Which symptom should a nurse expect to find in a client with post-traumatic stress disorder?

In a client with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hypervigilance is a key symptom that can be expected. This heightened state of awareness and increased sensitivity to potential threats often stems from the experience of trauma. Individuals with PTSD tend to be on high alert, constantly scanning their environment for signs of danger, which is a survival mechanism developed from their traumatic experiences.

Hypervigilance can manifest in various ways, such as an exaggerated startle response, difficulty relaxing, or an inability to focus due to an overwhelming sense of impending doom. This symptom is linked to the body's fight or flight response, which becomes dysregulated following trauma.

Other options, while they may be associated with different mental health conditions or can appear in individuals with PTSD, do not specifically capture the core experience of PTSD as effectively as hypervigilance does. For instance, disorientation could result from various causes, and while chronic depression and flat affect can appear in some individuals with PTSD, they are not as defining or predominant as hypervigilance. Therefore, recognizing hypervigilance is crucial in understanding how PTSD impacts behavior and presents in clients.