The mother of an infant with profound mental and physical disabilities tells the nurse how depressed she is because she realizes that her child will never achieve normal growth and development milestones. How should the nurse respond to this mother?

A. Encourage the mother to write thoughts and feelings in a journal: Journaling can be a therapeutic coping strategy, but it does not address the immediate risk of harm or suicidal ideation. While helpful long-term, it is not the priority in this situation. B. Reassure the mother that her child will achieve some growth and development milestones: Offering reassurance may unintentionally minimize the mother’s grief and could feel invalidating. It does not assess her mental state or potential safety risks. C. Ask the mother if she has ever thought about harming herself or her child: Assessing for suicidal or homicidal thoughts is the highest priority, as profound grief and hopelessness can increase risk. Directly evaluating safety ensures that protective interventions can be implemented immediately if needed. D. Determine if the mother has other children who do not have developmental disabilities: While family context is useful for holistic assessment, this information does not address the mother’s current emotional distress or potential risk for harm, making it a lower priority.