A nurse is caring for a client who has been receiving treatment for antisocial personality disorder. The nurse should identify that which of the following findings indicates the treatment is effective?

Choice A reason: Verbalizing anger in an acceptable manner demonstrates progress in treatment for antisocial personality disorder. Clients with this disorder often struggle with impulsivity, aggression, and disregard for social norms. Learning to express anger constructively shows improved emotional regulation and adherence to socially acceptable behaviors. This outcome reflects therapeutic effectiveness, as it reduces the risk of harm to self or others and supports healthier interpersonal relationships. Choice B reason: Dependent behaviors are not consistent with improvement in antisocial personality disorder. This disorder is characterized by manipulation, disregard for rules, and lack of empathy, not dependency. Developing dependent behaviors would indicate maladaptive coping rather than therapeutic progress. Choice C reason: Manipulating others to increase self-worth is a hallmark maladaptive behavior of antisocial personality disorder. Continued manipulation reflects persistence of the disorder’s core features and does not indicate improvement. Effective treatment aims to reduce manipulation and promote healthier coping strategies. Choice D reason: Verbalizing a sense of personal identity is more aligned with improvement in borderline personality disorder, where identity disturbance is a central feature. While self-awareness is beneficial, it is not the primary therapeutic goal in antisocial personality disorder. The focus is on reducing harmful behaviors and improving social functioning, making this option less relevant.