RN Care Hope Mental Health HESI Related

Review RN Care Hope Mental Health HESI related questions and content

During a one-to-one session with the nurse, a female client admitted for chronic depression and attempted suicide discloses experiences of sexual promiscuity and prostitution. When the nurse asks the client if she was ever sexually abused as a child, the client says, “I don't remember, but my mother ran my father off when I was five.” The nurse should recognize that the client may be using which defense mechanism?

  • A. Regression.
  • B. Projection.
  • C. Denial.
  • D. Repression.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Repression involves unconsciously blocking out memories, and the client's inability to recall potential abuse suggests this defense mechanism.