PMHNP Certification Exam Questions
and Answers Already Passed
Tarasoff Principle ✔✔1976 - duty to warn victims of potential harm from client
Deontological Theory ✔✔Ethical theory that states an action is judged as good or bad based on
the act itself regardless of the consequences
Teleological Theory ✔✔Ethical theory that states an action is judged as good or bad based on the
consequence or outcome
Virtue ethics ✔✔ethical theory that states actions are chosen based on the moral virtues (eg.
honesty, courage, compassion, wisdom, gratitude, self-respect) or the character of the person
making the decision
Erikson's developmental stage infancy age range ✔✔birth-1 year
Erikson's developmental stage infancy developmental tasks ✔✔trust vs. mistrust
Erikson's developmental stage infancy indications of developmental mastery ✔✔Ability to form
meaningful relationships, hope about the future trust in others
Erikson's developmental stage infancy indication of developmental failure ✔✔poor relationships,
lack of future hope, suspicious of others
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood age ✔✔1-3 yo
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood developmental task ✔✔autonomy vs. shame and
doubt
,Erikson's developmental stage early childhood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔self-
control, self-esteem, willpower
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood indications of developmental failure ✔✔poor self-
control, low self esteem, self-doubt, lack of independence
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood age ✔✔3-6yo
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood developmental task ✔✔initiative vs guilt
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔self-
directed behavior, goal formation, sense of purpose
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood indications of developmental failure ✔✔lack of self-
initiated behavior, lack of goal orientation
Erikson's developmental stage school-age ages ✔✔6-12yo
Erikson's developmental stage school-age developmental task ✔✔industry vs. inferiority
Erikson's developmental stage school-age indications of developmental mastery ✔✔ability to
work; sense of competency and achievement
Erikson's developmental stage school-age indications of developmental failure ✔✔sense of
inferiority, difficulty with working, learning
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence ages ✔✔12-20yo
,Erikson's developmental stage adolescence developmental task ✔✔identity vs role confusion
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence indications of developmental mastery ✔✔personal
sense of identity
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence indications of developmental failure ✔✔identity
confusion, poor self-identification in group settings
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood ages ✔✔20-35 years
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood developmental task ✔✔intimacy vs isolation
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood indications of developmental mastery
✔✔committed relationships, capacity to love
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔emotional
isolation, egocentrism
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood ages ✔✔35-65 yo
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood developmental task ✔✔generativity vs. self-
absorption or stagnation
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔ability
to give time and talents to others, ability to care for others
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔self-
absorption, inability to row and change as a person, inability to care for others
, Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood age ✔✔>65yo
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood developmental task ✔✔integrity vs despair
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔fulfilment
and comfort with life, willingness to face death, insight and balanced perspective on life's events
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔bitterness,
sense of dissatisfaction with life, despair over impending death
Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytic) Theory ✔✔-Sigmund Freud
-all bx is purposeful and meaningful
-principle of psychic determinism
-most mental activity is unconscious
-conscious behaviors and choices are affected by unconscious mental content
-childhood experiences shape adult personality
-instincts, urges, or fantasies function as drives that motivate thoughts, feelings, and bx
-Id, Ego, Superego
-conflict is experienced consciously as anxiety
Principle of psychic determinism ✔✔Even apparently meaningless, random, or accidental
behavior is actually motivated by underlying unconscious mental content
Intellectual disability typical age onset ✔✔infancy- usually evident at birth
ADHD typical age onset ✔✔early childhood (per DSM by age 12)
Schizophrenia typical age onset ✔✔18-25 for men
25-35 for women
and Answers Already Passed
Tarasoff Principle ✔✔1976 - duty to warn victims of potential harm from client
Deontological Theory ✔✔Ethical theory that states an action is judged as good or bad based on
the act itself regardless of the consequences
Teleological Theory ✔✔Ethical theory that states an action is judged as good or bad based on the
consequence or outcome
Virtue ethics ✔✔ethical theory that states actions are chosen based on the moral virtues (eg.
honesty, courage, compassion, wisdom, gratitude, self-respect) or the character of the person
making the decision
Erikson's developmental stage infancy age range ✔✔birth-1 year
Erikson's developmental stage infancy developmental tasks ✔✔trust vs. mistrust
Erikson's developmental stage infancy indications of developmental mastery ✔✔Ability to form
meaningful relationships, hope about the future trust in others
Erikson's developmental stage infancy indication of developmental failure ✔✔poor relationships,
lack of future hope, suspicious of others
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood age ✔✔1-3 yo
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood developmental task ✔✔autonomy vs. shame and
doubt
,Erikson's developmental stage early childhood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔self-
control, self-esteem, willpower
Erikson's developmental stage early childhood indications of developmental failure ✔✔poor self-
control, low self esteem, self-doubt, lack of independence
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood age ✔✔3-6yo
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood developmental task ✔✔initiative vs guilt
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔self-
directed behavior, goal formation, sense of purpose
Erikson's developmental stage late childhood indications of developmental failure ✔✔lack of self-
initiated behavior, lack of goal orientation
Erikson's developmental stage school-age ages ✔✔6-12yo
Erikson's developmental stage school-age developmental task ✔✔industry vs. inferiority
Erikson's developmental stage school-age indications of developmental mastery ✔✔ability to
work; sense of competency and achievement
Erikson's developmental stage school-age indications of developmental failure ✔✔sense of
inferiority, difficulty with working, learning
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence ages ✔✔12-20yo
,Erikson's developmental stage adolescence developmental task ✔✔identity vs role confusion
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence indications of developmental mastery ✔✔personal
sense of identity
Erikson's developmental stage adolescence indications of developmental failure ✔✔identity
confusion, poor self-identification in group settings
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood ages ✔✔20-35 years
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood developmental task ✔✔intimacy vs isolation
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood indications of developmental mastery
✔✔committed relationships, capacity to love
Erikson's developmental stage early adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔emotional
isolation, egocentrism
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood ages ✔✔35-65 yo
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood developmental task ✔✔generativity vs. self-
absorption or stagnation
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔ability
to give time and talents to others, ability to care for others
Erikson's developmental stage middle adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔self-
absorption, inability to row and change as a person, inability to care for others
, Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood age ✔✔>65yo
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood developmental task ✔✔integrity vs despair
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood indications of developmental mastery ✔✔fulfilment
and comfort with life, willingness to face death, insight and balanced perspective on life's events
Erikson's developmental stage late adulthood indications of developmental failure ✔✔bitterness,
sense of dissatisfaction with life, despair over impending death
Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytic) Theory ✔✔-Sigmund Freud
-all bx is purposeful and meaningful
-principle of psychic determinism
-most mental activity is unconscious
-conscious behaviors and choices are affected by unconscious mental content
-childhood experiences shape adult personality
-instincts, urges, or fantasies function as drives that motivate thoughts, feelings, and bx
-Id, Ego, Superego
-conflict is experienced consciously as anxiety
Principle of psychic determinism ✔✔Even apparently meaningless, random, or accidental
behavior is actually motivated by underlying unconscious mental content
Intellectual disability typical age onset ✔✔infancy- usually evident at birth
ADHD typical age onset ✔✔early childhood (per DSM by age 12)
Schizophrenia typical age onset ✔✔18-25 for men
25-35 for women
