A patient in the psychiatric unit of the hospital has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, paranoid type. He has approached the nurse in the hallway of the hospital and is elaborating in great detail about his delusions of persecution involving secret societies,
the Vatican, and the mafia. How should the nurse respond to the patient's expression of his delusions?
A) "Do you think that your delusions might be causing you to think this way?"
B) "That sounds very stressful for you. Would you like to join me and the others in the lounge?"
C) "What can I do to help you get away from these people that want to get you?"
D) "Remember that none of this is real and that no one at all is trying to harm you."
Ans: B
The most therapeutic response to a client's or patient's delusions is to empathically acknowledge the stress that these delusions may cause and to redirect the conversation in a respectful way. Accusing the person of delusional thinking, acknowledging the reality of the delusions, and trying to convince the person that the delusions are not real are interventions that may provoke rather than relieve symptoms.
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