Match each patient's core clinical presentation to the most accurate definitive DSM-5 diagnosis.
- A 22-year-old college student avoids eating in the cafeteria and using campus restrooms due to an overwhelming, pervasive fear of being scrutinized or humiliated by peers.Social Anxiety Disorder
- A 35-year-old accountant refuses to take public transportation or go to crowded shopping malls, fearing an inability to escape or obtain help if sudden, incapacitating symptoms occur.Agoraphobia
- A 19-year-old spends hours silently repeating specific words to neutralize recurrent, highly distressing mental images of harming their family, despite recognizing this behavior is excessive.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- A 42-year-old software developer skips mandatory outdoor team-building events due to an intense, disproportionate fear of encountering dogs, which reliably provokes immediate panic.Specific Phobia
Answer
Student avoiding the cafeteria matches Social Anxiety Disorder. Accountant avoiding crowds matches Agoraphobia. 19-year-old repeating words matches Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Developer fearing dogs matches Specific Phobia.
Each diagnosis is established by isolating the primary motivation for avoidance or distress: fear of evaluation by others (Social Anxiety Disorder), fear of escape difficulty or lack of help (Agoraphobia), fear provoked by specific triggers (Specific Phobia), or distress from intrusive thoughts mitigated by neutralizing behaviors (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Differential diagnosis of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and related disorders based on the underlying motivation for fear and avoidance.
Estimated Time:1m 30s