Question

Prostate cancer is diagnosed in a fifty-eight-year-old man by biopsy. The tissue specimen is sent to a second

laboratory for tests, and the results confirm the initial diagnosis. After receiving these results, the patient decides to
seek the opinion of another physician. Which of the following defense mechanisms is the patient exhibiting?
A. Projection
B. Sublimation
C. Denial
D. Rationalization
E. Repression

Answer 1

The patient seeking a second opinion after a confirmed prostate cancer diagnosis is showing denial, a defense mechanism that involves the refusal to accept reality or facts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer by a biopsy and then seeks a second opinion after the initial diagnosis is confirmed is exhibiting the defense mechanism of denial. Denial is a common defense mechanism where an individual refuses to accept reality or facts, acting as if a painful event, thought, or feeling does not exist. It is often used to protect the ego from things that the individual cannot cope with, and it can be a temporary response that gives the person time to adjust to distressing situations. In this case, seeking another opinion after a confirmed diagnosis might represent the patient's difficulty in accepting the diagnosis and an attempt to find an alternative explanation or hope that the initial diagnosis was incorrect.