Anna is pessimistic and believes that her life will never get better and her problems will only get worse. She is experiencing

Anna is pessimistic and believes that her life will never get better and her problems will only get worse. She is experiencing

• A. Mood disorder
• B. Suicidal ideation
• C. Hopelessness
• D. Depression

Answer: (C)

Hopelessness is a cognitive state defined by the belief that one’s situation will not improve and that negative outcomes will continue or get worse. Anna’s description—believing life will never get better and problems will only worsen—perfectly captures that future-oriented, pessimistic expectation. It highlights a specific way people with hopelessness judge their prospects, which is why this option fits best. This symptom is about how a person thinks about the future rather than their overall mood at the moment, so it isn’t a mood disorder on its own. It isn’t about thoughts of death or self-harm, which would suggest suicidal ideation. And while hopelessness often accompanies depression, the term here pinpointing the belief about future outcomes makes it more precise than labeling the situation as a mood disorder or as depression.

Hopelessness is a cognitive state defined by the belief that one’s situation will not improve and that negative outcomes will continue or get worse. Anna’s description—believing life will never get better and problems will only worsen—perfectly captures that future-oriented, pessimistic expectation. It highlights a specific way people with hopelessness judge their prospects, which is why this option fits best.

This symptom is about how a person thinks about the future rather than their overall mood at the moment, so it isn’t a mood disorder on its own. It isn’t about thoughts of death or self-harm, which would suggest suicidal ideation. And while hopelessness often accompanies depression, the term here pinpointing the belief about future outcomes makes it more precise than labeling the situation as a mood disorder or as depression.