Personality and Mood Disorders Q 88
Situation: A 29-year-old client newly diagnosed with breast cancer is pacing, with rapid speech headache and inability to focus on what the doctor was saying. The nurse assesses the level of anxiety as:
A. Mild
B. Moderate
C. Severe
D. Panic
Correct Answer: C. Severe
The client’s manifestations indicate severe anxiety. Severe anxiety is intensely debilitating, and symptoms of severe anxiety meet key diagnostic criteria for clinically-significant anxiety disorders. People with severe anxiety typically score higher on scales of distress and lower on functioning. Severe anxiety symptoms also frequently co-occur with major depression, which can contribute to greater disability.
Option A: Mild anxiety is manifested by slight muscle tension, slight fidgeting, alertness, the ability to concentrate, and capable of problem-solving. Although often described as sub-clinical or clinically non-significant, mild anxiety can impact emotional, social, and professional functioning. Mild anxiety symptoms may present as social anxiety or shyness and can be experienced in early childhood through to adulthood. If left unaddressed, mild anxiety can lead to maladaptive coping strategies or more severe mental conditions.
Option B: Moderate muscle tension, increased vital signs, periodic slow pacing, increased rate of speech, and difficulty in concentrating are noted in moderate anxiety. People with moderate levels of anxiety have more frequent or persistent symptoms than those with mild anxiety, but still have better daily functioning than someone with severe anxiety or panic disorder. For example, people with moderate anxiety may report experiencing symptoms such as feeling on edge, being unable to control their worrying, or being unable to relax several days or the majority of days in a week, but not every day.
Option D: Panic anxiety is characterized by immobilization, incoherence, a feeling of being overwhelmed, and disorganization. Panic level anxiety, or panic disorder, is characterized by frequent, recurring, and unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks usually last around 10 minutes. The triggers for panic attacks vary from person to person, and the cause of an attack may be familiar to a person or unknown.