The nurse is taking the history of a client who admits to having been despondent for 2 weeks. He
relates that his business is bankrupt and his wife has filed for divorce. The statement the nurse
should assess as a covert clue to suicide is
a. "Life is not worth living.".
b. "I wish I were dead.".
c. "My family will be better off without me.".
d. "I have a plan that will fix everything.".
D
Verbal clues to suicide may be overt or covert. The first three statements are overt references to
suicide. The last remark is more veiled. It alludes to the client's suicide as being a way to "fix
everything" but does not say it outright.
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