ATI RN
ATI Mental Health Proctored Exam 2023 Quizlet
1. A fourth-grade student teases and makes jokes about a cute girl in his class. This behavior should be identified by a professional as indicative of which defense mechanism?
- A. Displacement
- B. Projection
- C. Reaction formation
- D. Sublimation
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The professional should identify that the student is using reaction formation as a defense mechanism. Reaction formation involves expressing opposite thoughts or behaviors to prevent undesirable thoughts from being expressed. In this scenario, the student's teasing and joking behavior towards the girl can be seen as a way to cover up or mask his true feelings or desires towards her. Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original source to a substitute target; Projection involves attributing one's undesirable feelings to others; Sublimation involves channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities. Therefore, in this case, the student's behavior aligns most closely with reaction formation.
2. When under stress, a client routinely uses an excessive amount of alcohol. Finding her drunk, her husband yells at her about the chronic alcohol abuse. Which reaction should the nurse recognize as the use of the defense mechanism of denial?
- A. Hiding liquor bottles in a closet
- B. Yelling at their son for slouching in his chair
- C. Burning dinner on purpose
- D. Saying to the spouse, 'I don't drink too much!'
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The nurse should recognize the client's statement 'I don't drink too much!' as the use of the defense mechanism of denial. This response indicates the client's refusal to acknowledge the reality of excessive alcohol consumption, which is a key characteristic of denial. By denying the problem, the client avoids facing the negative consequences and feelings associated with their alcohol abuse. Choices A, B, and C do not exhibit denial but rather represent different defense mechanisms. Hiding liquor bottles in a closet might indicate the defense mechanism of concealment, yelling at their son for slouching in his chair could reflect displacement, and burning dinner on purpose might suggest passive-aggressive behavior.
3. In evaluating a client's response to stress, what would indicate a secondary appraisal of the stressful event?
- A. When the individual judges the event to be benign
- B. When the individual judges the event to be irrelevant
- C. When the individual judges the resources and skills needed to deal with the event
- D. When the individual judges the event to be pleasurable
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A secondary appraisal occurs when an individual evaluates the resources and skills required to cope with a stressful event. This type of appraisal focuses on the person's perceived ability to manage the situation. In contrast, choices A, B, and D do not involve the assessment of resources and skills. Choice A relates to a benign judgment of the event, choice B to an irrelevant judgment, and choice D to a pleasurable judgment, which are aspects of primary rather than secondary appraisals.
4. Which of the following statements should a healthcare professional recognize as true about defense mechanisms? Select the one that doesn't apply.
- A. They are employed when there is a threat to biological or psychological integrity.
- B. They are controlled by the id and deal with primal urges.
- C. They are used in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety.
- D. They are protective devices for the superego.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Defense mechanisms are employed by the ego in the face of threats to biological and psychological integrity to relieve mild to moderate anxiety. They act as protective devices for the ego, not the id or superego. The id represents primal instincts, while the superego is associated with moral standards. Defense mechanisms help individuals cope with stressors by redirecting focus and are often unconscious and self-deceptive.
5. A patient is being educated about the difference between mental health and mental illness. Which statement by the patient reflects an accurate understanding of mental health?
- A. Mental health is the absence of any stressors.
- B. Mental health is successful adaptation to stressors in the internal and external environment.
- C. Mental health is incongruence between thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
- D. Mental health is a diagnostic category in the DSM-5.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. Mental health is defined as the successful adaptation to stressors in the internal and external environment. This includes having thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are age-appropriate and congruent with cultural and societal norms. Mental health is not solely the absence of stressors or incongruence between thoughts, feelings, and behavior, nor is it a specific diagnostic category in the DSM-5. Choice A is incorrect because mental health is not just the absence of stressors but the ability to adapt to them. Choice C is wrong as mental health involves congruence, not incongruence, between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Choice D is inaccurate as mental health is a broader concept than a specific diagnostic category in the DSM-5.
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