NURS 665 Exam 3 V3 | NURS 665
Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and
Management III | Actual Q&A with
Rationale (NURS665 Exam 3) | Maryville
University
1. In Irvin Yalom’s curative factors of group therapy, which factor refers to the realization
among members that they are not alone in their suffering or problems?
A. Altruism
B. Instillation of Hope
C. Universality
D. Catharsis
Answer: C
Rationale: Universality is the recognition of shared experiences and feelings among group
members, which decreases isolation. It provides patients with a sense of relief that others
have similar struggles and ‘we are all in the same boat.’ This is particularly powerful in the
early stages of group formation to build cohesion.
2. According to Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, what is the process of involving a third
person to reduce anxiety between two people in conflict?
A. Enmeshment
,B. Differentiation
C. Triangulation
D. Subsystems
Answer: C
Rationale: Triangulation occurs when a two-person relationship experiences tension and
pulls in a third party to stabilize the system. This third party can be a child, another
relative, or even an external entity like a hobby or work. While it reduces immediate
anxiety, it prevents the original pair from resolving their conflict directly.
3. A 9-year-old child presents with a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative
behavior, and vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Conduct Disorder
B. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
C. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
D. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Answer: D
Rationale: Oppositional Defiant Disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of
defiance against authority figures without significant violation of societal norms. Unlike
Conduct Disorder, ODD does not involve aggression toward people or animals or
,destruction of property. Diagnosis requires symptoms to be present for at least six months
and cause impairment in social or academic functioning.
4. In Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy, which technique involves the therapist purposely
taking a side to challenge the existing family hierarchy?
A. Joining
B. Reframing
C. Enactment
D. Unbalancing
Answer: D
Rationale: Unbalancing is a technique where the therapist supports one family member or
subsystem to disrupt the current rigid power structure. This intervention aims to force the
family to reorganize into a more functional hierarchy. It is a bold move that requires the
therapist to have already established a strong ‘joining’ bond with the family.
5. Which of Yalom’s group stages is characterized by conflict, competition for position, and
challenges to the therapist’s authority?
A. Forming
B. Norming
C. Storming
D. Performing
, Answer: C
Rationale: The Storming phase involves members testing boundaries and expressing
disagreement as they seek to define their roles within the group. It is a necessary stage
where power struggles and hostility may emerge before moving into cohesion. The
therapist’s role during this phase is to model healthy conflict resolution and maintain
group safety.
6. What is the primary goal of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?
A. To uncover repressed childhood traumas
B. To analyze the family’s multigenerational history
C. To identify and amplify client strengths and exceptions to the problem
D. To restructure the family’s boundaries and hierarchies
Answer: C
Rationale: SFBT focuses on the future and what is working for the client rather than
delving into the past or the pathology of the problem. Techniques such as the ‘Miracle
Question’ and ‘Scaling Questions’ help the client visualize a life without the problem. This
approach assumes the client is the expert on their own life and possesses the resources to
change.
7. A 15-year-old male is brought to the clinic for repeatedly setting fires, hurting the family
dog, and stealing. Which diagnosis should the PMHNP prioritize?
A. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Psychiatric Mental Health Diagnosis and
Management III | Actual Q&A with
Rationale (NURS665 Exam 3) | Maryville
University
1. In Irvin Yalom’s curative factors of group therapy, which factor refers to the realization
among members that they are not alone in their suffering or problems?
A. Altruism
B. Instillation of Hope
C. Universality
D. Catharsis
Answer: C
Rationale: Universality is the recognition of shared experiences and feelings among group
members, which decreases isolation. It provides patients with a sense of relief that others
have similar struggles and ‘we are all in the same boat.’ This is particularly powerful in the
early stages of group formation to build cohesion.
2. According to Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, what is the process of involving a third
person to reduce anxiety between two people in conflict?
A. Enmeshment
,B. Differentiation
C. Triangulation
D. Subsystems
Answer: C
Rationale: Triangulation occurs when a two-person relationship experiences tension and
pulls in a third party to stabilize the system. This third party can be a child, another
relative, or even an external entity like a hobby or work. While it reduces immediate
anxiety, it prevents the original pair from resolving their conflict directly.
3. A 9-year-old child presents with a pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative
behavior, and vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Conduct Disorder
B. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
C. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
D. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Answer: D
Rationale: Oppositional Defiant Disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of
defiance against authority figures without significant violation of societal norms. Unlike
Conduct Disorder, ODD does not involve aggression toward people or animals or
,destruction of property. Diagnosis requires symptoms to be present for at least six months
and cause impairment in social or academic functioning.
4. In Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy, which technique involves the therapist purposely
taking a side to challenge the existing family hierarchy?
A. Joining
B. Reframing
C. Enactment
D. Unbalancing
Answer: D
Rationale: Unbalancing is a technique where the therapist supports one family member or
subsystem to disrupt the current rigid power structure. This intervention aims to force the
family to reorganize into a more functional hierarchy. It is a bold move that requires the
therapist to have already established a strong ‘joining’ bond with the family.
5. Which of Yalom’s group stages is characterized by conflict, competition for position, and
challenges to the therapist’s authority?
A. Forming
B. Norming
C. Storming
D. Performing
, Answer: C
Rationale: The Storming phase involves members testing boundaries and expressing
disagreement as they seek to define their roles within the group. It is a necessary stage
where power struggles and hostility may emerge before moving into cohesion. The
therapist’s role during this phase is to model healthy conflict resolution and maintain
group safety.
6. What is the primary goal of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)?
A. To uncover repressed childhood traumas
B. To analyze the family’s multigenerational history
C. To identify and amplify client strengths and exceptions to the problem
D. To restructure the family’s boundaries and hierarchies
Answer: C
Rationale: SFBT focuses on the future and what is working for the client rather than
delving into the past or the pathology of the problem. Techniques such as the ‘Miracle
Question’ and ‘Scaling Questions’ help the client visualize a life without the problem. This
approach assumes the client is the expert on their own life and possesses the resources to
change.
7. A 15-year-old male is brought to the clinic for repeatedly setting fires, hurting the family
dog, and stealing. Which diagnosis should the PMHNP prioritize?
A. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
