Mental Health Final Exam 2025 Study Guide |
Comprehensive Questions & Complete Answers | 100%
Correct (2026/2027)
Document Contains
➢ Chapter 1 – Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing:
➢ Chapter 2 – Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology:
➢ Chapter 3 – Psychosocial Theories and Therapy:
➢ Chapter 5 – Therapeutic Relationships:
➢ Chapter 6 – Therapeutic Communication:
➢ Chapter 7 – Client’s Response to Illness:
➢ Chapter 8 – Assessment (Psychosocial):
➢ Chapter 9 – Legal and Ethical Issues:
➢ Chapter 10 – Grief and Loss:
➢ Chapter 11 – Anger, Hostility, and Aggression:
➢ Chapter 12 – Abuse and Violence:
➢ Chapter 13 – Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders:
➢ Chapter 14 – Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders:
➢ Chapter 15 – Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders:
➢ Chapter 16 – Schizophrenia:
➢ Chapter 17 – Mood Disorders and Suicide:
➢ Chapter 18 – Personality Disorders:
➢ Chapter 19 – Addiction:
➢ Chapter 20 – Eating Disorders:
➢ Chapter 22 – Neurodevelopmental Disorders:
➢ Chapter 23 – Disruptive Behavior Disorders:
➢ Chapter 24 – Cognitive Disorders:
Chapter 1 – Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing:
1. Compare and contrast the use of the DSM-V for psychiatrists and nurses.
✿ Both nurses and psychiatrists use the DSM-5-TR to evaluate, identify, and classify the
officially listed mental illnesses and disorders. Although psychiatrists can diagnose
and directly treat these disorders, nurses cannot do this directly.
1
, ✿
2. Compare and contrast: What would you do as a nursing student if approached by a
client who demonstrates sexually inappropriate behavior? What would you do as the
CNA, tech, or nurse?
✿ Make sure the client is safe and that you are at a safe distance. Access the situation
and kindly direct their attention to something else or encourage them to head to
their room or private room. I would also alert my supervisor if it continues and follow
their instructions from there.
3. Describe the challenges in treating mental illness.
✿ Lack of community resources, risk of homelessness and substance abuse.
✿ People with severe and persistent mental illnesses have shorter hospital stays but are
admitted to these hospitals more often.
4. What is Hildegard Peplau known for? *
✿ She introduced a theory of interpersonal relationships in nursing. She encouraged the
idea that the nurse-patient relationship consists of four steps (orientation,
identification, development, and conclusion).
✿ In these steps a nurse could have the role of foreign, reliable person, teacher, guide in
nursing care, substitute and consultant. This would help to provide effective nursing
care leading to health promotion and maintenance.
5. What are the defining features of mental illness?
✿ Mental illness includes disorders that affect one's mood, behavior, and thinking.
These disorders can often cause significant distress or impaired functioning or both.
❀ Individual factors
❀ Interpersonal factors
❀ Social factors
Chapter 2 – Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology:
1. Describe strategies for managing adverse effects of antipsychotic
drugs.
✿ Getting regular exercise
Eating a low-fat healthy diet, low-sugar, and high fiber
2. Describe adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs. * ✿ Adverse Effects:
❀ Anticholinergic Effects: urinary retention, constipation, dry mouth, dry eyes,
hallucinations, fever, heart problems, confusion, blurred vision, & warm, dry skin.
, ❀ Metabolic Syndrome: obesity, HTN, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, & minor CV
events.
❀ Extrapyramidal Effects: akathisia, dystonia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, &
neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
♥ Akathisia:
✧ A feeling of restlessness or the urge to fidget.
♥ Dystonia:
✧ Painful, involuntary muscle contractions.
♥ Parkinsonism:
✧ Tremors, difficulty speaking, & stiff facial muscles.
♥ Tardive Dyskinesia:
✧ Seen in face and neck.
✧ Lip smacking
✧ Tongue protrusion
✧ Drawing neck back
✧ Ocular gyrus crisis
♥ Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome:
✧ Muscle rigidity
✧ Hyperpyrexia (fever caused by hypothalamus changes)
✧ Dysautonomia
✧ Mental status changes.
