Which of the following is a psychological response to illness?

Anxiety is a common psychological response to illness because it involves emotional reactions to the perceived threat or impact of the illness on an individual's life. When faced with health challenges, patients may experience feelings of worry, fear, or uneasiness, which can stem from uncertainties about the diagnosis, treatment options, or future health outcomes.

While fatigue, pain, and nausea are all physical symptoms that can occur due to illness, they do not reflect the psychological processes involved. Fatigue represents a physical state of tiredness, pain is a sensory perception often related to physiological issues, and nausea is a physical sensation typically linked to gastrointestinal or neurological responses. In contrast, anxiety specifically illustrates how a person mentally reacts to illness, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health in the context of overall patient care.