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The parents of a client with schizophrenia who also abuses alcohol asks the nurse, 'What can we do to help our son from relapsing after he is discharged from the hospital?' Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
- A. There?s really not much you can do; your son is responsible for maintaining his own sobriety.
- B. Avoid letting him take any mood-altering chemicals because they may trigger his delusional thinking.
- C. Make sure he goes to at least two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week, gets a sponsor, and calls his sponsor on a daily basis.
- D. Report any side effects he develops so they can be treated and therefore won?t tempt him to stop taking his prescribed medications.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Reporting side effects (D) helps ensure medication adherence, a key factor in preventing relapse in schizophrenia and alcohol abuse, as side effects often lead to discontinuation. Option A dismisses family involvement, option B is overly restrictive, and option C is specific to AA but less critical than medication management.
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A client has a co-occurring diagnosis of alcoholism and bipolar disorder. He was brought to the emergency department by two policemen who had broken up a fight that the client had gotten into in a neighborhood bar. The client is intrusive and verbose about having diplomatic immunity and his pressing need to tour the bistate area to promote his bid for the presidency. The client has had multiple admissions to the hospital?s psychiatric unit, and he has almost always experienced alcohol withdrawal syndrome immediately after his previous admissions. Which of the following would be a priority for this client?
- A. Administering prescribed mood-stabilizing medications to control his delusional thinking because doing so will curtail his desire to drink
- B. Taking baseline vital signs and then monitoring them on an ongoing basis to ascertain if the client is exhibiting early signs of alcohol withdrawal
- C. Suggesting that client refrain from being intrusive and annoying others with his constant chatter about his delusional thinking
- D. Referring the client to an outpatient community substance abuse treatment center because his addiction has to be adequately addressed before his bipolar problems can be effectively treated
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Monitoring for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (B) is the priority due to its potential for life-threatening complications, given the client?s history. Administering mood stabilizers (A) is important but secondary to immediate safety. Suggesting behavioral changes (C) is ineffective during acute mania, and outpatient referral (D) is premature during an acute crisis.
The nurse is reviewing a client?s medical record and finds that he has received treatment for his co-occurring disorders in the primary health care setting. The nurse interprets this as which quadrant of care?
- A. Category I
- B. Category II
- C. Category III
- D. Category IV
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Category I (A) refers to low-severity mental health and substance use disorders treated in primary care settings. Categories II?IV involve higher severity or specialized care settings.
The nurse is caring for a female adolescent client diagnosed with depression and substance abuse. Which of the following would be most appropriate for the nurse to do?
- A. Determine if the client is experiencing hyperactivity.
- B. Ask her if she is having thoughts of harming herself.
- C. Determine if the client is exhibiting Wernicke?s syndrome.
- D. Ask the client if she has had problems with excessive anxiety.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Asking about suicidal thoughts (B) is most appropriate, as depression in adolescents with substance abuse significantly increases suicide risk, requiring immediate assessment. Hyperactivity (A) is less relevant, Wernicke?s syndrome (C) is specific to thiamine deficiency in alcoholism, and anxiety (D) is secondary to suicide risk.
A nurse is interviewing a client who has a co-occurring diagnosis. The client is trying to explain why it is so easy to start drinking again even though hospitalization and prescribed medications can eventually control his mental problems. Which statement by the client would the nurse interpret as reflecting the client?s beliefs?
- A. It just seems easier and cheaper to go out and get a bottle or a fix than it does to keep paying for medications with money I don?t have.
- B. If I come out of the hospital and keep taking my prescribed medications, I know I will function better, but I won?t be able to escape my feelings or feel high like I do when I drink.
- C. I just don?t like the side effects my prescribed medications cause, and, besides that, I can never remember to take them at specific times or with food.
- D. I don?t like to take them because then my spouse expects me to be more responsible and to help around the house more often. I don?t have to be bothered with that when I drink or use.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The client?s statement in option B reflects a common belief in co-occurring disorders, where substance use provides an escape or euphoria that medications do not, driving relapse. Option A focuses on cost, option C on side effects, and option D on avoiding responsibility, all less central to the emotional pull of substance use.
A group of nursing students are reviewing information about co-occurring disorders and risks for substance abuse. The students demonstrate understanding of the information when they identify which psychiatric disorder as being associated with the highest risk for substance abuse?
- A. Mania
- B. Panic disorder
- C. Antisocial personality disorder
- D. Phobias
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Antisocial personality disorder (C) has the highest risk for substance abuse due to impulsivity and disregard for consequences. Mania (A) and panic disorder (B) carry risks but are less associated, and phobias (D) have minimal direct correlation.