HESI MENTAL HEALTH ACTUAL EXAM TEST BANK WITH 500 REAL
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A+/ HESI RN
MENTAL HEALTH ACTUAL EXAM 2025 (NEW!!)
Which is the usual age of onset for cyclothymic disorders?
a. Childhood
b. Adolescence
c. Middle adulthood
d. Late adulthood
b. Adolescence
Cyclothymic disorders usually begin in adolescence or early adulthood. They typically begin
later than childhood but earlier than middle or late adulthood.
A nurse is caring for a patient with severe depression. After 4 months of treatment, the
nurse tells the patient, "Depression is an illness that is beyond a person ' s voluntary
control." In which phase of treatment is this an appropriate statement by the nurse?
a. Acute phase
b. Orientation phase
c. Continuation phase
d. Maintenance phase
c. Continuation phase
There are three phases of treatment for depression: the acute phase, the continuation phase, and
the maintenance phase. After 4 to 9 months of treatment, patients are in the continuation phase,
during which they are educated about depression in hopes that they will better adhere to the
treatment plan and avoid relapse. Explaining depression is beyond a person's control is an
example of this teaching. The other stages of treatment have different goals, such as the acute
phase (the initial 12 weeks) in which the patient is given interventions to simply reduce
symptoms of depression. The orientation phase is not one of the three phases of the treatment.
After 1 year of treatment, patients are typically in the maintenance phase, where they may
,already be well educated about depression and the treatment focuses on avoiding further
complications from relapse of the illness.
Which is the recommended starting dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in older
adult patients with depression?
a. The lowest adult dose
b. The normal adult dose
c. Half the lowest adult dose
d. Half the normal adult dose
c. Half the lowest adult dose
Older adult patients with depression are frequently prescribed selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors as a first-line treatment. They must be administered half the lowest adult dose to avoid
adverse effects from drug accumulation. The lowest adult dose, normal adult dose, and half the
normal adult should not be administered to older adult patients. These doses would cause severe
toxic effects in older adult patients.
A nurse is performing an assessment of a child diagnosed with disinhibited social
engagement disorder. Which behavior would the nurse expect to find in the child?
a. The child throws stones at strangers.
b. The child willingly goes with a stranger.
c. The child cries when touched by a stranger.
d. The child hides when a stranger approaches.
b. The child willingly goes with a stranger.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder is characterized by absence of normal fear toward
strangers and unresponsiveness to separation from a caregiver. The child demonstrates no normal
fear of strangers. A child throwing stones at a stranger is indicative of antisocial behavior. A child
crying when being touched by a stranger demonstrates sensitive behavior. A child hiding when
approached by a stranger reflects shyness and is not a symptom of disinhibited social
engagement disorder.
, Which nursing intervention is an appropriate response to anosognosia in a patient with
schizophrenia experiencing psychosis?
a. Establish trust and rapport.
b. Convey empathy and support.
c. Reduce excessive stimulation.
d. Explain the diagnosis in a confident manner.
a. Establish trust and rapport.
Anosognosia is common in patients with severe mental illness and is not denial or resistance to
accepting the diagnosis. The patient cannot recognize they have an illness. It is important for the
nurse to establish trust and rapport with the patient, because this will allow the nurse to provide
treatment and implement interventions to help the patient remain safe and gain awareness of their
illness. Empathy and support are not helpful if the patient does not recognize that they are ill.
Reducing excessive stimulation is an intervention for a patient who is restless or agitated.
Explaining the diagnosis in a confident manner will not promote the patient's awareness of their
illness.
Which nursing intervention is appropriate to include in the care plan for a patient with
psychosis experiencing poor self-esteem?
a. Introduce pet therapy.
b. Seek areas of commonality.
c. Engage regularly with the patient.
d. Involve the patient in planning treatment.
c. Engage regularly with the patient.
Engaging regularly with a patient with poor self-esteem is important in establishing a trusting
nurse-patient relationship. Pet therapy may help patients who avoid interaction with peers
increase their comfort level with other people. Seeking areas of commonality is beneficial when
a patient is experiencing denial, such as in the case of anosognosia. Involving the patient in
planning treatment is beneficial when the patient is nonadherent or resistant to treatment.
