The parent of a child who has schizophrenia tearfully asks a nurse, "What could I have done differently to prevent this illness?" Select the nurse's most caring response

Question

a. "Although schizophrenia is caused by impaired family relationships, try not to feel guilty. No one can predict how a child will respond to parental guidance."
b. "Most of the damage is done, but there is still hope. Changing your parenting style can help your child learn to cope more effectively with the environment."
c. "Schizophrenia is a biological illness with similarities to diabetes and heart disease. You are not to blame for your child's illness."
d. "Most mental illnesses result from genetic inheritance. Your genes are more at fault than your parenting."

Answer 1

ANS: C
Patients and families need reassurance that the major mental disorders are biological in origin and are not the "fault" of parents. Knowing the biological nature of the disorder relieves feelings of guilt over being responsible for the illness. The incorrect responses are neither wholly accurate nor reassuring; they fall short of being reassuring and place the burden of having faulty genes on the shoulders of the parents.