The nurse in the behavioral health unit is caring for a client experiencing depersonalization.
Which statement by the client would support this alteration in perception?
The nurse in the behavioral health unit is caring for a client experiencing depersonalization.
Which statement by the client would support this alteration in perception?
A. “I feel like I’m floating above my body, watching myself from the outside.”
[64%]
B. “The television keeps sending me special messages meant only for me.”
[8%]
C. “I keep hearing voices telling me what to do, even when no one is around.”
[5%]
D. “Everything around me feels foggy and dreamlike, like the world isn’t real.”
[22%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Mental Health
Lesson
Mental Health
Client Need
Test Plan
Psychosocial Integrity
Related Topic
Sensory/Perceptual Alterations
Item Type
Item Type
Application
Explanation
Choice A is correct. This describes depersonalization, in which the client experiences detachment from their body or self, often feeling like an outside observer of their thoughts or actions.
Choice B is incorrect. This is a delusion of reference, a symptom of psychosis, not depersonalization.
Choice C is incorrect. This reflects auditory hallucinations, also characteristic of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
Choice D is incorrect. This describes derealization, which involves a sense that the external world is strange, unreal, or distorted. While also a dissociative symptom, it is distinct from depersonalization, which centers on the self rather than the environment.
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2 Key Topics
Dos & Don'ts
13.10 Therapeutic Communication
Additional Info
✓ Depersonalization is a dissociative symptom characterized by a persistent or recurrent feeling of being detached from one’s body, thoughts, feelings, or sense of identity.
✓ The person feels like an outside observer of themselves—“I don’t feel real” or “I feel like I’m watching myself in a movie.”
✓ Depersonalization is not psychosis. The client retains insight; they know their experience is unusual.
