Question

the mother of a 25-year-old patient with schizophrenia asks the nurse why her daughter just sits around all day and doesnt talk. how should the nurse respond?

\your daughter is experiencing hallucinations causing her to regress into herself.\
\your daughter is having bizarre behaviors related to an excess of dopamine in her brain.\
\your daughter is experiencing negative symptoms, including anergia and communication difficulties.\
\your daughter may feel suspicious and aggressive towards you and your family because of her chemical imbalance.\

Explanation:

Analyze the patient's clinical presentation

The mother describes her daughter as sitting around all day (anergia/avolition) and not talking (alogi/communication difficulties). These behaviors represent a loss or decrease in normal functioning.

Differentiate positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia

• Positive symptoms involve an excess or distortion of normal functions (e.g., hallucinations, delusions, bizarre behaviors, dopamine excess).
• Negative symptoms involve a deficit or loss of normal functions (e.g., flat affect, anergia, avolition, alogia/poverty of speech).

Evaluate the response options

• Option 1 attributes the behavior to hallucinations (positive symptom) and regression, which is inaccurate.
• Option 2 attributes the behavior to bizarre behaviors and dopamine excess (associated with positive symptoms), which does not fit the deficit state described.
• Option 3 correctly identifies these behaviors as negative symptoms, specifically naming anergia and communication difficulties (alogia).
• Option 4 attributes the behavior to suspicion and aggression, which is not indicated by the mother's description of sitting quietly and not talking.

Answer:

• "Your daughter is experiencing hallucinations causing her to regress into herself."
• "Your daughter is having bizarre behaviors related to an excess of dopamine in her brain."
• "Your daughter is experiencing negative symptoms, including anergia and communication difficulties." (Correct answer)
• "Your daughter may feel suspicious and aggressive towards you and your family because of her chemical imbalance."