A client demonstrating symptoms of hypochondriasis would most likely show which pair of defense mechanisms?

Hypochondriasis, now recognized as Illness Anxiety Disorder, is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with having a serious illness despite medical reassurance and lack of significant physical findings. Individuals with this condition often utilize defense mechanisms to cope with their anxiety regarding health.

The correct pairing of defense mechanisms for a client with hypochondriasis is denial and somatization. Denial allows individuals to refuse to accept reality or facts, resulting in a disengagement from an awareness of their anxiety about perceived illness. This defensiveness leads them to believe they are indeed ill despite contrary evidence. Somatization, on the other hand, refers to the expression of emotional distress through physical symptoms. Clients might manifest bodily complaints that have no medical explanation as a way of coping with their anxieties about health.

Other defense mechanisms mentioned in the alternative answers do not align as closely with the presentation of hypochondriasis. For example, repression and projection involve pushing unwanted thoughts out of conscious awareness and attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings to others, which are not the primary features of this disorder. Intellectualization and rationalization involve detaching oneself emotionally from a situation and justifying behaviors or feelings, respectively; these are more about avoidance of emotional distress rather than focusing specifically on health concerns