A Patient Diagnosed with a Serious Mental Illness Died Suddenly

question 7

Multiple Choice

A patient diagnosed with a serious mental illness died suddenly at age 52.The patient lived in the community for 5 years without relapse and held supported employment the past 6 months.The distressed family asks,"How could this happen?" Which response by the nurse accurately reflects research and addresses the family's question?

• A) "A certain number of people die young from undetected diseases, and it's just one of those sad things that sometimes happen."
• B) "Mentally ill people tend to die much younger than others, perhaps because they do not take as good care of their health, smoke more, or are overweight."
• C) "We will have to wait for the autopsy to know what happened. There were some medical problems, but we were not expecting death."
• D) "We are all surprised. The patient had been doing so well and saw the nurse every other week."

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Definitions:

Psychotic Episode

A period during which an individual experiences distorted perception of reality, often including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.

Suicide

Purposeful taking of one’s own life.

Diagnosis

The identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon, often used in the context of determining a medical condition through examination and assessment.

Siblings

Brothers and sisters who share one or both parents in common, having a unique and enduring biological and emotional relationship.