Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Practice Questions Related

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Which should the nurse recognize as an example of the defense mechanism of repression?

  • A. A woman whose son was killed in Iraq does not believe the military report.
  • B. A man who is unhappily married goes to school to become a marriage counselor.
  • C. A woman was raped when she was 12 and no longer remembers the incident.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because repression is a defense mechanism in which traumatic memories are unconsciously blocked from awareness. In this scenario, the woman's inability to remember the rape incident at age 12 is a classic example of repression. She has pushed the memory out of consciousness to avoid the emotional distress associated with it.

Choice A is incorrect as it describes denial, where the woman refuses to accept the truth. Choice B is incorrect as it reflects sublimation, where the man channels his unhappiness into a positive pursuit. Choice D is incomplete, making it impossible to evaluate.