Anxiety Disorders and Stress Q 8
The nurse evaluates the treatment of Mrs. Montez with somatoform disorder as successful if:
A. Mrs. Montez practices self-medication rather than changing health care providers.
B. Mrs. Montez recognizes that physical symptoms increase anxiety level.
C. Mrs. Montez researches treatment protocols for various illnesses.
D. Mrs. Montez verbalizes anxiety directly rather than displacing it.
Correct Answer: D. Mrs. Montez verbalizes anxiety directly rather than displacing it.
Mrs. Montez with somatoform disorder unconsciously displaces anxiety onto physical symptoms. The ability to recognize and verbalize anxious feelings directly rather than displacing them is a criterion of treatment success. Clients may keep a detailed journal of their physical symptoms; the nurse might ask them to describe the situation at the time such as whether they were alone or with others, whether any disagreements were occurring, and so forth.
Option A: Teach the client coping strategies. Emotion-focused strategies include progressive relaxation, deep breathing, guided imagery, and distractions such as music or other activities; problem-focused coping strategies include problem-solving methods, applying the process to identified problems, and role-playing interactions with others.
Option B: Provide education about feared or actual medical conditions. This helps the client understand the condition in a more realistic light and helps alleviate fear and anxiety about a particular health concern. Discuss symptoms with the client and when they began, what makes them better or worse and how they have been managing these symptoms. This helps make a more definitive diagnosis and helps determine how to best treat the client. Helping the client determine the etiology of symptoms helps them to recognize and avoid situations that make symptoms worse.
Option C: This indicates the continuation of the problem. Encourage behavior modification such as praising the client and offering more attention when symptoms improve. Change the focus from what’s wrong to what’s right. Helps the client feel accomplished and more positive about improvements in health condition instead of focusing on the symptoms.