Individual Practice SWES Practice Test

What term describes a patient whose symptoms represent the broader pain of the family?

1. Defensive patient

2. Scapegoat

3. Identified patient

4. Reactor

The correct answer is: Identified patient

The term that describes a patient whose symptoms represent the broader pain of the family is identified patient. This concept recognizes that an individual within a family system may display symptoms or behaviors that reflect the underlying issues, conflicts, or distress experienced by the entire family. In therapeutic settings, the identified patient often serves as a focal point for the family’s struggles, even if the roots of the problems lie within the dynamics of the family as a whole. This idea is essential in systems theory, which posits that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from their relational context. Instead, their symptoms can reveal deeper systemic issues that need to be addressed collaboratively with the family. Understanding the identified patient as a representation of family pain helps clinicians to focus not just on the individual’s symptoms but also on the familial relationships and patterns that contribute to their condition. In contrast, the other terms describe different roles or dynamics within families or therapeutic settings but do not specifically refer to the representation of family pain. The concept of a scapegoat, for instance, involves an individual taking on blame or negative attention, but it may not necessarily convey the notion of representing the family's collective pain as the identified patient does.