What is psychomotor retardation as seen in psychiatric patients?

Repetitive, purposeless movements such as hand-wringing

Sudden, jerky muscle spasms typical of medication side effects

Rapid, involuntary movements often associated with anxiety

A slowed physical and emotional response commonly seen in depression

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Choice A reason: Repetitive, purposeless movements like hand-wringing are stereotypic behaviors often observed in anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder. These actions stem from heightened psychological distress or neurological compulsions, not the slowed motor and emotional responses characteristic of psychomotor retardation. This condition, primarily linked to depression, involves reduced activity due to altered dopaminergic and serotonergic activity, making this choice incorrect.

Choice B reason: Sudden, jerky muscle spasms are typically extrapyramidal symptoms, such as tardive dyskinesia, caused by antipsychotic medications affecting dopamine pathways in the basal ganglia. These involuntary movements are abrupt and distinct from the generalized slowing of physical and emotional responses in psychomotor retardation, which is a hallmark of depression, rendering this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Rapid, involuntary movements are associated with anxiety or hyperkinetic disorders, reflecting increased autonomic arousal and motor activity. These contrast with psychomotor retardation, where patients exhibit slowed movements and emotional expression due to decreased neural activity in mood-regulating brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, making this choice incorrect for defining psychomotor retardation.

Choice D reason: Psychomotor retardation, common in major depressive disorder, involves slowed physical movements, speech, and emotional responses due to disruptions in dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. This leads to lethargy, delayed cognitive processing, and reduced expressiveness, accurately describing the condition and making this the correct choice for the clinical presentation described in the question.

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Correct Answer is C

Explanation

Choice A reason: Praising the staff dismisses the patient’s feelings, a nontherapeutic response. It fails to explore the patient’s sense of isolation, potentially worsening distrust, as it does not engage the emotional distress expressed, making this choice incorrect.

Choice B reason: Telling the patient to calm down and focus on positives minimizes their feelings, a nontherapeutic approach. It ignores the underlying emotional distress, potentially inhibiting therapeutic communication and trust, making this choice incorrect for the scenario.

Choice C reason: Reflecting the patient’s feeling of being misunderstood is therapeutic, as it validates their emotions and invites further exploration. This open-ended response engages the patient’s limbic system, fostering trust and emotional processing, making this the correct choice.

Choice D reason: Expressing disbelief invalidates the patient’s experience, a nontherapeutic response. It risks alienating the patient, hindering therapeutic alliance by dismissing their emotional distress rather than exploring it, making this choice incorrect.

A. The patient is demonstrating signs of ineffective coping and should be referred for psychiatric evaluation B. The patient is showing symptoms of major depressive disorder and requires immediate intervention C. The patient is noncompliant with medical care due to unresolved emotional issues D. The patient is progressing through the normal stages of grief

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Withdrawn behavior and avoiding eye contact suggest ineffective coping, as the patient struggles to process missing a treatment. Psychiatric evaluation can assess underlying emotional distress, such as anxiety or depression, and provide targeted interventions, making this the correct choice for addressing the patient’s needs.

Choice B reason: Symptoms like withdrawal could suggest depression, but diagnosing major depressive disorder requires more criteria, such as persistent low mood or anhedonia, not evident here. Immediate intervention assumes severity not supported by the scenario, making this choice less accurate than a referral.

Choice C reason: Labeling the patient as noncompliant assumes intentional refusal, but the scenario suggests emotional distress, not deliberate nonadherence. Withdrawal and avoidance indicate psychological barriers, not noncompliance, making this choice incorrect for the described behavior.

Choice D reason: Normal grief involves stages like denial or sadness, but the scenario lacks evidence of a loss triggering grief. Withdrawal and avoidance suggest coping difficulties, not a clear grief process, making this choice incorrect for the patient’s presentation.

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What is psychomotor retardation as seen in psychiatric patients?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A client on a psychiatric unit states, “It’s a waste of time being here. I can’t talk to you or anyone.” Which is the correct nursing response?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A patient missed a treatment option. Later, the patient appears withdrawn and avoids eye contact when discussing calling loved ones. Which is the best nursing action?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A patient recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes tells the nurse, “This is all my fault. If I had taken better care of myself, I wouldn’t be in this situation.” Which response by the nurse is the most therapeutic?

An elderly patient with advanced Alzheimer’s disease is admitted to the unit. The nurse is informed that the patient has a court-appointed legal guardian. The guardian arrives and asks for information about the patient’s medications and plan of care. What is the nurse’s best response?

During a psychiatric assessment, a patient frequently shifts from one topic to another and never returns to the original question asked by the nurse. This pattern of speech is best described as:

A nurse is reviewing the medication orders for four patients. Which patient should the nurse anticipate receiving a lower dose of medication?

A patient diagnosed with schizophrenia tells the nurse, “I hear voices sometimes, but they don’t bother me.” Which of the following is the most appropriate open-ended response by the nurse to further assess the patient’s experience?

The nurse is preparing to perform a psychosocial assessment on a patient. Which of the following should be included in the environment to promote an effective assessment? (Select all that apply)

A nurse is caring for an elderly patient with advanced dementia who is unable to make healthcare decisions independently. The patient’s adult child has been appointed legal guardian. What is the nurse’s best action regarding the patient’s care decisions?