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS GRADED A+/ HESI RN
MENTAL HEALTH ACTUAL EXAM 2025 (NEW!!)
Which is the usual age of onset for cyclothymic disorders?
a. Childhood
b. Adolescence
c. Middle adulthood
d. Late adulthood
b. Adolescence
Cyclothymic disorders usually begin in adolescence or early adulthood. They typically begin
later than childhood but earlier than middle or late adulthood.
A nurse is caring for a patient with severe depression. After 4 months of treatment, the
nurse tells the patient, "Depression is an illness that is beyond a person ' s voluntary
control." In which phase of treatment is this an appropriate statement by the nurse?
a. Acute phase
b. Orientation phase
c. Continuation phase
d. Maintenance phase
c. Continuation phase
There are three phases of treatment for depression: the acute phase, the continuation phase, and
the maintenance phase. After 4 to 9 months of treatment, patients are in the continuation phase,
during which they are educated about depression in hopes that they will better adhere to the
treatment plan and avoid relapse. Explaining depression is beyond a person's control is an
example of this teaching. The other stages of treatment have different goals, such as the acute
phase (the initial 12 weeks) in which the patient is given interventions to simply reduce
symptoms of depression. The orientation phase is not one of the three phases of the treatment.
After 1 year of treatment, patients are typically in the maintenance phase, where they may
,already be well educated about depression and the treatment focuses on avoiding further
complications from relapse of the illness.
Which is the recommended starting dose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in older
adult patients with depression?
a. The lowest adult dose
b. The normal adult dose
c. Half the lowest adult dose
d. Half the normal adult dose
c. Half the lowest adult dose
Older adult patients with depression are frequently prescribed selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors as a first-line treatment. They must be administered half the lowest adult dose to avoid
adverse effects from drug accumulation. The lowest adult dose, normal adult dose, and half the
normal adult should not be administered to older adult patients. These doses would cause severe
toxic effects in older adult patients.
A nurse is performing an assessment of a child diagnosed with disinhibited social
engagement disorder. Which behavior would the nurse expect to find in the child?
a. The child throws stones at strangers.
b. The child willingly goes with a stranger.
c. The child cries when touched by a stranger.
d. The child hides when a stranger approaches.
b. The child willingly goes with a stranger.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder is characterized by absence of normal fear toward
strangers and unresponsiveness to separation from a caregiver. The child demonstrates no normal
fear of strangers. A child throwing stones at a stranger is indicative of antisocial behavior. A child
crying when being touched by a stranger demonstrates sensitive behavior. A child hiding when
approached by a stranger reflects shyness and is not a symptom of disinhibited social
engagement disorder.
, Which nursing intervention is an appropriate response to anosognosia in a patient with
schizophrenia experiencing psychosis?
a. Establish trust and rapport.
b. Convey empathy and support.
c. Reduce excessive stimulation.
d. Explain the diagnosis in a confident manner.
a. Establish trust and rapport.
Anosognosia is common in patients with severe mental illness and is not denial or resistance to
accepting the diagnosis. The patient cannot recognize they have an illness. It is important for the
nurse to establish trust and rapport with the patient, because this will allow the nurse to provide
treatment and implement interventions to help the patient remain safe and gain awareness of their
illness. Empathy and support are not helpful if the patient does not recognize that they are ill.
Reducing excessive stimulation is an intervention for a patient who is restless or agitated.
Explaining the diagnosis in a confident manner will not promote the patient's awareness of their
illness.
Which nursing intervention is appropriate to include in the care plan for a patient with
psychosis experiencing poor self-esteem?
a. Introduce pet therapy.
b. Seek areas of commonality.
c. Engage regularly with the patient.
d. Involve the patient in planning treatment.
c. Engage regularly with the patient.
Engaging regularly with a patient with poor self-esteem is important in establishing a trusting
nurse-patient relationship. Pet therapy may help patients who avoid interaction with peers
increase their comfort level with other people. Seeking areas of commonality is beneficial when
a patient is experiencing denial, such as in the case of anosognosia. Involving the patient in
planning treatment is beneficial when the patient is nonadherent or resistant to treatment.
