NCLEX Psychosocial Questions Related

Review NCLEX Psychosocial Questions related questions and content

What psychodynamic process is suggested by a client calling the emergency department during a suicide attempt?

  • A. A cry for help
  • B. A need for attention
  • C. Ambivalence about dying
  • D. An inability to stick to a decision
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Ambivalence about dying.' When a client calls the emergency department during a suicide attempt, it suggests conflicting feelings about living and dying. This act can indicate an unconscious desire to be stopped from dying, showing ambivalence between the wish to die and the wish to live. It is not primarily a cry for attention or a need to punish others. The client's intention of suicide alongside seeking help demonstrates the struggle between life and death, making ambivalence the key psychodynamic process at play.