DSSSB Public Health Nurse - 2015
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
Anxiety is caused by?
Appeared in: DSSSB Public Health Nurse - 2015
Explanation
- Anxiety is defined as a response to a perceived threat that is not immediately present or may be ambiguous.
- It is a future-oriented emotion, characterized by apprehension and worry about potential negative events.
- The key element is the subjective nature of the threat; the individual feels endangered even in the absence of an objective, external danger.
- This is distinct from fear, which is a reaction to a real, imminent threat.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: An objective, real, and immediate threat is the stimulus for fear, not anxiety.
- Option C: This describes self-directed anger or aggression, which is a concept more closely linked to depression and low self-esteem rather than being the primary cause of anxiety.
- Option D: Masked depression is a form of major depressive disorder, not a cause of anxiety. Although anxiety and depression are highly comorbid, they are distinct conditions.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The etiological and conceptual difference between anxiety and fear as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Understanding that anxiety stems from a patient's subjective perception is crucial for a nurse. It validates the patient's feelings and guides therapeutic communication, focusing on their internal experience rather than dismissing it because of a lack of objective danger.
- This distinction helps in accurate assessment. A patient's report of 'fear' or 'anxiety' prompts the nurse to investigate the nature of the threat—is it real and external (requiring safety interventions) or perceived and internal (requiring reassurance and anxiety-reduction techniques)?
- What if? A patient suddenly develops tachycardia, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom. If the cause is a panic attack (anxiety), the intervention is reassurance and calming techniques. If the cause is a pulmonary embolism (an objective threat causing fear), the intervention is a rapid response team and emergency medical treatment. Differentiating is critical.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core concept in the question stem, which is 'anxiety'.
- Recall the clinical definition of anxiety. The key is that it's a response to a perceived or anticipated threat, not necessarily a real one.
- Analyze the options in light of this definition.
- Option A describes 'fear'. Eliminate it as it's a distinct concept.
- Option B directly matches the definition of anxiety as a response to a 'subjectively perceived threat'. This is a strong candidate.
- Options C and D describe concepts related to depression. While they can co-occur with anxiety, they are not its fundamental cause. Eliminate them.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: The etiological and conceptual difference between anxiety and fear.
- Stem keywords: Anxiety, caused by
- Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
Q2AE0_X2Mg-l13_9WGDfZ-
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) pp. 5711-5713, 3865-3867, 3866-3868
Practise the full DSSSB Public Health Nurse - 2015
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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