Chapter 27. Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders
Multiple Choice
1. A nursing instructor is teaching about specific phobias. Which student statement
should indicate that learning has occurred?
A. These clients do not recognize that their fear is excessive, and they rarely seek
treatment.
B. These clients have overwhelming symptoms of panic when exposed to the phobic
stimulus. C. These clients experience symptoms that mirror a cerebrovascular
accident (CVA).
D. These clients experience the symptoms of tachycardia, dysphagia, and diaphoresis.
ANS: B
The nursing instructor should evaluate that learning has occurred when the student
knows that clients experiencing phobias have a panic level of fear that is overwhelming
and unreasonable. Phobia is fear cued by a specific object or situation in which
exposure to the stimulus produces an immediate anxiety response.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process: Evaluation |
Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
2. A client has a history of excessive fear of water. What is the term that a nurse should
use to describe this specific phobia, and under what subtype is this phobia identified?
A. Aquaphobia, a natural environment type of phobia
,B. Aquaphobia, a situational type of phobia
C. Acrophobia, a natural environment type of phobia
D. Acrophobia, a situational type of phobia
ANS: A
The nurse should determine that an excessive fear of water is identified as
aquaphobia, which is a natural environment type of phobia. Natural environmenttype
phobias are fears about objects or situations that occur in the natural environment,
such as a fear of heights or storms.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Assessment | Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
3. How would a nurse differentiate a client diagnosed with a social phobia from a client
diagnosed with a schizoid personality disorder (SPD)?
A. Clients diagnosed with social phobia can manage anxiety without medications,
whereas clients diagnosed with SPD can manage anxiety only with medications.
B. Clients diagnosed with SPD are distressed by the symptoms experienced in social
settings, whereas clients diagnosed with social phobia are not.
C. Clients diagnosed with social phobia avoid interactions only in social settings,
whereas clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions in all areas of life.
, D. Clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions only in social settings, whereas
clients diagnosed with social phobias tend to avoid interactions in all areas of life.
ANS: C
Clients diagnosed with social phobia avoid interactions only in social settings, whereas
clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions in all areas of life. Social phobia is an
excessive fear of situations in which a person might do something embarrassing or be
evaluated negatively by others.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Analysis | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process: Assessment |
Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
4. How would a nurse differentiate a client diagnosed with panic disorder from a client
diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
A. GAD is acute in nature, and panic disorder is chronic.
B. Chest pain is a common GAD symptom, whereas this symptom is absent in panic
disorders. C. Hyperventilation is a common symptom in GAD and rare in panic
disorder.
D. Depersonalization is commonly seen in panic disorder and absent in GAD.
ANS: D
The nurse should recognize that a client diagnosed with panic disorder experiences
depersonalization, whereas a client diagnosed with GAD would not. Depersonalization
refers to being detached from oneself when experiencing extreme anxiety.
Multiple Choice
1. A nursing instructor is teaching about specific phobias. Which student statement
should indicate that learning has occurred?
A. These clients do not recognize that their fear is excessive, and they rarely seek
treatment.
B. These clients have overwhelming symptoms of panic when exposed to the phobic
stimulus. C. These clients experience symptoms that mirror a cerebrovascular
accident (CVA).
D. These clients experience the symptoms of tachycardia, dysphagia, and diaphoresis.
ANS: B
The nursing instructor should evaluate that learning has occurred when the student
knows that clients experiencing phobias have a panic level of fear that is overwhelming
and unreasonable. Phobia is fear cued by a specific object or situation in which
exposure to the stimulus produces an immediate anxiety response.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process: Evaluation |
Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
2. A client has a history of excessive fear of water. What is the term that a nurse should
use to describe this specific phobia, and under what subtype is this phobia identified?
A. Aquaphobia, a natural environment type of phobia
,B. Aquaphobia, a situational type of phobia
C. Acrophobia, a natural environment type of phobia
D. Acrophobia, a situational type of phobia
ANS: A
The nurse should determine that an excessive fear of water is identified as
aquaphobia, which is a natural environment type of phobia. Natural environmenttype
phobias are fears about objects or situations that occur in the natural environment,
such as a fear of heights or storms.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Application | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process:
Assessment | Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
3. How would a nurse differentiate a client diagnosed with a social phobia from a client
diagnosed with a schizoid personality disorder (SPD)?
A. Clients diagnosed with social phobia can manage anxiety without medications,
whereas clients diagnosed with SPD can manage anxiety only with medications.
B. Clients diagnosed with SPD are distressed by the symptoms experienced in social
settings, whereas clients diagnosed with social phobia are not.
C. Clients diagnosed with social phobia avoid interactions only in social settings,
whereas clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions in all areas of life.
, D. Clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions only in social settings, whereas
clients diagnosed with social phobias tend to avoid interactions in all areas of life.
ANS: C
Clients diagnosed with social phobia avoid interactions only in social settings, whereas
clients diagnosed with SPD avoid interactions in all areas of life. Social phobia is an
excessive fear of situations in which a person might do something embarrassing or be
evaluated negatively by others.
KEY: Cognitive Level: Analysis | Integrated Processes: Nursing Process: Assessment |
Client Need:
Psychosocial Integrity
4. How would a nurse differentiate a client diagnosed with panic disorder from a client
diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
A. GAD is acute in nature, and panic disorder is chronic.
B. Chest pain is a common GAD symptom, whereas this symptom is absent in panic
disorders. C. Hyperventilation is a common symptom in GAD and rare in panic
disorder.
D. Depersonalization is commonly seen in panic disorder and absent in GAD.
ANS: D
The nurse should recognize that a client diagnosed with panic disorder experiences
depersonalization, whereas a client diagnosed with GAD would not. Depersonalization
refers to being detached from oneself when experiencing extreme anxiety.