3. Discuss patient education regarding lithium therapy.
✿ Maintain adequate hydration
❀Drink at least 2 liters of water per day
❀Monitor sodium intake
♥ Decrease in sodium levels leads to an increase in lithium levels (lithium is a
salt) !!
✿ The medication may cause you to gain weight.
✿If you experience vomiting and diarrhea it may be an indication of lithium toxicity,
report to PCP immediately.
✿ The nurse should identify that ataxia (lack of coordination of body movements) is a
manifestation of advanced lithium toxicity.
✿ Take lithium at night and get blood drawn 12 hours after.
✿ Do not take NSAIDs or antacids due to increased lithium levels and toxicity.
3
, ✿
✿ Other manifestations can include seizures, blurred vision, severe hypotension, large
output of dilute urine, & clonic movements as signs of advanced lithium toxicity. ✿ The
nurse should notify the provider immediately if these symptoms occur.
4. Identify the effects of disulfiram.
✿ Causes many unpleasant side effects if alcohol is consumed (sweating, vomiting,
hypotension, palpitations). Is used to promote alcohol abstinence.
Chapter 3 – Psychosocial Theories and Therapy:
1. Summarize Erikson’s eight stages.
✿ Trust vs. mistrust (infant);
❀ Virtue: Hope
❀ Task: See world as safe & reliable; relationships as nurturing, stable & dependable
✿ Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (toddler)
❀ Virtue: Will
❀ Task: Achieving a sense of control and free will
✿ Initiative vs. guilt (preschool)
❀ Virtue: Purpose
❀ Task: Begin to develop a conscience; learning to manage conflict & anxiety ✿
Industry vs. inferiority (school age)
❀ Virtue: Competence
❀ Task: Emerging confidence in own abilities; taking pleasure in accomplishments ✿
Identity vs. role confusion (adolescence)
❀ Virtue: Fidelity
❀ Task: Formulating a sense of self and belonging
✿ Intimacy vs. isolation (young adult)
❀ Virtue: Love
❀ Task: Forming adult, loving relationships, and meaningful attachments to others
✿ Generativity vs. stagnation (middle adult)
❀ Virtue: Care
❀ Task: Being creative and productive; establishing the next generation
✿ Ego integrity vs. despair (maturity)
❀ Virtue: Wisdom
❀ Task: Accepting responsibility for oneself and life
2. Define unconditional positive regard.
✿Non-judgemental care for the client that is not dependent on the client’s behavior.
Comprehensive Questions & Complete Answers | 100%
Correct (2026/2027)
Document Contains
➢ Chapter 1 – Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing:
➢ Chapter 2 – Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology:
➢ Chapter 3 – Psychosocial Theories and Therapy:
➢ Chapter 5 – Therapeutic Relationships:
➢ Chapter 6 – Therapeutic Communication:
➢ Chapter 7 – Client’s Response to Illness:
➢ Chapter 8 – Assessment (Psychosocial):
➢ Chapter 9 – Legal and Ethical Issues:
➢ Chapter 10 – Grief and Loss:
➢ Chapter 11 – Anger, Hostility, and Aggression:
➢ Chapter 12 – Abuse and Violence:
➢ Chapter 13 – Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders:
➢ Chapter 14 – Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders:
➢ Chapter 15 – Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders:
➢ Chapter 16 – Schizophrenia:
➢ Chapter 17 – Mood Disorders and Suicide:
➢ Chapter 18 – Personality Disorders:
➢ Chapter 19 – Addiction:
➢ Chapter 20 – Eating Disorders:
➢ Chapter 22 – Neurodevelopmental Disorders:
➢ Chapter 23 – Disruptive Behavior Disorders:
➢ Chapter 24 – Cognitive Disorders:
Chapter 1 – Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing:
1. Compare and contrast the use of the DSM-V for psychiatrists and nurses.
✿ Both nurses and psychiatrists use the DSM-5-TR to evaluate, identify, and classify the
officially listed mental illnesses and disorders. Although psychiatrists can diagnose
and directly treat these disorders, nurses cannot do this directly.
1
, ✿
2. Compare and contrast: What would you do as a nursing student if approached by a
client who demonstrates sexually inappropriate behavior? What would you do as the
CNA, tech, or nurse?
