30th October 2023

Thomas is a young man whose father recently died due to melanoma.

Thomas is a young man whose father recently died due to melanoma. He recently noticed a mole on his leg, which looks suspicious. He is terrified that it might be a melanoma. He has been so worried about the mole he has stopped going to work as he cannot think about anything else. He checks it every few minutes when he is awake. He has not made an appointment to see the doctor because he is afraid to hear that it might be melanoma or other serious illness. Which of the following would explain this behaviour?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.