A mental health nurse is caring for a client who smokes and has lung cancer.
The client reports, "I'm coughing because I have that cold everyone has been getting." The nurse should identify that the client is using which of the following defense mechanisms?
Reaction formation
Denial
Suppression
Regression.
The Correct Answer is B
While the client's statement might seem like other defense mechanisms, here's why Denial is the most fitting choice: Denial:
Involves refusing to acknowledge a painful or threatening reality.
The client attributes their cough, a potential symptom of lung cancer, to a common cold, dismissing the possibility of their condition worsening.
This allows them to avoid the emotional distress associated with facing their illness. Other options and their rationales:
Reaction formation (Choice A): This involves expressing the opposite of what one truly feels or desires. The client doesn't show any outward signs of expressing emotions opposite to their actual feelings about their health.
Suppression (Choice C): This involves consciously pushing unpleasant thoughts or feelings out of awareness. While the client might downplay the cough, they haven't completely pushed the thought of their illness away.
Regression (Choice D): This involves reverting to an earlier stage of development in response to stress. There's no indication of the client displaying behaviors characteristic of an earlier developmental stage.
Addressing other potential mechanisms:
Displacement: Redirecting emotions towards a less threatening target is not evident in the scenario.
Rationalization: Justifying behavior in a way that avoids facing the true reasons is not seen in the client's explanation. Projection: Attributing one's own feelings or desires to others is not present in the client's statement.
Remember:
Denial is a common coping mechanism for dealing with difficult realities like illness.
It's crucial for the nurse to assess the extent of the client's denial and offer support without judgment.
The goal is to help the client acknowledge their illness while providing emotional support and resources for managing their condition.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Administering the Hamilton Depression Scale is a tool used to assess the severity of depression. While it can provide valuable information about the client's mental state, it is not the priority intervention in this case. The client has already attempted suicide, indicating a high level of risk. It is essential to focus on ensuring the client's immediate safety before conducting further assessments.
Rationale for Choice B:
Making a contract with the client for eating behavior can be a helpful intervention for clients with anorexia nervosa. However, it is not the priority in the immediate aftermath of a suicide attempt. The client's safety must take precedence over addressing their eating disorder.
Rationale for Choice C:
Reviewing the client's toxicology laboratory report can provide information about the substances the client ingested in their suicide attempt. However, this information is not necessary for determining the immediate course of action. The priority is to initiate safety measures to prevent another attempt.
Rationale for Choice D:
Initiating one-to-one continuous observation is the most critical intervention for a client who has recently attempted suicide. This level of observation ensures that the client is constantly monitored and cannot make another attempt without being interrupted. It also allows the nurse to assess the client's mental state and behaviors closely and intervene if necessary.
Correct Answer is {"A":{"answers":"B"},"B":{"answers":"A"},"C":{"answers":"B"},"D":{"answers":"B"},"E":{"answers":"A"},"F":{"answers":"A"}}
Explanation
The correct answer/s is Choice/s.
Choice A rationale: Mental health support is generally considered a protective factor against suicide. Effective mental health care can help individuals manage their mental health conditions, which can reduce the risk of suicide.
Choice B rationale: Family history, particularly a family history of suicide, is a risk factor for suicide. The client’s mother’s suicide could potentially increase the client’s risk.
Choice C rationale: Good physical health is typically seen as a protective factor against suicide. Serious physical health conditions, including chronic pain, can increase suicide risk, but the client is reported to be in good physical health.
Choice D rationale: Support systems, such as feeling connected to family and community, are protective factors against suicide. They can provide emotional support and help individuals feel less isolated.
Choice E rationale: Alcohol consumption, especially misuse or addiction, is a risk factor for suicide. However, the client has attended rehabilitation and has not used alcohol for the past 4 years, which could be seen as a protective factor.
Choice F rationale: Access to lethal means is a risk factor for suicide. Limiting access to lethal means is a societal protective factor.
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