A middle-aged woman is referred for treatment of refractory depression and symptoms of PTSD. Her pharmacologic treatment is complicated by the repeated emergence of intolerable side effects, even on minuscule starting doses. A psychodynamically informed psychiatrist may suspect that the following condition will have to be treated before the patient can benefit from medications.

a. chemical hypersensitivity

b. somatic delusions

c. hypochondriasis

d. vulnerability to nocebo effects

e. projective identification