Deck 56: Mental Health Function, Assessment, and Therapeutic Measures

Question 1

Joseph
Mr. Joseph is noted wailing loudly and continuously after the death of his wife. It is disturbing the other patients on the hospital wing, and one of the nurses comments, "He is a real nut case. Get him out of here." What is an appropriate response to this nurse? To the husband? How would you document his behavior?

Answer 1

As the way of expression of emotions is different from person to person, the nurse must guide the husband in a gentle way to express his emotions without disturbing others. Ask the patient if he wants to get someone to help him.
Document the incident objectively as, "patient's husband wailing loudly; guided to consultation room for the purpose of privacy."
As a licensed practical nurse (LPN), the registered nurses comment must be reported objectively to the region supervisor.

Question 2

Define mental health and mental illness.

Answer 2

There are several definitions for the mental health. The definitions include the ability to exhibit the following behaviours.
• Being flexible
• Taking the responsibility for actions done by them
• Being involved in close relationships
• Taking appropriate decisions
• The ability to solve problems
• The ability to cope with stress due to regular activities
• Positive attitude.
The definitions of mental illness include experiencing the following behaviours.
• Impaired ability to think and feel self
• Impaired ability to take appropriate decisions and judgments
• Not coping with the reality and stress caused due to regular activities
• Inability to form and maintain personal relationships.

Question 3

Which patient behavior requires additional mental health assessment?
1) Patient is always happy and smiling.
2) Patient can verbalize emotions.
3) Patient is able to cope with bad news.
4) Patient maintains some close, personal relationships.

Answer 3

Verbalizing emotions, coping up with the bad news, maintaining relations help to assess the patient's behaviour.
Thus, the options (2), (3), and (4) are incorrect.
The definitions of mental illness include experiencing the following behaviours.
• Impaired ability to think and feel self
• Impaired ability to take appropriate decisions and judgments
• Not coping with the reality and stress caused due to regular activities
• Inability to form and maintain personal relationships.
Happy and smiling behaviour is not the expected behaviour of a mentally ill patient, so follow-up is needed to assess the illness of the patient.
Thus, the correct option is .

Question 4

Beison
Mrs. Beison, a 44-year-old mother of three teenagers, is diagnosed with breast cancer. She is refusing treatment because she does not believe she has cancer. She says if anything is really wrong, her vitamins will take care of it.
What ego defense mechanism is Mrs. Beison using? Is it effective or ineffective? Why? How can you help? Are there other health care providers (HCPs) who could provide assistance?

Question 5

Describe the components of a mental health status assessment.

Question 6

Which data are important to collect during a mental health assessment? Select all that apply.
1) Orientation to reality
2) Mobility
3) Ability to communicate clearly
4) Heart sounds
5) Memory
6) Appearance

Question 7

Describe the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., DSM-5 ) as a tool to diagnose mental illness.

Question 8

A patient being evaluated for depression asks why blood must be drawn. Which response by the nurse is best?
1) "Your physical illnesses must be under control before your depression can be treated effectively."
2) "The clinician needs to rule out physical causes for your symptoms."
3) "Many mental health disorders can be identified with blood tests."
4) "If your lab work is out of balance, then correcting the imbalance will reverse yourdepression."

Question 9

Identify common ego defense mechanisms.

Question 10

The nurse recognizes that the patient who always seems to be making excuses is displaying which ego defense mechanism?
1) Denial
2) Fantasy
3) Rationalization
4) Transference

Question 11

Describe characteristics of a therapeutic milieu.

Question 12

Which of the following milieus would be most therapeutic for a patient experiencing severe anxiety?
1) An environment that provides for all the patient's physical and emotional needs
2) An environment that is locked and supervised at all times
3) An environment that is structured to reduce stress and encourage coping behaviors
4) An environment that eliminates all anxiety-producing stimuli

Question 13

Explain how psychoanalysis, behavior management, cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, group therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and relaxation therapy are carried out.

Question 14

Which explanation of psychopharmacology by the nurse is best for the patient starting on medication for a mental health disorder?
1) "Medication can potentially cure a mental illness."
2) "Medication will help you control your behavior."
3) "Medication is used to block emotional responses in your brain."
4) "Medication can reduce your symptoms so you can focus on other therapies."

Question 15

Describe the role of the licensed practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse (LPN/LVN) in mental health nursing.

Question 16

Which statement by the patient with a substance abuse disorder indicates that interventions have been effective?
1) "I know I have a problem, and I have a lot of work to do to get better."
2) "If I don't think about my problem, eventually it will fade from my memory."
3) "I no longer have a substance abuse problem. My treatment has been effective."
4) "Now that I know that my family is the cause of my problem, I can move on."

Question 17

A patient shares some very traumatic life experiences with the LPN. What is the best response by the LPN?
1) Assure the patient that the staff will not allow such experiences to happen to the patient again.
2) Ask probing questions about the patient's emotional responses to the experiences.
3) Encourage the patient to forget the experiences and move on with life.
4) Listen attentively to the patient and show empathy.