A nurse is planning care for a client with a somatic symptom illness. The client keeps a detailed journal of physical symptoms and associated emotions. Which statement is accurate regarding the nurse's intervention?

Choice A rationale:

Encouraging the client to focus solely on physical symptoms neglects the emotional aspect of somatic symptom illness. A comprehensive approach involves addressing both the physical symptoms and the underlying emotions.

Choice B rationale:

Advising the client to ignore their emotional experiences dismisses an essential component of their condition. Ignoring emotions can lead to emotional distress and exacerbate the somatic symptoms.

Choice C rationale:

Suggesting that the client suppress their emotions would not be beneficial. Emotional suppression can contribute to increased psychological distress and hinder the client's progress toward better emotional well-being.

Choice D rationale:

Assisting the client to identify and use healthy coping strategies is a sound intervention. Coping strategies can help the client manage both physical symptoms and emotional distress in adaptive ways, improving their overall quality of life.

Choice A rationale:

Illness anxiety disorder involves excessive worry about having a serious illness, often despite minimal or no symptoms. While this choice relates to anxiety about being sick, it does not encompass the chronic physical symptoms without clear medical explanation that the client in the scenario is experiencing.

Choice B rationale:

Conversion disorder involves neurological symptoms such as altered motor functions or sensory deficits that cannot be explained by medical conditions. However, this choice doesn't account for the chronic nature of the symptoms described in the scenario.

Choice C rationale:

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by chronic physical symptoms that cause distress and impairment, but the symptoms cannot be fully explained by medical conditions alone. This is the most appropriate choice for the client in the scenario, as it aligns with the chronic and distressing nature of the symptoms.

Choice D rationale:

Factitious disorder involves intentionally falsifying or inducing physical or psychological symptoms for the purpose of assuming the sick role. This choice does not reflect the chronic nature of the symptoms in the scenario, nor does it address the distress experienced by the client.