A nurse is caring for an adolescent with an anxiety disorder.
Which of the following statements by the adolescent indicates a protective factor in the form of a positive childhood experience?

The correct answer is Choice C

Choice A rationale: A reluctance to leave the house for over a year suggests a struggle with grief and possibly depression but does not specifically indicate traumatic grief. It reflects difficulty in moving forward but lacks the intense guilt associated with traumatic grief.

Choice B rationale: Inability to cry due to a perceived need to be strong reflects emotional suppression and societal expectations. It does not directly point to traumatic grief, which often involves more severe symptoms like intense guilt and preoccupation with the deceased.

Choice C rationale: Feeling that one should have been killed instead of a friend indicates severe survivor guilt, a core component of traumatic grief. This statement reflects an intense emotional reaction and an inability to reconcile the loss, leading to profound distress and dysfunction.

Choice D rationale: Flashbacks and physical symptoms like a racing heart suggest post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rather than traumatic grief. PTSD involves re-experiencing traumatic events, whereas traumatic grief focuses more on the loss and associated guilt

Choice A rationale
A vulnerability gene is a gene variant that increases the risk for development of a specific mental illness. It does not guarantee that an individual will develop the illness, but it does increase their susceptibility.
Choice B rationale
A gene variant that is responsible for an individual’s resilience to stress is not typically referred to as a vulnerability gene. Resilience genes are thought to provide some protection against the development of mental illnesses.
Choice C rationale
A gene variant that is responsible for the development of a specific mental illness is not typically referred to as a vulnerability gene. While certain gene variants can increase the risk of developing a mental illness, they are usually not the sole cause. Mental illnesses are typically the result of a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
Choice D rationale

A gene variant that determines an individual’s likelihood of recovering from mental illness is not typically referred to as a vulnerability gene. Recovery from mental illness is influenced by a variety of factors, including the individual’s access to effective treatment, their level of social support, and their personal resilience.