Target Audience

Psychiatrist, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, substance abuse counselors, allied health professionals, nurses, general practice physicians, and students, interns, and trainees of these disciplines.

Underlying Need for this Course

The purpose of this activity is to expand the student’s knowledge about conversion disorder and its differential diagnoses.

1. Conversion disorder presents in a way that appears to have legitimate symptoms
2. Most of the symptoms are neurological and takes several tests to rule out neurological disorder
3. Most of professionals cannot promptly diagnose conversion disorder, especially if there is a true underlying neurological disorder superimposed by conversion

Conversion Disorder represents about 1% of consultation in general hospitals; up to 9% of consults with neurologists or psychiatrists, and it is a diagnosis made by exclusion, requiring several works ups to rule out real neurological disorders or identify when conversive symptoms superimpose real symptoms.  Conversion Disorder is a common and difficult problem seen in medical practice.  There is a high incidence of co-morbidities (neurological, motor, emotional, sensory) and it is necessary to have a therapeutic approach to treat Conversion Disorder once it is diagnosed, instead of reinforcing conversive symptoms.  The purpose of this activity is to expand the student’s knowledge about Conversion Disorder and its differential diagnosis.

• Conversion disorder is a common and difficult problem seen in medical practice
•  There is high incidence of co-morbidities (neurological, motor, emotional, sensory)
•  It is necessary to have a therapeutic approach to treat conversion disorder once it is diagnosed, instead reinforcing conversive symptoms

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course learners will be able to:

1. Define conversion disorder
2. Identify the differential diagnoses
3. Establish therapeutic relationship to assist patient in developing insight about conversion disorder
4. Offer treatment to patients with conversion disorder

Meet your instructor: Karen B. Silva PhD, MSFN, RN-BC. Board certified nurse in Mental Health and Psychiatric nursing. Has a doctoral degree in general psychology, and two master’s degrees in Advance practice Nursing in Adult and Geriatric Health and Forensic Nursing. Over 30 years of experience in psychiatric nursing  and over 12 years in education. Currently work as an Education Program Coordinator and Instructor of Psychiatry in a large hospital in Los Angeles, CA.

References

• Ali, S., Jabeen, S., Pate, R. J., Shahid, M., Chinala, S., Nathani, M., & Shah, R. (2015). Conversion Disorder- Mind versus Body: A Review. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 12(5-6), 27–33.
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Conversion disorder. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm05
• Berger FK, Zieve D, and Conaway B. (2016). Conversion disorder. MedlinePlus. Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000954.htm
•  Conversion Disorder. (2019). Physiopedia, . Retrieved 18:16, September 25, 2019 from https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=Conversion_Disorder&oldid=222831.
• Feinstein A. (2011). Conversion disorder: advances in our understanding. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal =Journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 183(8), 915–920. doi:10.1503/cmaj.110490
• Marshall S.A., Landau M.E., Carroll C.G., Schwieters B., and Llewellyn A. (2015). Conversion disorders. Medscape. Available at  http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/287464-overview
• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (n.d.). Conversion Disorder.  Available at https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/6191/conversion-disorder