Review Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Criteria

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Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Criteria

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Total Questions : 8

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Question 1:

A nurse is educating a group of nursing students about anxiety disorders. What is the primary characteristic of anxiety disorders?

A. Presence of delusions. B. Excessive fear or worry. C. Hallucinations. D. Impaired social skills.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

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:

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:

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:

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.

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Question 2:

A nurse is assessing a client with anxiety disorder. Which signs would the nurse expect to find? Select all that apply.

A. Elevated mood. B. Avoidance of feared situations. C. Decreased heart rate. D. Compulsive behaviors. E. Increased appetite.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Elevated mood. Elevated mood refers to a heightened emotional state often associated with conditions like mania in bipolar disorder. It is not a typical sign of anxiety disorders.

Choice B:

Avoidance of feared situations. Individuals with anxiety disorders often try to avoid situations or triggers that provoke their anxiety. This avoidance behavior is a coping mechanism aimed at reducing anxiety and is common in disorders like agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder.

Choice C:

Decreased heart rate. Anxiety typically leads to an increased heart rate due to the body's fight-or-flight response. A decreased heart rate is not a common sign of anxiety disorders.

Choice D:

Compulsive behaviors. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors performed in response to obsessive thoughts. They are characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is an anxiety disorder.

Choice E:

Increased appetite. While some individuals may experience a loss of appetite due to anxiety, others might have an increased appetite. Emotional eating as a response to anxiety can lead to overeating and weight gain.

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Question 3:

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

A. "You're experiencing excessive and persistent worry that's hard to control, right?". B. "I understand that you're having panic attacks followed by persistent concern.". C. "Your fear of specific objects or situations is leading to avoidance behavior, correct?". D. "It sounds like you're dealing with recurrent intrusive thoughts and behaviors.".

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

"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:

"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:

"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:

"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.

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Question 4:

A client reports sudden intense fear with palpitations and shortness of breath. A nurse suspects panic disorder. What statement should the nurse make to confirm this?

A. "You're experiencing marked fear of specific objects, right?". B. "Your fear of open spaces is leading to avoidance behavior, correct?". C. "You're having unexpected panic attacks followed by persistent fear, aren't you?". D. "It sounds like you're dealing with obsessions and compulsions.".

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

"You're experiencing marked fear of specific objects, right?" This statement relates to specific phobias, where individuals have intense fear of particular objects or situations, which is not indicative of panic disorder.

Choice B:

"Your fear of open spaces is leading to avoidance behavior, correct?" This choice reflects agoraphobia, where individuals fear and avoid places or situations where they might feel trapped or helpless, often due to fear of having a panic attack. However, panic disorder involves unexpected panic attacks without the specific trigger of open spaces.

Choice C:

"You're having unexpected panic attacks followed by persistent fear, aren't you?" This statement accurately represents panic disorder. Individuals with panic disorder experience recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, often followed by apprehension about having more attacks or the consequences of the attacks. This persistent fear of future attacks is a key diagnostic criterion for panic disorder.

Choice D:

"It sounds like you're dealing with obsessions and compulsions." This choice pertains to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which involves intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). This is distinct from panic disorder.

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Question 5:

A nurse is educating a group of clients about anxiety disorder risk factors. What factor increases the risk of developing anxiety disorders?

A. High self-esteem. B. Absence of stressors. C. Family history of anxiety disorders. D. Minimal life changes.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

"High self-esteem." High self-esteem is not a risk factor for anxiety disorders. In fact, low self-esteem may contribute to the development of anxiety disorders.

Choice B:

"Absence of stressors." While chronic stressors can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders, the absence of stressors does not increase the risk. Genetic, environmental, and psychological factors play a more significant role.

Choice C:

"Family history of anxiety disorders." This is the correct answer. Anxiety disorders have a clear genetic component, and individuals with a family history of anxiety disorders are at a higher risk of developing these disorders themselves.

Choice D:

"Minimal life changes." This choice does not accurately reflect the risk factors for anxiety disorders. Major life changes, rather than minimal ones, can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders.

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Question 6:

Which of the following is an example of a cognitive symptom commonly associated with anxiety disorders?

A. Hyperventilation. B. Restlessness. C. Confusion. D. Compulsive behaviors. E. Excessive fear or worry.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

"Hyperventilation." Hyperventilation is a physiological symptom rather than a cognitive symptom. It can occur during anxiety or panic attacks but does not represent a cognitive aspect.

Choice B:

"Restlessness." Restlessness is a behavioral symptom associated with anxiety disorders but does not specifically involve cognitive aspects.

Choice C:

"Confusion." Confusion can be related to various conditions, but it is not a cognitive symptom commonly associated with anxiety disorders.

Choice D:

"Compulsive behaviors." Compulsive behaviors are characteristic of OCD, not generalized anxiety disorder or other anxiety disorders.

Choice E:

"Excessive fear or worry." This choice accurately represents a cognitive symptom commonly associated with anxiety disorders. Excessive fear or worry, often about various aspects of life, is a hallmark cognitive feature of generalized anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders.

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Question 7:

A client is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Which symptom is characteristic of PTSD?

A. Elevated mood. B. Avoidance of stimuli related to the traumatic event. C. Reduced anxiety. D. Excessive energy. E. Compulsive behaviors.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Elevated mood is not a characteristic symptom of PTSD. Individuals with PTSD often experience mood disturbances such as depression, irritability, and hypervigilance, but elevated mood is not a defining feature.

Choice B:

Avoidance of stimuli related to the traumatic event is a hallmark symptom of PTSD. Individuals with PTSD actively avoid reminders, situations, or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. This avoidance behavior helps them cope with distressing memories and emotions associated with the trauma.

Choice C:

Reduced anxiety is not typically associated with PTSD. In fact, individuals with PTSD often experience heightened anxiety, hyperarousal, and exaggerated startle responses due to their trauma-related symptoms.

Choice D:

Excessive energy is not a primary symptom of PTSD. Individuals with PTSD commonly experience symptoms of emotional numbing, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, which are contrary to the idea of excessive energy.

Choice E:

Compulsive behaviors are not a defining characteristic of PTSD. While individuals with PTSD may develop certain rituals or behaviors as a way to manage anxiety or distress, compulsions are more characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rather than PTSD.

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Question 8:

A nurse is discussing treatment options for anxiety disorders with a client. What modality involves reducing anxiety by exposing the client to the feared situation in a controlled manner?

A. Relaxation techniques. B. Herbal remedies. C. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). D. Medication therapy. E. Complementary therapy.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Relaxation techniques can be helpful in managing anxiety, but they do not involve exposing the client to feared situations. Relaxation techniques focus on calming the mind and body through methods like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.

Choice B:

Herbal remedies are not directly related to exposure-based anxiety treatment. They involve the use of natural substances to potentially alleviate symptoms but do not address the underlying fear response through controlled exposure.

Choice C:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the modality that involves reducing anxiety by exposing the client to the feared situation in a controlled manner. This process is called exposure therapy. CBT also incorporates cognitive restructuring to challenge and modify irrational thoughts and beliefs that contribute to anxiety.

Choice D:

Medication therapy may include anti-anxiety medications, but it does not involve exposure to feared situations. Medications can help alleviate symptoms, but they do not target the underlying behavioral and cognitive responses that exposure-based therapies address.

Choice E:

Complementary therapy is a broad category that includes various alternative treatments, but it doesn't specifically focus on exposure-based interventions for anxiety. Complementary therapies may include practices like acupuncture, massage, or meditation, which are not synonymous with exposure therapy.

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Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Criteria

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