ATI RN Mental Health and Psychiatric NursingTestbank with answers & Rationale(Anxiety Disorders and Stress)
(Set 2)
1. Situation: A 20-year-old college
... [Show More] student is admitted to the medical ward because of suddenonset of paralysis of both legs. Extensive examination revealed no physical basis for the
complaint. The nurse plans intervention based on which correct statement about conversiondisorder?
A. The symptoms are conscious effort to control anxiety. B. The client will experience a high level of anxiety in response to the paralysis. C. The conversion symptom has symbolic meaning to the client. D. A confrontational approach will be beneficial for the client. Correct Answer: C. The conversion symptom has symbolic meaning to the client
The client uses body symptoms to relieve anxiety. Conversion disorder, also known as functional
neurological symptom disorder (FND), is a psychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms affectingsensory or motor function. These signs and symptoms are inconsistent with patterns of known
neurologic diseases or other medical conditions. Although conversion disorder has no organic basis, thesymptoms significantly impact a patient’s ability to function. Option A: The condition occurs unconsciously. Moreover, the symptoms cannot be controlledat will
and not considered to be feigned intentionally by the patient. The term “conversion disorder” was
first mentioned in literature by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). The Austrian neurologist and founder of
psychoanalysis believed that functional symptoms that could not be explained by neurologic
diseases or other underlying medical conditions reflected an unconscious conflict. Option B: The client is not distressed by the lost or altered body function. Involving the patient is
crucial to building rapport; ask them what they feel is going on. Instead of focusing on what thepatient cannot do at the time of the interview, ask them to describe the last time that they
remember being symptom-free, and ask them to describe what a typical day looks like for them. TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5 edition (DSM-5) categorizes conversiondisorder as part of the “somatic symptom and related disorders.” In previous editions of the DSM, clear psychological comorbidities were a required part of the diagnosis, as well as the ability toshowthat the symptoms were not intentionally produced. Option D: The client should not be confronted by the underlying cause of his condition becausethiscan aggravate the client’s anxiety. Patients with conversion disorder are more likely to have certainpsychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, and personality disorders) than patients with knownneurologic conditions. They are also more likely to have a history of multiple somatic complaints,
including symptoms like generalized fatigue, weakness, or pain, without a known cause [Show Less]