A Patient States, "I'm Not Worth Anything

question 22

Multiple Choice

A patient states, "I'm not worth anything. I have negative thoughts about myself. I feel anxious and shaky all the time. Sometimes I feel so sad that I want to go to sleep and never wake up." Which nursing intervention should have the highest priority?

• A) Self-esteem-building activities
• B) Anxiety self-control measures
• C) Sleep enhancement activities
• D) Suicide precautions

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Definitions:

Purging Behaviors

Actions such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives, undertaken in order to eliminate consumed food and prevent weight gain, often associated with eating disorders.

DSM-IV

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association detailing diagnostic criteria for mental disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight or shape.

Lifetime Prevalence

The proportion of individuals in a population who have ever had a specific disorder at any time in their lives up to the point of assessment.