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UPPSC 2017
Psychiatric Nursing
Medium

Following are the major psychiatric emergencies, except one

Appeared in: UPPSC 2017

Explanation

  • Grief reaction is a normal, expected psychological response to loss and is not inherently a crisis requiring emergency intervention.
  • Unlike emergencies that pose an immediate threat to life or safety, uncomplicated grief is a natural healing process.
  • The key differentiator is the element of acute, immediate danger. Suicide, rape, and disaster involve immediate threats, whereas grief does not, unless it evolves into a more severe condition.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Rape is a violent act that causes severe acute psychological trauma, making it a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention.
  • Option B: Disasters cause widespread, acute psychological distress and trauma, necessitating an emergency response to prevent long-term psychiatric morbidity.
  • Option C: Suicide, or suicidal ideation with a plan, is a quintessential psychiatric emergency because there is an immediate and direct threat to the person's life.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Identification of Psychiatric Emergencies as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses must be able to rapidly assess and differentiate between a normal grief response and a psychiatric emergency to initiate the appropriate level of care.
  • Recognizing the signs of a psychiatric emergency (e.g., suicidal ideation, acute trauma from rape or disaster) is a critical nursing skill to ensure patient safety and prevent harm.
  • What if? If a person experiencing a grief reaction expresses thoughts of wanting to die to 'be with their loved one,' the situation escalates. The nurse must then assess for active suicidal ideation (plan, intent, means). If present, it becomes a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, understand the core concept: A 'psychiatric emergency' involves an immediate risk of harm to self or others.
  • Read the lead-in keyword 'except'. This means you are looking for the option that does NOT fit the definition of a psychiatric emergency.
  • Evaluate each option against the definition: Does it pose an immediate risk of harm?
  • Analyze 'Suicide': Yes, this is a direct and immediate risk to self.
  • Analyze 'Rape' and 'Disaster': These are acute, severe traumatic events that cause immediate psychological crisis and risk of harm, requiring emergency intervention.
  • Analyze 'Grief reaction': This is a normal response to loss. While painful, it is not, by itself, an immediate crisis or danger. Therefore, it is the exception.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Identification of Psychiatric Emergencies
  • Stem keywords: major psychiatric emergencies
  • Lead-in keywords: except one
  • Negative lead-in flag: The question asks for the exception among the given options.

Question ID

QprSJR7onyncfsTFvXCKMc

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) p. 8864-8866

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 2554-2556

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Following are the major psychiatric emergencies, except one - UPPSC 2017 | NPrep