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Question

Difficulty: EasyCoping Mechanisms

A nurse is caring for a client who was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness. The client tells the nurse, "The laboratory must have mixed up my test results with someone else's. I feel perfectly healthy and I am returning to work tomorrow." Which of the following defense mechanisms is the client demonstrating?

  1. DenialAnswer
  2. B
    Projection
  3. C
    Displacement
  4. D
    Sublimation

Answer

Denial
The correct answer is denial because the client is completely rejecting the objective reality of the clinical diagnosis and test results to protect themselves from the overwhelming anxiety associated with a terminal illness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's statement and behavior in response to the stressful event (terminal diagnosis).
The client states the results must belong to someone else and insists they are healthy.
Identifying the specific reaction is necessary to determine which coping mechanism is being utilized.
2
Match the observed behavior to the definitions of common psychological defense mechanisms.
The behavior matches the definition of denial, which is the refusal to accept reality or fact.
This confirms the correct conceptual term for the client's coping strategy.

Key Concept

Defense Mechanisms: Denial
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Topics

Coping Mechanisms

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