Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

Which statement about Munchausen syndrome is false?

1. It is considered a mental illness

2. The patient has a medical illness that causes an anxiety reaction and denial

3. The patient fakes an illness in order to gain attention from health care providers

4. The patient has an inconsistent medical history along with a past history of frequent hospitalizations

The correct answer is: The patient has a medical illness that causes an anxiety reaction and denial

The statement that the patient has a medical illness that causes an anxiety reaction and denial is false regarding Munchausen syndrome. This syndrome is characterized primarily by the deliberate fabrication or exaggeration of symptoms and illnesses, often without any true underlying medical condition. The individual's motivation is to draw attention and sympathy from healthcare providers, rather than having a genuine illness that prompts anxiety or denial. In contrast to option B, Munchausen syndrome involves a conscious effort by the patient to feign illness rather than a subconscious psychological reaction stemming from a genuine medical condition. The other statements accurately capture the nature of the syndrome, highlighting it as a mental illness, the pursuit of attention through falsified health issues, and the manifestation of inconsistent medical histories, which are all hallmarks of this complex disorder.