Brenda has back pain from an injury that she sustained in a car accident. Because of the pain, Brenda experiences a lot of stress. Her doctor believes that the stress has made Brenda’s back pain worse. Which statement best explains why this scenario represents a psychosomatic disease and not a somatoform disorder?

A psychosomatic disease involves a real physical illness that is affected or worsened by psychological factors. Brenda’s back pain began with an injury from the car accident, so there is a physical condition associated with her symptoms; stress may make it worse. A somatoform disorder, by contrast, involves physical symptoms that are not adequately explained by a physical illness or injury. Therefore, the best choice is “There is a physical illness associated with it.”

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