Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 80%
Simulated
A nurse is providing care to a patient who is experiencing excessive anxiety and worry in response to various situations, and is unable to control their worry. Which of the following conditions should the nurse identify these symptoms as indicative of?
Correct answer
A
Rationale
The correct answer is A: Generalized anxiety disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and anxiety about various situations. The patient in the scenario is experiencing excessive anxiety and worry in response to situations, which aligns with the key feature of generalized anxiety disorder. Panic disorder (B) involves recurrent panic attacks, agoraphobia (C) is a fear of being in situations where escape may be difficult, and separation anxiety disorder (D) is typically seen in children and involves excessive fear or anxiety about separation from attachment figures. The symptoms described in the scenario do not match the criteria for panic disorder, agoraphobia, or separation anxiety disorder, making A the most appropriate choice.