A client wanders in and out of other clients' rooms, taking their possessions while singing to himself and then giggling for no apparent reason. The nurse reacts therapeutically by taking which action?

The use of a defense mechanism allows a person to avoid the painful experience of anxiety or transform it into a more tolerable symptom, such as regression. Regression allows the threatened client to move backward developmentally to a stage in which more security is felt. The recognition of regression is a signal that the client feels anxious. The correct option will help the client feel less anxious. A hug does not address the client's anxiety. The remaining options are restrictive and degrading.