,Townsend & Morgan’s Psychiatric Nursing
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Table of Contents for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based
Practice, 10th Edition by Townsend & Morgan:
I. Basic Concepts in Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
1. The Concept of Stress Adaptation
2. Mental Health and Mental Illness: Historical and Theoretical Concepts
II. Foundations for Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
3. Concepts of Psychobiology
4. Psychopharmacology
5. Ethical and Legal Issues
III. Therapeutic Approaches in Psychiatric Nursing Care
6. Relationship Development
7. Therapeutic Communication
8. The Nursing Process in Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
9. Therapeutic Groups
10. Intervention with Families
11. Milieu Therapy—The Therapeutic Community
12. Crisis Intervention
13. Assertiveness Training
14. Promoting Self-Esteem
, 15. Anger and Aggression Management
16. Suicide Prevention
17. Behavior Therapy
18. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
19. Electroconvulsive Therapy
20. The Recovery Model
IV. Nursing Care of Patients with Alterations in Psychosocial Adaptation
21. Caring for Patients with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in General Practice
Settings
22. Neurocognitive Disorders
23. Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
24. Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
25. Depressive Disorders
26. Bipolar and Related Disorders
27. Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders
28. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
29. Somatic Symptom and Dissociative Disorders
30. Eating Disorders
31. Personality Disorders
V. Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing of Special Populations
32. Children and Adolescents
33. The Aging Individual
34. Survivors of Abuse or Neglect
35. Community Mental Health Nursing
36. The Bereaved Individual
37. Military Families
38. Appendices & Additional Resources
, A. Answers to Chapter Review and Clinical Judgment Questions
B. Examples of Answers to Communication Exercises
C. Mental Status Assessment
Glossary
Index
eBook Bonus Chapters
38. Theoretical Models of Personality Development
39. Cultural and Spiritual Concepts Relevant to Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
40. Complementary and Psychosocial Therapies
41. Relaxation Therapy
42. Issues Related to Human Sexuality and Gender Dysphoria
43. Forensic Nursing
,Chapter 1 – The Concept of Stress Adaptation (10th ed.,
Townsend & Morgan).
1. Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary
objective of Chapter 1 in understanding stress adaptation?
A. To identify only the physiological mechanisms of stress
response
B. To outline nursing interventions without discussing
theoretical foundations
C. To define stress and adaptation, identify contributing
factors, and apply models of stress management
D. To focus solely on pharmacological treatments for
stress-related disorders
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Chapter 1’s objectives include defining key
terms (stress, adaptation), identifying factors that
influence stress responses, and applying theoretical
models to nursing practice.
Subtopic: Objectives
2. Question 2
One of the objectives of Chapter 1 is to enable the nursing
student to:
A. Prescribe medication for stress disorders independently
B. Discuss the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS) and their relevance to patient care
, C. Replace cognitive coping strategies with purely
behavioral ones
D. Ignore environmental stressors when planning care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Understanding GAS—alarm, resistance,
exhaustion—and its clinical relevance is a stated objective.
Subtopic: Objectives
3. Question 3
An objective of Chapter 1 includes describing:
A. The exclusive use of defense mechanisms in stress
reduction
B. How individual perceptions of stressors influence
adaptation
C. Only the biochemical pathways of stress hormones
D. The role of genetics in mental health exclusively
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Chapter 1 emphasizes the role of individual
perception (appraisal) in stress adaptation.
Subtopic: Objectives
4. Question 4
Which of the following is NOT an objective listed in
Chapter 1?
A. Define stress and adaptation
B. Explain the nurse’s role in stress management
, C. Detail the epidemiology of schizophrenia
D. Describe how coping strategies affect outcomes
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Epidemiology of schizophrenia is outside
Chapter 1’s focus on stress adaptation.
Subtopic: Objectives
5. Question 5
Chapter 1 aims to help students apply which model to
nursing care planning?
A. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs only
B. Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome and transactional
models of stress
C. Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development
exclusively
D. Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The chapter integrates Selye’s GAS and Lazarus
& Folkman’s transactional model for practical application.
