Colorado CNA Practice Exam

A resident refuses to believe his roommate has died and continues to talk to staff members and family as if the roommate were still alive. Which defense mechanism is this example illustrating?

1. Anger

2. Bargaining

3. Denial

4. Depression

The correct answer is: Denial

This is an example of the defense mechanism known as denial. Denial is when a person unconsciously rejects the reality of a situation in order to avoid the pain or discomfort associated with it. In this case, the resident is denying the death of their roommate and continuing to speak of them as if they were still alive. This demonstrates the resident's inability to face the loss of their roommate and the need to find a way to cope with their emotions. The other options are not correct because anger, bargaining, and depression are all other types of defense mechanisms that involve different coping strategies.