All are warning signs of poor mental health, except one.

Appeared in: Raj. CHO -2024

Explanation

Chronic abdominal pain is a physical symptom, not a primary warning sign of poor mental health.
Mental health warning signs are typically behavioral or emotional, such as social withdrawal, persistent anxiety, or irrational fears.
Physical complaints should be evaluated for medical causes before attributing them to mental health.
The key differentiator is that the other options are direct psychological symptoms.

Option A: Social withdrawal is a classic early warning sign of poor mental health, especially depression or social anxiety.
Option B: Persistent anxiety is a hallmark symptom of many mental health disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and depression.
Option C: Irrational or excessive fears (phobias) are recognized warning signs of poor mental health.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Differentiation between psychological and physical warning signs of poor mental health as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses must distinguish between physical and psychological symptoms to ensure appropriate referral and care.
Early identification of mental health warning signs allows for timely intervention and support.
What if? If a patient presents with both chronic abdominal pain and persistent anxiety, both physical and mental health assessments are needed to rule out underlying causes.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core concept: warning signs of poor mental health.
Look for the exception by comparing each option to standard mental health warning signs.
Recall that physical symptoms alone (like chronic abdominal pain) are not primary mental health indicators.
Use elimination: remove options that are classic psychological symptoms.
Confirm the remaining option is not a typical mental health warning sign.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Differentiation between psychological and physical warning signs of poor mental health
Stem keywords: warning signs, poor mental health, exception
Lead-in keywords: EXCEPT
Clinical cues: focus on early identification of mental health issues
Negative lead-in flag: EXCEPT

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E6 Psychology Applied Sreevani 5e p. 61-63

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 623-625

Practise the full Raj. CHO -2024

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.