Subtopic: Objectives
6. Question 6
The concept of homeostasis relates to stress as:
A. A psychological coping strategy
B. The body’s maintenance of internal stability in the face
of change
, C. An environmental stressor outside the individual
D. A purely cognitive appraisal process
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Homeostasis refers to physiological equilibrium,
disrupted by stress but maintained through adaptation.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
7. Question 7
During the alarm stage of the General Adaptation
Syndrome, the body:
A. Fails to mobilize defenses against stress
B. Releases cortisol and catecholamines to initiate the
fight-or-flight response
C. Enters a phase of maximum adaptation and resilience
D. Exhausts all adaptive energy immediately
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Alarm stage triggers hypothalamic–pituitary–
adrenal (HPA) activation and sympathetic arousal.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
8. Question 8
Which hormone is primarily responsible for the prolonged
stress response during the resistance stage?
A. Epinephrine
B. Norepinephrine
, C. Cortisol
D. Testosterone
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cortisol sustains energy supply and modulates
inflammatory responses during resistance.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
9. Question 9
Allostatic load refers to:
A. The initial fight-or-flight reaction
B. The cumulative wear and tear on the body from
repeated stressors
C. A type of cognitive appraisal
D. A specific relaxation technique
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Allostatic load describes the physiological cost
of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened neural or
neuroendocrine response.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
10. Question 10
Which structure in the brain is key for initiating the stress
response by activating the sympathetic nervous system?
A. Hippocampus
B. Amygdala
, C. Hypothalamus
D. Cerebellum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The hypothalamus coordinates autonomic and
endocrine responses to stress.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
11. Question 11
An environmental stressor can be defined as:
A. A purely internal psychological conflict
B. Any external demand or event that threatens
homeostasis
C. The body’s neuroendocrine response to stress
D. A defense mechanism used by individuals
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Environmental stressors originate outside the
individual and challenge physiological or psychological
balance.
Subtopic: Stress as an Environmental Event
12. Question 12
Which of the following is an example of an acute
environmental stressor?
A. Chronic caregiving responsibilities
B. Sudden job loss
Exam Prep 2025 | Complete NCLEX-Style
Test Bank with Rationales
Includes High-Quality NCLEX-Style MCQs per Chapter with
100% Correct Answers and Concise Rationales
Table of Contents for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based
Practice, 10th Edition by Townsend & Morgan:
I. Basic Concepts in Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
1. The Concept of Stress Adaptation
2. Mental Health and Mental Illness: Historical and Theoretical Concepts
II. Foundations for Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
3. Concepts of Psychobiology
4. Psychopharmacology
5. Ethical and Legal Issues
III. Therapeutic Approaches in Psychiatric Nursing Care
6. Relationship Development
7. Therapeutic Communication
8. The Nursing Process in Psychiatric–Mental Health Nursing
9. Therapeutic Groups
10. Intervention with Families
11. Milieu Therapy—The Therapeutic Community
12. Crisis Intervention
13. Assertiveness Training
14. Promoting Self-Esteem
, 15. Anger and Aggression Management
16. Suicide Prevention
17. Behavior Therapy
18. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
19. Electroconvulsive Therapy
20. The Recovery Model
IV. Nursing Care of Patients with Alterations in Psychosocial Adaptation
21. Caring for Patients with Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in General Practice
Settings
22. Neurocognitive Disorders
23. Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
24. Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
25. Depressive Disorders
26. Bipolar and Related Disorders
27. Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Related Disorders
28. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
29. Somatic Symptom and Dissociative Disorders
30. Eating Disorders
31. Personality Disorders
V. Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing of Special Populations
32. Children and Adolescents
33. The Aging Individual
34. Survivors of Abuse or Neglect
35. Community Mental Health Nursing
36. The Bereaved Individual
37. Military Families
38. Appendices & Additional Resources
, A. Answers to Chapter Review and Clinical Judgment Questions
B. Examples of Answers to Communication Exercises
C. Mental Status Assessment
Glossary
Index
eBook Bonus Chapters
38. Theoretical Models of Personality Development
39. Cultural and Spiritual Concepts Relevant to Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
40. Complementary and Psychosocial Therapies
41. Relaxation Therapy
42. Issues Related to Human Sexuality and Gender Dysphoria
43. Forensic Nursing
,Chapter 1 – The Concept of Stress Adaptation (10th ed.,
Townsend & Morgan).
