Which of the following statements should a nurse recognize as true about defense mechanisms? Select all that apply.
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A
They are employed when there is a threat to biological or psychological integrity.
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B
They are controlled by the id and deal with primal urges.
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C
They are used in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety
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D
They are protective devices for the superego.
The choice that aligns with the client data is They are employed when there is a threat to biological or psychological integrity.; They are used in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety.; and They are mechanisms that are characteristically self-deceptive..
A. They are employed when there is a threat to biological or psychological integrity.
This fits because Defense mechanisms are employed by the ego in the face of threats to biological and psychological integrity, in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety. Because they redirect focus, they are characteristically self-deceptive. Need: Psychosocial Integrity Ego defenses can reduce anxiety in the short term, but they become clinically relevant when they distort reality enough to interfere with insight, relationships, or treatment adherence. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
B. They are controlled by the id and deal with primal urges.
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “They are controlled by the id and deal with primal urges.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
C. They are used in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety.
This is supported by the detail that Defense mechanisms are employed by the ego in the face of threats to biological and psychological integrity, in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety. Because they redirect focus, they are characteristically self-deceptive. Need: Psychosocial Integrity Ego defenses can reduce anxiety in the short term, but they become clinically relevant when they distort reality enough to interfere with insight, relationships, or treatment adherence. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
D. They are protective devices for the superego.
This could seem tempting if the idea in “They are protective devices for the superego.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
E. They are mechanisms that are characteristically self-deceptive.
This fits because Defense mechanisms are employed by the ego in the face of threats to biological and psychological integrity, in an effort to relieve mild to moderate anxiety. Because they redirect focus, they are characteristically self-deceptive. Need: Psychosocial Integrity Ego defenses can reduce anxiety in the short term, but they become clinically relevant when they distort reality enough to interfere with insight, relationships, or treatment adherence. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
Conclusion
The stem provides enough information to select the most accurate interpretation without adding extra assumptions. The chosen answer reflects the correct framework, and the remaining choices drift toward incomplete, premature, or misdirected reasoning.