Mental Health Nursing Exam 1 – Comprehensive Review
Questions & Verified Answers | Psychiatric Nursing Concepts &
Patient Care | 2026–2027
,Health Definition Successful adaptation to internal or external stressors evidenced by age-
appropriate, culturally congruent behaviors.
Mental Illness Definition Maladaptive responses to stressors interfering with social, occupational, or physical
functioning.
Mild Anxiety (Characteristics) Heightened perception, sharp senses, increased motivation; manageable with
relaxation and daily tension-relieving behaviors.
Moderate Anxiety (Characteristics) Narrowed perceptual field, decreased concentration, mild increase in HR/RR,
muscle tension, and voice tremors.
Severe Anxiety (Characteristics) Perceptual field greatly reduced to one detail, severe cognitive impairment,
hyperventilation, and hyper-reactivity.
Panic Anxiety (Characteristics) Loss of contact with reality, hallucinations/delusions, extreme terror, inability to
function, and physical exhaustion.
Nursing Interventions: Mild to Moderate Anxiety Use open-ended questions, active listening, calm presence, and encourage
adaptive coping and relaxation.
Nursing Interventions: Severe to Panic Anxiety Maintain calm presence, reduce environmental stimuli, use short direct phrases,
and ensure immediate safety.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Compensation Covering up a real or perceived weakness by emphasizing a more desirable trait.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Denial Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or associated feelings.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Displacement Transferring feelings from a primary target to a neutral or less threatening target.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Projection Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to another
person.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Rationalization Formulating logical excuses to justify unacceptable feelings, choices, or behaviors.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Reaction Formation Preventing undesirable thoughts by exaggerating exact opposite thoughts or
behaviors.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Regression Retreating to an earlier developmental level and associated comfort measures
under stress.
, Ego Defense Mechanism: Repression Involuntarily blocking painful feelings, memories, or experiences from conscious
awareness.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Sublimation Rechanneling personally or socially unacceptable impulses into constructive,
positive activities.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Suppression Voluntarily blocking unpleasant feelings, thoughts, or experiences from conscious
awareness.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Undoing Symbolically negating or canceling out an intolerable past action or experience.
Grief Stage: Denial Initial shock where the individual has difficulty believing the loss has occurred.
Grief Stage: Anger Enrage directed outward at self, healthcare providers, or others due to
powerlessness.
Grief Stage: Bargaining Attempting to strike deals with a higher power to postpone or alter loss.
Grief Stage: Depression Confronting the reality of loss, accompanied by feelings of profound sadness and
loneliness.
Grief Stage: Acceptance Resolution of grief with reinvestment in new relationships, goals, and daily life.
Normal Grief vs. Clinical Depression Normal grief retains intact self-esteem; clinical depression features pervasive self-
worthlessness and continuous anhedonia.
Maladaptive Grief: Delayed / Inhibited Absence of expected grieving; client remains fixed in denial until triggered later.
Maladaptive Grief: Distorted (Exaggerated) All grief symptoms are highly exaggerated, leaving the individual fixed in intense
anger or depression.
Anticipatory Grief Concern Family members may prematurely detach emotionally from a dying patient, causing
patient isolation.
Red Flags for Complicated Grief Unresolved rage, complete inability to focus outside loss, suicidal ideation, and
substance misuse.
Ethical Principle: Autonomy Respecting an individual's right to self-determination and independent decision-
making.
Questions & Verified Answers | Psychiatric Nursing Concepts &
Patient Care | 2026–2027
,Health Definition Successful adaptation to internal or external stressors evidenced by age-
appropriate, culturally congruent behaviors.
Mental Illness Definition Maladaptive responses to stressors interfering with social, occupational, or physical
functioning.
Mild Anxiety (Characteristics) Heightened perception, sharp senses, increased motivation; manageable with
relaxation and daily tension-relieving behaviors.
Moderate Anxiety (Characteristics) Narrowed perceptual field, decreased concentration, mild increase in HR/RR,
muscle tension, and voice tremors.
Severe Anxiety (Characteristics) Perceptual field greatly reduced to one detail, severe cognitive impairment,
hyperventilation, and hyper-reactivity.
Panic Anxiety (Characteristics) Loss of contact with reality, hallucinations/delusions, extreme terror, inability to
function, and physical exhaustion.
Nursing Interventions: Mild to Moderate Anxiety Use open-ended questions, active listening, calm presence, and encourage
adaptive coping and relaxation.
Nursing Interventions: Severe to Panic Anxiety Maintain calm presence, reduce environmental stimuli, use short direct phrases,
and ensure immediate safety.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Compensation Covering up a real or perceived weakness by emphasizing a more desirable trait.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Denial Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or associated feelings.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Displacement Transferring feelings from a primary target to a neutral or less threatening target.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Projection Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses to another
person.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Rationalization Formulating logical excuses to justify unacceptable feelings, choices, or behaviors.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Reaction Formation Preventing undesirable thoughts by exaggerating exact opposite thoughts or
behaviors.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Regression Retreating to an earlier developmental level and associated comfort measures
under stress.
, Ego Defense Mechanism: Repression Involuntarily blocking painful feelings, memories, or experiences from conscious
awareness.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Sublimation Rechanneling personally or socially unacceptable impulses into constructive,
positive activities.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Suppression Voluntarily blocking unpleasant feelings, thoughts, or experiences from conscious
awareness.
Ego Defense Mechanism: Undoing Symbolically negating or canceling out an intolerable past action or experience.
Grief Stage: Denial Initial shock where the individual has difficulty believing the loss has occurred.
Grief Stage: Anger Enrage directed outward at self, healthcare providers, or others due to
powerlessness.
Grief Stage: Bargaining Attempting to strike deals with a higher power to postpone or alter loss.
Grief Stage: Depression Confronting the reality of loss, accompanied by feelings of profound sadness and
loneliness.
Grief Stage: Acceptance Resolution of grief with reinvestment in new relationships, goals, and daily life.
Normal Grief vs. Clinical Depression Normal grief retains intact self-esteem; clinical depression features pervasive self-
worthlessness and continuous anhedonia.
Maladaptive Grief: Delayed / Inhibited Absence of expected grieving; client remains fixed in denial until triggered later.
Maladaptive Grief: Distorted (Exaggerated) All grief symptoms are highly exaggerated, leaving the individual fixed in intense
anger or depression.
Anticipatory Grief Concern Family members may prematurely detach emotionally from a dying patient, causing
patient isolation.
Red Flags for Complicated Grief Unresolved rage, complete inability to focus outside loss, suicidal ideation, and
substance misuse.
Ethical Principle: Autonomy Respecting an individual's right to self-determination and independent decision-
making.
