IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

Worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness are characteristic features of :

Appeared in: IGNOU PB. Bsc. Nsg. Entrance-2025

Explanation

  • The triad of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness is a hallmark of depression.
  • This set of negative thoughts is known as Beck's Cognitive Triad, a core concept in understanding the psychology of depression.
  • Worthlessness relates to a negative view of oneself.
  • Hopelessness relates to a negative view of the future and is a major risk factor for suicide.
  • Helplessness relates to a negative view of one's ability to control the world and life events.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Paranoid schizophrenia is primarily defined by psychotic symptoms, such as delusions of persecution and hallucinations, not the cognitive triad of depression.
  • Option C: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety.
  • Option D: Mania is the opposite of depression. It involves an elevated or irritable mood, inflated self-esteem (grandiosity), increased energy, and a decreased need for sleep.

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 Cognitive Symptoms of Depression as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Recognizing the cognitive triad is crucial for nurses as it directly impacts patient safety, particularly the link between hopelessness and suicide risk.
  • A primary nursing responsibility is to create a safe environment and conduct regular suicide risk assessments for patients expressing these feelings.
  • Nurses can use therapeutic communication to help patients challenge these negative thoughts, fostering a sense of hope and self-worth.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the keywords in the question stem: 'Worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness'.
  • Recognize that this is a well-known cluster of symptoms in psychiatry.
  • Recall or deduce that this specific triad is the 'cognitive triad' of depression.
  • Evaluate the options. 'Depression' directly matches the classic description.
  • Briefly consider the other options to confirm they are incorrect. Schizophrenia involves psychosis, OCD involves obsessions/compulsions, and mania is the opposite state, thus confirming 'Depression' is the only fit.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Cognitive Symptoms of Depression
  • Stem keywords: Worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, characteristic features
  • Lead-in keywords: are characteristic features of

Question ID

Q8D8sFmwvXmm_xQjdw8g4b

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, 5387-5389, 5386-5388

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