When providing family therapy, the nurse analyzes the functioning of healthy family systems. Which situations would not increase stress on a healthy family system?
A. An adolescent’s going away to college
B. The birth of a child
C. The death of a grandparent
D. Parental disagreement
Correct Answer: D. Parental disagreement
In a functional family, parents typically do not agree on all issues and problems. Open discussion of thoughts and feelings is healthy, and parental disagreement should not cause system stress. Families that eat together regularly communicate (as long as the phones and TVs are turned off). They like to share feelings with each other and cue into each other’s feelings. Put-downs and sarcasm is rare.
Option A: A crisis can sometimes be quite obvious, such as a person losing his or her job, getting divorced, or being involved in some type of accident. In other cases, a personal crisis might be less apparent but can still lead to dramatic changes in behavior and mood.
Option B: Developmental crises occur as part of the process of growing and developing through various periods of life. Sometimes a crisis is a predictable part of the life cycle, such as the crisis described in Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development.
Option C: If you are coping with a crisis, whether it’s emotional or situational, there are things that you can do to help ensure your psychological and physical well-being during this difficult time of your life. It’s important to lean on friends, family, and loved ones during a crisis, but you should also seek professional help if you need it. Consider talking to your doctor about what you are dealing with.