A nurse is caring for a client with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Which statement by the nurse is accurate?
A.
“You’re experiencing excessive and persistent worry that’s hard to control, right?”.
B.
“I understand that you’re having panic attacks followed by persistent concern.”.
C.
“Your fear of specific objects or situations is leading to avoidance behavior, correct?”.
D.
“It sounds like you’re dealing with recurrent intrusive thoughts and behaviors.”.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is:
A. “You’re experiencing excessive and persistent worry that’s hard to control, right?”
Explanation:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life, including everyday activities and events. This anxiety is pervasive, persistent, and not confined to specific situations or objects. Clients with GAD often experience difficulty controlling their worry and may struggle with physical symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.
Option A accurately reflects the nature of GAD. It acknowledges the client’s experience of “excessive and persistent worry that’s hard to control,” which is a hallmark of the disorder. This statement validates the client’s feelings and aligns with the core symptomatology of GAD.
Option B describes symptoms more indicative of panic disorder rather than GAD. Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, which are episodes of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms. Persistent concern about having future attacks is a feature of panic disorder, not GAD.
Option C refers to specific phobias, which involve an intense fear of specific objects or situations that leads to avoidance behavior. This is different from GAD, where worry is more generalized and not limited to specific stimuli.
Option D describes obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors performed to alleviate the distress caused by these thoughts (compulsions). GAD does not typically involve these specific obsessions and compulsions but rather focuses on chronic, generalized anxiety without the compulsive behaviors seen in OCD.
In summary, option A is the best choice because it directly addresses the persistent and uncontrollable nature of the worry experienced by individuals with GAD, aligning closely with the diagnostic criteria for the disorder.