KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Mental Health Nursing
Easy
Which one is a fact about persons with suicidal tendency?
Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Explanation
- The core fact about suicidal individuals is their state of ambivalence; they are caught between a desire to live and an overwhelming need to escape unbearable psychological pain.
- This internal conflict means that a part of the person still wants to live, which is why interventions can be life-saving.
- The goal of suicide prevention is to support the part of the person that wants to live by offering hope, help, and safety.
- This ambivalence contrasts sharply with the myth that suicidal individuals are fully committed to dying.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: This is a dangerous myth. The majority of individuals who die by suicide give some form of warning, either verbally or through their behavior.
- Option B: This is a myth. Suicidal ideation is typically a temporary state associated with a crisis. With proper treatment and support, individuals can recover and the risk of suicide can decrease significantly.
- Option D: This statement is a myth and is directly contradicted by the concept of ambivalence. If individuals were fully intent on dying, interventions would be far less effective.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Myths and facts about suicide as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Recognizing that a suicidal person is ambivalent is the cornerstone of effective nursing intervention. It empowers the nurse to act with the belief that the person can be helped and that the desire to live can be strengthened.
- A nurse's primary role is to ensure safety, which includes asking directly about suicidal thoughts, assessing the level of risk, and implementing safety precautions like removing dangerous objects and ensuring constant observation if needed.
- In the Indian context, stigma surrounding mental health can make it harder for individuals to express suicidal thoughts. Nurses must be culturally sensitive and create a non-judgmental space for patients to talk.
How to Approach the Question
- First, read the question carefully, noting that it asks for a 'fact' about suicidal tendencies. This implies that three of the options are likely to be common myths or misconceptions.
- Evaluate each option against your foundational knowledge of mental health nursing. Think about the psychological state of a person in crisis.
- Option A ('happens without warning') and Option B ('suicidal forever') are common, well-known myths that are frequently debunked in nursing education. You can likely eliminate these quickly.
- Compare Option C ('undecided about dying or living') and Option D ('fully intent on dying'). These present opposite ideas. Recall the concept of 'ambivalence,' which is a key feature of suicidal crisis. This makes Option C the most plausible fact.
- Confirm your choice. The idea that most suicidal people are undecided (ambivalent) is the basis for all suicide prevention efforts—to tip the balance toward the desire to live.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Myths and facts about suicide
- Stem keywords: suicidal tendency, fact
- Lead-in keywords: Which one
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QYrL3c23oi8WOU2hy7rWwO
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. 3861-3863, 12440-12442
Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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