A nurse is caring for a client with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Which statement by the nurse is accurate?

Choice A rationale:

"You're experiencing excessive and persistent worry that's hard to control, right?" This statement accurately reflects the nature of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life, even when there is no apparent reason for concern.

Choice B rationale:

"I understand that you're having panic attacks followed by persistent concern." This statement describes panic disorder, where panic attacks are followed by worry about having more panic attacks or their consequences.

Choice C rationale:

"Your fear of specific objects or situations is leading to avoidance behavior, correct?" This statement is more aligned with specific phobias, where individuals experience intense fear and go to great lengths to avoid the specific trigger.

Choice D rationale:

"It sounds like you're dealing with recurrent intrusive thoughts and behaviors." This description is characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), not generalized anxiety disorder. OCD involves intrusive thoughts and the need to perform compulsive behaviors to alleviate distress.

Choice A rationale:

Presence of delusions. Delusions are false beliefs that are not based in reality and are more commonly associated with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Anxiety disorders primarily involve excessive fear or worry, not delusional thinking.

Choice B rationale:

Excessive fear or worry. This is the primary characteristic of anxiety disorders. Individuals with anxiety disorders experience intense and persistent fear or worry that is out of proportion to the actual threat or situation. This heightened anxiety can significantly impact their daily functioning.

Choice C rationale:

Hallucinations. Hallucinations involve perceiving sensory experiences that are not actually present, such as hearing voices or seeing things that others cannot see. Hallucinations are more typical of psychotic disorders and are not a primary characteristic of anxiety disorders.

Choice D rationale:

Impaired social skills. While individuals with anxiety disorders might experience impaired social interactions due to their anxiety symptoms, impaired social skills are not the primary characteristic of anxiety disorders. The key feature is excessive fear or worry.