A nurse is providing care to a client with trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) What intervention would be most appropriate to include in the client's care plan?
Encouraging the client to suppress the urge to pull hair whenever possible.
Exploring ways to camouflage the hair loss and lessen its visibility.
Assisting the client in finding replacement behaviors for hair-pulling.
Suggesting the client avoid mirrors to decrease the focus on appearance.
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A rationale:
Encouraging suppression of the urge to pull hair might worsen the client's anxiety and tension associated with trichotillomania. This approach may not address the underlying issues and could lead to increased distress.
Choice B rationale:
Camouflaging hair loss can be a practical approach, but it does not address the compulsive behavior itself. It focuses on hiding the consequences of the disorder rather than addressing the core issue.
Choice C rationale:
Assisting the client in finding replacement behaviors is the most appropriate intervention. This approach helps redirect the urge to pull hair into healthier alternatives, helping the client manage the compulsive behavior in a constructive manner.
Choice D rationale:
Avoiding mirrors might be counterproductive. For some individuals with trichotillomania, avoiding mirrors might increase anxiety and preoccupation, as they may feel disconnected from their appearance. It's important to address the underlying behavior rather than avoiding triggers.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Encouraging the client to "talk about their fears" might be a beneficial intervention in some cases, but for individuals with OCD who are struggling with compulsive behaviors driven by their fears, directly addressing exposure to those fears is a more effective approach.
Choice B rationale:
While setting limits on the client's behavior is important, it may not be the priority in this situation. Instead, assisting the client in gradually confronting their fears through exposure therapy can help them develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Choice C rationale:
The correct response emphasizes gradual exposure therapy, a well-established approach in treating OCD. This intervention helps the client confront their fears in a controlled and systematic manner, leading to desensitization and reduction in their anxiety over time.
Choice D rationale:
Providing relaxation techniques can be helpful for managing anxiety, but for someone with OCD who is avoiding situations due to contamination fears, the primary intervention should focus on exposure therapy to address the specific OCD-related fears.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
"Exposure and response prevention involves avoiding the triggers that lead to obsessions and compulsions." This statement is incorrect. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for OCD involves facing the situations or triggers that lead to anxiety and obsessions. Instead of avoiding these triggers, individuals purposefully confront them to gradually reduce their anxiety response and break the cycle of performing compulsions in response to obsessions.
Choice B rationale:
"During exposure and response prevention, you'll engage in the compulsive behaviors to reduce anxiety gradually." This statement is also incorrect. ERP focuses on gradually reducing and eventually eliminating compulsive behaviors, not engaging in them. The goal is to help individuals learn that their anxiety naturally decreases over time when they refrain from performing the compulsions, ultimately breaking the connection between obsessions and anxiety-driven behaviors.
Choice C rationale:
"Exposure and response prevention helps you face the situations that trigger anxiety while preventing the compulsive behaviors." This statement accurately explains how exposure and response prevention works in treating OCD. During ERP, individuals purposefully confront situations that trigger their obsessions while refraining from engaging in compulsive behaviors. By doing so, they learn that their anxiety decreases without the need for compulsions, helping to weaken the link between obsessions and anxiety.
Choice D rationale:
"In exposure and response prevention, we eliminate all exposure to the situations that cause distress and anxiety." This statement is incorrect. ERP involves controlled exposure to distressing situations or triggers, not complete avoidance. The goal is to help individuals build tolerance to the anxiety triggered by these situations while resisting the urge to perform compulsions.
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