1. Question 1
Which of the following best describes the primary
objective of Chapter 1 in understanding stress adaptation?
A. To identify only the physiological mechanisms of stress
response
B. To outline nursing interventions without discussing
theoretical foundations
C. To define stress and adaptation, identify contributing
factors, and apply models of stress management
D. To focus solely on pharmacological treatments for
stress-related disorders
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Chapter 1’s objectives include defining key
terms (stress, adaptation), identifying factors that
influence stress responses, and applying theoretical
models to nursing practice.
Subtopic: Objectives
2. Question 2
One of the objectives of Chapter 1 is to enable the nursing
student to:
A. Prescribe medication for stress disorders independently
B. Discuss the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome
(GAS) and their relevance to patient care
, C. Replace cognitive coping strategies with purely
behavioral ones
D. Ignore environmental stressors when planning care
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Understanding GAS—alarm, resistance,
exhaustion—and its clinical relevance is a stated objective.
Subtopic: Objectives
3. Question 3
An objective of Chapter 1 includes describing:
A. The exclusive use of defense mechanisms in stress
reduction
B. How individual perceptions of stressors influence
adaptation
C. Only the biochemical pathways of stress hormones
D. The role of genetics in mental health exclusively
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Chapter 1 emphasizes the role of individual
perception (appraisal) in stress adaptation.
Subtopic: Objectives
4. Question 4
Which of the following is NOT an objective listed in
Chapter 1?
A. Define stress and adaptation
B. Explain the nurse’s role in stress management
, C. Detail the epidemiology of schizophrenia
D. Describe how coping strategies affect outcomes
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Epidemiology of schizophrenia is outside
Chapter 1’s focus on stress adaptation.
Subtopic: Objectives
5. Question 5
Chapter 1 aims to help students apply which model to
nursing care planning?
A. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs only
B. Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome and transactional
models of stress
C. Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development
exclusively
D. Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The chapter integrates Selye’s GAS and Lazarus
& Folkman’s transactional model for practical application.
Subtopic: Objectives
6. Question 6
The concept of homeostasis relates to stress as:
A. A psychological coping strategy
B. The body’s maintenance of internal stability in the face
of change
, C. An environmental stressor outside the individual
D. A purely cognitive appraisal process
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Homeostasis refers to physiological equilibrium,
disrupted by stress but maintained through adaptation.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
7. Question 7
During the alarm stage of the General Adaptation
Syndrome, the body:
A. Fails to mobilize defenses against stress
B. Releases cortisol and catecholamines to initiate the
fight-or-flight response
C. Enters a phase of maximum adaptation and resilience
D. Exhausts all adaptive energy immediately
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Alarm stage triggers hypothalamic–pituitary–
adrenal (HPA) activation and sympathetic arousal.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
8. Question 8
Which hormone is primarily responsible for the prolonged
stress response during the resistance stage?
A. Epinephrine
B. Norepinephrine
, C. Cortisol
D. Testosterone
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Cortisol sustains energy supply and modulates
inflammatory responses during resistance.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
9. Question 9
Allostatic load refers to:
A. The initial fight-or-flight reaction
B. The cumulative wear and tear on the body from
repeated stressors
C. A type of cognitive appraisal
D. A specific relaxation technique
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Allostatic load describes the physiological cost
of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened neural or
neuroendocrine response.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
10. Question 10
Which structure in the brain is key for initiating the stress
response by activating the sympathetic nervous system?
A. Hippocampus
B. Amygdala
, C. Hypothalamus
D. Cerebellum
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The hypothalamus coordinates autonomic and
endocrine responses to stress.
Subtopic: Stress as a Biological Response
11. Question 11
An environmental stressor can be defined as:
A. A purely internal psychological conflict
B. Any external demand or event that threatens
homeostasis
C. The body’s neuroendocrine response to stress
D. A defense mechanism used by individuals
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Environmental stressors originate outside the
individual and challenge physiological or psychological
balance.
Subtopic: Stress as an Environmental Event
12. Question 12
Which of the following is an example of an acute
environmental stressor?
A. Chronic caregiving responsibilities
B. Sudden job loss
