Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 8th Edition - Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology Related

Review Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 8th Edition - Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology related questions and content

A patient with bipolar disorder asks the nurse, 'Why did I get this illness? I don't want to be sick.' The nurse would best respond with,

  • A. People who develop mental illnesses often had very traumatic childhood experiences.
  • B. There is some evidence that contracting a virus during childhood can cause mental disorders.
  • C. Sometimes people with mental illness have an overactive immune system.
  • D. We don't fully understand the cause, but mental illnesses do seem to run in families.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Current theories and studies indicate that several mental disorders may be linked to a specific gene or combination of genes, but that the source is not solely genetic; nongenetic factors also play important roles. Traumatic childhood experiences, viral infections, and immune system activity may contribute to mental illness in genetically predisposed individuals, but these are not definitive causes.