Test Bank for Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice - Schizophrenia and Related Disorders: Nursing Care of Persons with Thought Disorders Related

Review Test Bank for Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice - Schizophrenia and Related Disorders: Nursing Care of Persons with Thought Disorders related questions and content

The nurse is caring for a client in an inpatient mental health setting. The nurse notices that when the client is conversing with other clients, he repeats what they are saying word for word. The nurse interprets this finding and documents it as which of the following?

  • A. Echopraxia
  • B. Neologisms
  • C. Tangentiality
  • D. Echolalia
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Echolalia (D) is the correct term for the client?s behavior of repeating others? words verbatim, a common symptom in schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, reflecting impaired communication processing. Echopraxia (A) involves mimicking movements, not speech. Neologisms (B) are made-up words, and tangentiality (C) refers to responses that veer off-topic, neither of which apply here.