Barkley PMHNP Ultimate Exam Review - 350 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers
What is the first step in the assessment process? Gather the chief complaint and history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? C - Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S -
Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health It helps identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
assessment? substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during Hobbies and coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
assessment?
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
about schizophrenia risk? parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the To avoid bias and ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
evaluation?
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric To rule out medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
evaluations?
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and
cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? To assess cognitive function through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and following
commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression 0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
Scale?
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
, Barkley PMHNP Ultimate Exam Review - 350 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers
What does the PHQ-9 assess? Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and
impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess? Psychotic symptoms, including those in children.
What does the AIMS scale measure? Abnormal involuntary movements to rule out movement disorders.
What general labs should be screened for in psychiatric CBC, CMP, thyroid levels, B-12, folate, and Vitamin D.
evaluations?
What is the purpose of an EEG? To diagnose epilepsy and other brain conditions by measuring electrical impulses.
What cranial nerve is responsible for smell? Olfactory nerve.
What cranial nerve controls vision? Optic nerve.
What is the significance of lymph node size in Lymph nodes <2cm are usually insignificant, but >1cm in supraclavicular fossa is
assessment? significant.
What is the function of the Olfactory nerve? Smell
What is the primary function of the Optic nerve? Vision
What does the Oculomotor nerve control? Opening eyelids
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
, Barkley PMHNP Ultimate Exam Review - 350 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers
What movement does the Trochlear nerve facilitate? Down and inward eye movement
What are the functions of the Trigeminal nerve? Jaw muscle control and sensation on the face
What is the role of the Abducens nerve? Lateral eye movement
What does the Facial nerve control? Movement of the face, saliva, and tear secretion
What are the functions of the Acoustic nerve? Hearing and balance
What reflexes are associated with the Glossopharyngeal Gag reflex and swallowing
nerve?
What functions does the Vagus nerve serve? Talking and carotid reflex
What is the function of the Spinal Accessory nerve? Shoulder shrugging
What does the Hypoglossal nerve control? Movement of the tongue
When is lymph node swelling considered significant? If it is greater than 1 cm in the supraclavicular fossa
What does tenderness in lymph nodes indicate? Possible infection
What is the prevalence of substance detection for Alcohol? 7-12 hours
How long can Amphetamines be detected in urine? Up to 2 days
What is the detection period for Cocaine? 8 hours, metabolites in 2-4 days
What age group should have routine checkups every week Children (ages 0-10)
until age 3?
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
What is the first step in the assessment process? Gather the chief complaint and history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? C - Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S -
Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health It helps identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
assessment? substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during Hobbies and coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
assessment?
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
about schizophrenia risk? parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the To avoid bias and ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
evaluation?
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric To rule out medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
evaluations?
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and
cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? To assess cognitive function through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and following
commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression 0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
Scale?
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
, Barkley PMHNP Ultimate Exam Review - 350 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers
What does the PHQ-9 assess? Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and
impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess? Psychotic symptoms, including those in children.
What does the AIMS scale measure? Abnormal involuntary movements to rule out movement disorders.
What general labs should be screened for in psychiatric CBC, CMP, thyroid levels, B-12, folate, and Vitamin D.
evaluations?
What is the purpose of an EEG? To diagnose epilepsy and other brain conditions by measuring electrical impulses.
What cranial nerve is responsible for smell? Olfactory nerve.
What cranial nerve controls vision? Optic nerve.
What is the significance of lymph node size in Lymph nodes <2cm are usually insignificant, but >1cm in supraclavicular fossa is
assessment? significant.
What is the function of the Olfactory nerve? Smell
What is the primary function of the Optic nerve? Vision
What does the Oculomotor nerve control? Opening eyelids
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
, Barkley PMHNP Ultimate Exam Review - 350 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers
What movement does the Trochlear nerve facilitate? Down and inward eye movement
What are the functions of the Trigeminal nerve? Jaw muscle control and sensation on the face
What is the role of the Abducens nerve? Lateral eye movement
What does the Facial nerve control? Movement of the face, saliva, and tear secretion
What are the functions of the Acoustic nerve? Hearing and balance
What reflexes are associated with the Glossopharyngeal Gag reflex and swallowing
nerve?
What functions does the Vagus nerve serve? Talking and carotid reflex
What is the function of the Spinal Accessory nerve? Shoulder shrugging
What does the Hypoglossal nerve control? Movement of the tongue
When is lymph node swelling considered significant? If it is greater than 1 cm in the supraclavicular fossa
What does tenderness in lymph nodes indicate? Possible infection
What is the prevalence of substance detection for Alcohol? 7-12 hours
How long can Amphetamines be detected in urine? Up to 2 days
What is the detection period for Cocaine? 8 hours, metabolites in 2-4 days
What age group should have routine checkups every week Children (ages 0-10)
until age 3?
Stuvia 2026-2027 | Latest Version
