Pica refers to persistent and excessive intake of substances with no nutritional value. Pica cannot be explained by other factors, like developmental stage (e.g. a six-month-old putting a rock in her mouth) or cultural norms (e.g. religious or ritual ingestion of a certain substance). Since Mark apparently has a job (“after work”) he is not a child young enough to accidentally eat rocks. Assuming that this behavior has been occurring for over a month and it is not related to Mark’s cultural beliefs, he meets the diagnostic criteria for pica.

The Intern's Syndrome is the the tendency to see in oneself the characteristics of disorders about which one is learning. It is not a disease for which one requires treatment. It is simply a form of warped or fallacious thinking where one starts to think of themselves as similar to the object of their study. Someone who is studying post-traumatic stress might, for instance, that their lack of sleep is due to post-traumatic stress instead of drinking too much coffee at night.

"Insanity" is not a medical term used to diagnose a patient, it is purely a legal term. It serves a very important purpose in legal affairs, since it is used to differentiate between what a person can be held responsible for. A person who is legally adjudicated as "insane" is, in the opinion of the court, unable to understand the consequences of their actions and, usually, unable to effectively assist their counsel in their legal defense.

"Talking to oneself" is the correct answer. While some individuals who suffer abnormalities do indeed talk to themselves, this is not considered one of the common traits. This answer is an example of finding the answer that is most correct. 

Although brain tissue samples are the most accurate way to determine diagnosis, this is only done during autopsies. Brain scans, including both fMRIs and CTs, are some of the most accurate and non-invasive modes of diagnosis. Combined with conversation analysis, specialists are able to connect particular neurological degeneration with inappropriate social behavior and cognition.

The DSM-V marked the first time that the manual included "symptom severity" in the assessment of many psychiatric disorders, including substance use and autism. All of the other statements are false. The DSM-5 is predominantly used in the United States, does not have axes (the DSM-IV did), it is highly criticized by most healthcare professions, and can be used in assessing children, adolescents, and adults.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the subject witnessing or experiencing of a traumatic event (e.g. war, famine, death). All of the other answer choices are mood disorders, which entail a serious change in mood.

Clinicians take into account all three of these factors when diagnosing mental illness. Deviance refers to behavior or beliefs that are substantially different (deviant) from the majority of people in that society or culture. Maladaptive behavior refers to behavior that is not healthy or in some way harms them. Personal distress is also taken into account and is a subjective report of how much the patient is upset.

Diagnosis involves determining what illness a patient might have, usually accomplished by comparing the patient's reported symptoms with a set of criteria for a particular illness. Prognosis sounds similar but is actually a forecast about the probably course of an illness. Etiology refers to the apparent causation and development of illnesses. Epidemiology is an area of study that involves the incidence, prevalence, and distribution of illnesses.