Question

A client tells the nurse he cannot go out on a date because he might have to eat something in front of others. He reveals that he is afraid that someone will laugh at the way he eats or that he will spill food and be laughed at. The nurse can assess this behavior as being consistent with:

1 Post-traumatic stress disorder
2 Social phobia
3 Specific phobia
4 Agoraphobia

Answer 1

The client's fear of eating in front of others and concern about being judged if he spills food is indicative of social phobia, rather than PTSD, specific phobia, or agoraphobia.

Step-by-step explanation:

The client's expression of fear about eating in front of others due to concerns of being laughed at for the way he eats or potentially spilling food and becoming a subject of mockery is indicative of social phobia. Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, involves an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others in social situations. This fear can lead to avoidance of situations where one might be subjected to scrutiny. The behaviors do not align with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is characterized by the re-experiencing of traumatic events, nor with specific phobias, which are centered around specific situations or objects, nor with agoraphobia, where the fear is related to being in places from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic-like reaction.