HESI MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 160 MOCK TEST
WITH ANSWER RATIONALES 2026
◉ The client is assessed by the nurse, a social worker, and the
healthcare provider (HCP). Based on their assessments,
hospitalization is recommended for psychotic depression.
Which behavior is inconsistent with depression?
Answer: Hearing a man's voice.
Rationale: Auditory hallucinations are inconsistent with depression
and are more likely to occur with psychoses. However, clients may
experience a psychotic depression in which there is evidence of
psychosis.
◉ The nurse asks the client to sign the consent for treatment.
If the client refuses treatment, which behaviors justify short-term
involuntary treatment? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all
options may be correct.)
Answer: Unable to meet basic self-care needs.
Rationale: Involuntary treatment can be initiated if the client is
unable to meet basic self-care needs in such a way that he or she is a
danger to self.
States she has a plan to harm herself.
,Rationale: Short-term involuntary care may be initiated to protect
the client if she has a plan to harm herself. It can also be initiated if
she presents an intentional danger to others.
◉ The client signs the treatment form and is admitted to the mental
health unit. During the first days of hospitalization, she begins
antidepressant therapy with fluoxetine 10 mg.
In what classification of drugs is the antidepressant fluoxetine?
Answer: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
Rationale: Fluoxetine is an SSRI antidepressant.
◉ What is the major action of SSRI antidepressants?
Answer: Increase availability of serotonin.
Rationale: The major action of SSRIs is to selectively inhibit the
reuptake of serotonin and increase the availability of serotonin.
◉ The nurse understands that SSRIs are now more widely
prescribed than tricyclics for antidepressant therapy. What is the
rationale?
Answer: Tricyclics have more dangerous side effects.
Rationale: SSRIs are more widely prescribed than tricyclics because
they have fewer side effects, and tricyclics can be lethal in an
overdose because they are cardiotoxic.
,◉ When the client receives fluoxetine, the nurse must explain the
purpose and when to expect therapeutic effectiveness. What should
the nurse tell the client regarding when she will begin to feel less
depressed?
Answer: Generally within 1 to 4 weeks.
Rationale: In general, it takes 2 to 4 weeks for antidepressant effects
to begin. However, it depends on the individual, and some clients
may feel effects start as soon as 1 week or as late as 4 weeks. It is
suggested that depression occurs when a depletion of
neurotransmitters in the synapse cause the transmitter receptors to
increase. As the antidepressants make more transmitters available,
it takes the receptors several weeks to return their numbers back to
normal and allow normal synaptic activity.
◉ The nurse should be aware of common side effects of SSRI
antidepressants such as fluoxetine. Which side effect should be
communicated to the client that commonly occur in clients who are
taking SSRI antidepressants?
Answer: Gastrointestinal disturbances.
Rationale: GI disturbances such as nausea and diarrhea, as well as
genitourinary side effects such as sexual dysfunction, are common
with SSRIs. SSRIs do not have significant anticholinergic,
cardiovascular, or sedative side effects.
, ◉ The client also begins an atypical antipsychotic, risperidone,
because she reports hearing a "scary voice" upon admission.
Although the client remains very withdrawn and noncommunicative,
the nurse must explain the purpose of risperidone. Which
explanation is best?
Answer: Risperidone will help the think more clearly.
Rationale: Antipsychotic medications target symptoms related to
disorders of thinking such as psychosis and behaviors associated
with agitation and disorganization or speech and behavior.
◉ The nurse is reviewing the client's admission lab work on the
third day of hospitalization. Admission labs include thyroid profile,
urinalysis, chemistry panel, pregnancy test, urine drug screen, and
VDRL (RPR) which tests for venereal disease.
A thyroid profile is important for several reasons. What role do
thyroid levels play in depression?
Answer: Hypothyroidism can lead to feeling sluggish and depressed.
Rationale: Thyroid levels can help detect hypothyroidism, which can
lead to depression.
◉ The nurse understands that a VDRL is routinely done on
admission for which reason?
Answer: It is a screening test for syphilis.
