Almost all dying patients feel some degree of ________ because of internalized anger and other factors.

Almost all dying patients feel some degree of ________ because of internalized anger and other factors.

• A. Depression
• B. Happiness
• C. Anxiety
• D. Denial

Answer: (A)

End-of-life experience commonly includes depressive symptoms. When patients confront mortality, loss of control, and internalized anger and other stressors, these feelings can settle into persistent sadness, hopelessness, and diminished interest or energy. This combination best fits the idea of a mood change that many experience as part of the dying process, making depression the most fitting choice. While anxiety and denial can occur, and happiness is not typically expected in this context, depressive mood is the pervasive pattern linked to the accumulation of loss, fear about the future, and inward turning of anger and frustration.

End-of-life experience commonly includes depressive symptoms. When patients confront mortality, loss of control, and internalized anger and other stressors, these feelings can settle into persistent sadness, hopelessness, and diminished interest or energy. This combination best fits the idea of a mood change that many experience as part of the dying process, making depression the most fitting choice. While anxiety and denial can occur, and happiness is not typically expected in this context, depressive mood is the pervasive pattern linked to the accumulation of loss, fear about the future, and inward turning of anger and frustration.