, you should visit that area now to access the complete set of directions and guidelines for this discussion.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:Week 8 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 and Respond by Day 6

To participate in this Discussion:Week 8 Discussion

Assignment: Somatic Symptom Disorders

Individuals with somatic symptom disorders tend to have considerable difficulty with how they experience and appraise their bodily symptoms. The illness and the dysfunctional focus and behavior around the illness can assume a central role in the person’s life.

Somatic symptom disorders were originally thought of as “hysterical,” without legitimate medical causation, or as hypochondriasis. Though thinking has changed, negative judgments about unfounded illnesses can still be attached to individuals with these disorders. The boundary between medical and emotional problems can be further blurred. In some cases, an individual labeled with one of these illnesses may simply be experiencing a developing medical condition that has not yet been well defined. For all of these reasons, social workers need to take particular care in diagnosing somatic symptom disorders and in providing a fully biopsychosocial and multidisciplinary approach.

In this Assignment, you describe what that approach might look like for one client.

To prepare:

• Imagine that Jennifer Brea, whose TEDTalk (TED Conferences, LLC, 2016) you watched, is referred to you for ongoing supportive therapy when her psychiatry consultant decides that she does not have a conversion disorder. Despite the psychiatrist’s opinion, her primary care physician ignores that consult and labels Jennifer with the conversion disorder anyway. Be sure to investigate what the ‘conversion’ diagnosis means when responding.
• Record your presentation using Personal Capture (record audio, video, and screen). See Kaltura Media Uploader in left-hand navigation menu in course for directions on recording and uploading media.

By Day 7

Submit a 5-minute recorded PowerPoint (5–7 slides) in which you address the following:

• Explain in a concise professional manner how you would conduct your first meeting with Jennifer. Identify specific steps you would take to understand her circumstance and needs.
• Explain how you would proceed with her medical team in terms of advocacy for her as a client believed to have this condition.
• Explain why you would need to take a biopsychosocial approach to her ongoing care.
• Explain what social, family, vocational, Internet, and medical supports you would explore to help with her longer-term stabilization.
• Analyze the controversy in diagnosing a mental disorder based on unexplained physical symptoms. Within your analysis, consider how power and privilege influence who provides the diagnoses and which groups are more likely to be diagnosed with certain disorders. Explain your thoughts on this debate.

Support your presentation with research and references to scholarly literature.

Include a transcript and/or edit closed captioning in your presentation to ensure your presentation is accessible to colleagues of differing abilities.

Submission and Grading Information