WITH ANSWER RATIONALES 2026
◉ The client is assessed by the nurse, a social worker, and the
healthcare provider (HCP). Based on their assessments,
hospitalization is recommended for psychotic depression.
Which behavior is inconsistent with depression?
Answer: Hearing a man's voice.
Rationale: Auditory hallucinations are inconsistent with depression
and are more likely to occur with psychoses. However, clients may
experience a psychotic depression in which there is evidence of
psychosis.
◉ The nurse asks the client to sign the consent for treatment.
If the client refuses treatment, which behaviors justify short-term
involuntary treatment? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all
options may be correct.)
Answer: Unable to meet basic self-care needs.
Rationale: Involuntary treatment can be initiated if the client is
unable to meet basic self-care needs in such a way that he or she is a
danger to self.
States she has a plan to harm herself.
,Rationale: Short-term involuntary care may be initiated to protect
the client if she has a plan to harm herself. It can also be initiated if
she presents an intentional danger to others.
◉ The client signs the treatment form and is admitted to the mental
health unit. During the first days of hospitalization, she begins
antidepressant therapy with fluoxetine 10 mg.
In what classification of drugs is the antidepressant fluoxetine?
Answer: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).
Rationale: Fluoxetine is an SSRI antidepressant.
◉ What is the major action of SSRI antidepressants?
Answer: Increase availability of serotonin.
Rationale: The major action of SSRIs is to selectively inhibit the
reuptake of serotonin and increase the availability of serotonin.
◉ The nurse understands that SSRIs are now more widely
prescribed than tricyclics for antidepressant therapy. What is the
rationale?
Answer: Tricyclics have more dangerous side effects.
Rationale: SSRIs are more widely prescribed than tricyclics because
they have fewer side effects, and tricyclics can be lethal in an
overdose because they are cardiotoxic.
,◉ When the client receives fluoxetine, the nurse must explain the
purpose and when to expect therapeutic effectiveness. What should
the nurse tell the client regarding when she will begin to feel less
depressed?
Answer: Generally within 1 to 4 weeks.
Rationale: In general, it takes 2 to 4 weeks for antidepressant effects
to begin. However, it depends on the individual, and some clients
may feel effects start as soon as 1 week or as late as 4 weeks. It is
suggested that depression occurs when a depletion of
neurotransmitters in the synapse cause the transmitter receptors to
increase. As the antidepressants make more transmitters available,
it takes the receptors several weeks to return their numbers back to
normal and allow normal synaptic activity.
◉ The nurse should be aware of common side effects of SSRI
antidepressants such as fluoxetine. Which side effect should be
communicated to the client that commonly occur in clients who are
taking SSRI antidepressants?
Answer: Gastrointestinal disturbances.
Rationale: GI disturbances such as nausea and diarrhea, as well as
genitourinary side effects such as sexual dysfunction, are common
with SSRIs. SSRIs do not have significant anticholinergic,
cardiovascular, or sedative side effects.
, ◉ The client also begins an atypical antipsychotic, risperidone,
because she reports hearing a "scary voice" upon admission.
Although the client remains very withdrawn and noncommunicative,
the nurse must explain the purpose of risperidone. Which
explanation is best?
Answer: Risperidone will help the think more clearly.
Rationale: Antipsychotic medications target symptoms related to
disorders of thinking such as psychosis and behaviors associated
with agitation and disorganization or speech and behavior.
◉ The nurse is reviewing the client's admission lab work on the
third day of hospitalization. Admission labs include thyroid profile,
urinalysis, chemistry panel, pregnancy test, urine drug screen, and
VDRL (RPR) which tests for venereal disease.
A thyroid profile is important for several reasons. What role do
thyroid levels play in depression?
Answer: Hypothyroidism can lead to feeling sluggish and depressed.
Rationale: Thyroid levels can help detect hypothyroidism, which can
lead to depression.
◉ The nurse understands that a VDRL is routinely done on
admission for which reason?
Answer: It is a screening test for syphilis.
