Which of the following best describes acute phase of psychotic symptoms?

A. Worry about health despite no symptoms. This describes illness anxiety disorder (formerly hypochondriasis), where individuals have an excessive fear of having a serious illness despite minimal or no physical symptoms. Unlike factitious disorder, these individuals are not fabricating symptoms but are genuinely convinced they are sick.

B. Normal voluntary and sensory dysfunction. This does not describe any recognized psychiatric disorder. However, conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder) involves involuntary neurological symptoms (e.g., paralysis, blindness) without a medical cause, whereas factitious disorder involves intentional symptom fabrication.

C. Worry is out of proportion to the symptoms. This is characteristic of somatic symptom disorder (SSD), where individuals have excessive concern and distress over real but often minor physical symptoms. Unlike factitious disorder, their symptoms are not deliberately produced or exaggerated for attention.

D. Deliberate exaggeration and fabricated symptoms. Factitious disorder (formerly Munchausen syndrome) involves intentionally faking, exaggerating, or inducing medical symptoms to assume the "sick role". Unlike malingering (which is done for external rewards like financial gain), factitious disorder is driven by an internal psychological need for medical attention.

A. Eccentric. Individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) exhibit odd or eccentric behaviors, speech, and thought patterns. They may dress unusually, speak in vague or metaphorical ways, or hold bizarre beliefs that are not delusional but are far outside societal norms.

B. Mood swings. Frequent mood swings are not a characteristic feature of schizotypal personality disorder. Instead, they are more commonly seen in borderline personality disorder (BPD) or bipolar disorder. While individuals with STPD may experience transient emotional disturbances, their symptoms are more related to social detachment and cognitive distortions than rapid mood fluctuations.

C. Social anxiety. People with STPD experience intense social anxiety, often due to paranoia and distrust of others rather than fear of judgment (as seen in social anxiety disorder). Their discomfort in social situations does not improve with familiarity, leading to persistent isolation.

D. Paranoid. Paranoia is a core symptom of schizotypal personality disorder. Individuals with STPD often have suspiciousness and odd beliefs, such as thinking others are plotting against them or misinterpreting benign events as having hidden meanings. This paranoid thinking contributes to their social withdrawal and difficulty forming close relationships.