Question

The nurse is caring for an adolescent girl with a suspected anxiety disorder. The girl states that she is constantly double-checking that she has unplugged her curling iron and must make sure that everything is in perfect order in her room before she leaves the house. The nurse interprets these findings as indicating which of the following?

A) Generalized anxiety disorder
B) Posttraumatic stress disorder
C) Social phobia
D) Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Answer 1

Option A. The nurse's interpretation of the adolescent girl's symptoms, which include repetitive checking and a need for orderliness, suggests she may have Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions and compulsions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's interpretation of the adolescent girl's behavior of constantly double-checking that her curling iron is unplugged and needing everything in perfect order before leaving the house aligns with the characteristics of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder that involves repetitive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and irrational, excessive urges to do certain actions (compulsions), such as checking or arranging items.

It is distinct from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is characterized by chronic, excessive worry about a variety of topics, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a reaction to experiencing or witnessing traumatic events, and Social Phobia, which involves a significant fear of social or performance situations.