During the initial interview at the crisis center, a patient reveals that his wife asked him for a divorce. He is so anxious that he "cannot think straight.". Which response would best assess the patient's coping skills?
a. "I can see you are upset. You can rely on us to help you feel better.".
b. "What would you like us to do to help you feel more relaxed?"
c. "In the past, how did you handle difficult or stressful situations?"
d. "Do you think you deserve to have things like this happen to you?"
C
Exploring past responses to stressful events is the only option that assesses coping skills. Acknowledging distress is helpful, but assuming responsibility for the patient's feeling better is not therapeutic; neither assesses coping ability. Persons in crisis have difficulty with problem solving, so it would be unrealistic to ask them to provide instructions on how staff should help. Asking whether he deserves such experiences would provide information about self-esteem but not coping.
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