C HAPTER 34: C ONCEPTS OF M ENTAL H EALTH
Cooper: Foundation of Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What action by a student before taking a test should indicate to a nursing
instructor that the student is demonstrating signs of moderate anxiet y?
a. Studies for 6 hours
b. Sleeps 6 hours because of fatigue
c. Vomits
d. Argues about the scheduling of the test
ANS: C
Symptoms of anxiet y include the following: vocal changes, rapid
speech, increased pulse, respirations, and blood pressure, tremors,
restlessness, increased perspiration, nausea, decreased appetite,
diarrhea, frequent urination, and vomiting.
DIF: Cognitive Level: A pplication REF: p. 1105 OBJ: 7
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
2. What coping mechanism demonstrated by a patient should indicate to the
nurse that the patient is seeking ways to deal with a nd resolve stress?
a. Projection
b. Adaptation
c. Reaction formation
, d. Compensation
ANS: B
An individual who develops ways to deal with stress and resolve it has
adapted.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1106 OBJ: 9
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
3. A 40-year-old patient cries and has a tantrum when the health care
provider refuses to give her a prescription for diet pills. The nurse
realizes that this is the use of which defense mechanism?
a. Compensation
b. Denial
c. Regression
d. Repression
ANS: C
Regression is a behavior that reflects the return to an earlier form of
coping.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1107 OBJ: 6
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
, 4. When the patient who overeats insists that weight gain is related to
retained fluids, the nurse recognizes the patient is using which defense
mechanism?
a. Compensation
b. Rationalization
c. Sublimation
d. Regression
ANS: B
Defense mechanisms are unconscious reactions that offer protection to
the self from stressful situations. Rationalization offers a reasonable
explanation for an event rather than facing realit y.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1106 OBJ: 6
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
5. After finding the patient with diabetes eating candy, the nurse reminds the
patient that the candy will elevate blood sugar levels. The patient’s
response is: “It’s only a little bit, and it won’t do anything.” Which
defense mechanism is the patient using?
a. Conversion
b. Denial
c. Repression
d. Regression
ANS: B
The patient is using denial as a defense mechanism. Realit y is denied.
Cooper: Foundation of Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What action by a student before taking a test should indicate to a nursing
instructor that the student is demonstrating signs of moderate anxiet y?
a. Studies for 6 hours
b. Sleeps 6 hours because of fatigue
c. Vomits
d. Argues about the scheduling of the test
ANS: C
Symptoms of anxiet y include the following: vocal changes, rapid
speech, increased pulse, respirations, and blood pressure, tremors,
restlessness, increased perspiration, nausea, decreased appetite,
diarrhea, frequent urination, and vomiting.
DIF: Cognitive Level: A pplication REF: p. 1105 OBJ: 7
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
2. What coping mechanism demonstrated by a patient should indicate to the
nurse that the patient is seeking ways to deal with a nd resolve stress?
a. Projection
b. Adaptation
c. Reaction formation
, d. Compensation
ANS: B
An individual who develops ways to deal with stress and resolve it has
adapted.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1106 OBJ: 9
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
3. A 40-year-old patient cries and has a tantrum when the health care
provider refuses to give her a prescription for diet pills. The nurse
realizes that this is the use of which defense mechanism?
a. Compensation
b. Denial
c. Regression
d. Repression
ANS: C
Regression is a behavior that reflects the return to an earlier form of
coping.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1107 OBJ: 6
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
, 4. When the patient who overeats insists that weight gain is related to
retained fluids, the nurse recognizes the patient is using which defense
mechanism?
a. Compensation
b. Rationalization
c. Sublimation
d. Regression
ANS: B
Defense mechanisms are unconscious reactions that offer protection to
the self from stressful situations. Rationalization offers a reasonable
explanation for an event rather than facing realit y.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 1106 OBJ: 6
TOP: Mental health KEY: Nursing Process Step:
Assessment MSC: NC LEX: Psychosocial Integrit y
5. After finding the patient with diabetes eating candy, the nurse reminds the
patient that the candy will elevate blood sugar levels. The patient’s
response is: “It’s only a little bit, and it won’t do anything.” Which
defense mechanism is the patient using?
a. Conversion
b. Denial
c. Repression
d. Regression
ANS: B
The patient is using denial as a defense mechanism. Realit y is denied.
