NR548 PSYCHIATRIC ASSESSMENT FOR
THE PMHNP FINAL EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. During the Mental Status Examination (MSE), a patient provides unnecessary and tedious
details but eventually answers the original question. How should the PMHNP document this
thought process?
A. Tangentiality
B. Loose associations
C. Flight of ideas
D. Circumstantiality
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Circumstantiality refers to a thought process where the speaker
provides excessive detail and digresses but eventually returns to the point. Tangentiality
never reaches the point.
,2. Which screening tool is most appropriate for a PMHNP to use when assessing a patient for
the presence and severity of symptoms related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
A. PHQ-9
B. MDQ
C. CAGE-AID
D. GAD-7
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The GAD-7 is a validated 7-item screening tool specifically
designed to measure the severity of generalized anxiety disorder.
3. When assessing a child for possible ADHD, which of the following is considered a core
diagnostic requirement according to the DSM-5-TR?
A. Symptoms must be present in at least two settings
B. Symptoms must be present before age 7
C. Symptoms must occur only during the course of a psychotic disorder
D. Symptoms must be validated by a brain scan
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: DSM-5-TR requires that several inattentive or hyperactive-
impulsive symptoms be present in two or more settings (e.g., at home and at school).
, 4. A patient presents with symptoms of depression, weight gain, and cold intolerance. Before
diagnosing a primary Major Depressive Disorder, which laboratory test is most essential to
rule out a physiological cause?
A. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
B. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
C. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
D. Vitamin B12 level
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Hypothyroidism often presents with symptoms that mimic
depression, such as lethargy and weight gain; TSH is the gold standard for screening
thyroid function.
5. In the ‘SAD PERSONS’ scale for suicide risk assessment, what does the ‘S’ at the end of the
acronym stand for?
A. Substance use
B. Social support lacking
C. Sickness (Chronic)
D. Sex (Male)
Answer: C
THE PMHNP FINAL EXAM REVIEW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. During the Mental Status Examination (MSE), a patient provides unnecessary and tedious
details but eventually answers the original question. How should the PMHNP document this
thought process?
A. Tangentiality
B. Loose associations
C. Flight of ideas
D. Circumstantiality
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Circumstantiality refers to a thought process where the speaker
provides excessive detail and digresses but eventually returns to the point. Tangentiality
never reaches the point.
,2. Which screening tool is most appropriate for a PMHNP to use when assessing a patient for
the presence and severity of symptoms related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
A. PHQ-9
B. MDQ
C. CAGE-AID
D. GAD-7
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The GAD-7 is a validated 7-item screening tool specifically
designed to measure the severity of generalized anxiety disorder.
3. When assessing a child for possible ADHD, which of the following is considered a core
diagnostic requirement according to the DSM-5-TR?
A. Symptoms must be present in at least two settings
B. Symptoms must be present before age 7
C. Symptoms must occur only during the course of a psychotic disorder
D. Symptoms must be validated by a brain scan
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: DSM-5-TR requires that several inattentive or hyperactive-
impulsive symptoms be present in two or more settings (e.g., at home and at school).
, 4. A patient presents with symptoms of depression, weight gain, and cold intolerance. Before
diagnosing a primary Major Depressive Disorder, which laboratory test is most essential to
rule out a physiological cause?
A. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
B. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
C. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
D. Vitamin B12 level
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Hypothyroidism often presents with symptoms that mimic
depression, such as lethargy and weight gain; TSH is the gold standard for screening
thyroid function.
5. In the ‘SAD PERSONS’ scale for suicide risk assessment, what does the ‘S’ at the end of the
acronym stand for?
A. Substance use
B. Social support lacking
C. Sickness (Chronic)
D. Sex (Male)
Answer: C