✿ Make sure the client is safe and that you are at a safe distance. Access the situation
and kindly direct their attention to something else or encourage them to head to
their room or private room. I would also alert my supervisor if it continues and follow
their instructions from there.
3. Describe the challenges in treating mental illness.
✿ Lack of community resources, risk of homelessness and substance abuse.
✿ People with severe and persistent mental illnesses have shorter hospital stays but are
admitted to these hospitals more often.
4. What is Hildegard Peplau known for? *
✿ She introduced a theory of interpersonal relationships in nursing. She encouraged the
idea that the nurse-patient relationship consists of four steps (orientation,
identification, development, and conclusion).
✿ In these steps a nurse could have the role of foreign, reliable person, teacher, guide in
nursing care, substitute and consultant. This would help to provide effective nursing
care leading to health promotion and maintenance.
5. What are the defining features of mental illness?
✿ Mental illness includes disorders that affect one's mood, behavior, and thinking.
These disorders can often cause significant distress or impaired functioning or both.
❀ Individual factors
❀ Interpersonal factors
❀ Social factors
Chapter 2 – Neurobiologic Theories and Psychopharmacology:
1. Describe strategies for managing adverse effects of antipsychotic
drugs.
✿ Getting regular exercise
Eating a low-fat healthy diet, low-sugar, and high fiber
2. Describe adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs. * ✿ Adverse Effects:
❀ Anticholinergic Effects: urinary retention, constipation, dry mouth, dry eyes,
hallucinations, fever, heart problems, confusion, blurred vision, & warm, dry skin.
, ❀ Metabolic Syndrome: obesity, HTN, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, & minor CV
events.
❀ Extrapyramidal Effects: akathisia, dystonia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, &
neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
♥ Akathisia:
✧ A feeling of restlessness or the urge to fidget.
♥ Dystonia:
✧ Painful, involuntary muscle contractions.
♥ Parkinsonism:
✧ Tremors, difficulty speaking, & stiff facial muscles.
♥ Tardive Dyskinesia:
✧ Seen in face and neck.
✧ Lip smacking
✧ Tongue protrusion
✧ Drawing neck back
✧ Ocular gyrus crisis
♥ Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome:
✧ Muscle rigidity
✧ Hyperpyrexia (fever caused by hypothalamus changes)
✧ Dysautonomia
✧ Mental status changes.
3. Discuss patient education regarding lithium therapy.
✿ Maintain adequate hydration
❀Drink at least 2 liters of water per day
❀Monitor sodium intake
♥ Decrease in sodium levels leads to an increase in lithium levels (lithium is a
salt) !!
✿ The medication may cause you to gain weight.
✿If you experience vomiting and diarrhea it may be an indication of lithium toxicity,
report to PCP immediately.
✿ The nurse should identify that ataxia (lack of coordination of body movements) is a
manifestation of advanced lithium toxicity.
✿ Take lithium at night and get blood drawn 12 hours after.
✿ Do not take NSAIDs or antacids due to increased lithium levels and toxicity.
3
, ✿
✿ Other manifestations can include seizures, blurred vision, severe hypotension, large
output of dilute urine, & clonic movements as signs of advanced lithium toxicity. ✿ The
nurse should notify the provider immediately if these symptoms occur.
4. Identify the effects of disulfiram.
✿ Causes many unpleasant side effects if alcohol is consumed (sweating, vomiting,
hypotension, palpitations). Is used to promote alcohol abstinence.
Chapter 3 – Psychosocial Theories and Therapy:
1. Summarize Erikson’s eight stages.
✿ Trust vs. mistrust (infant);
❀ Virtue: Hope
❀ Task: See world as safe & reliable; relationships as nurturing, stable & dependable
✿ Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (toddler)
❀ Virtue: Will
❀ Task: Achieving a sense of control and free will
✿ Initiative vs. guilt (preschool)
❀ Virtue: Purpose
❀ Task: Begin to develop a conscience; learning to manage conflict & anxiety ✿
Industry vs. inferiority (school age)
❀ Virtue: Competence
❀ Task: Emerging confidence in own abilities; taking pleasure in accomplishments ✿
Identity vs. role confusion (adolescence)
❀ Virtue: Fidelity
❀ Task: Formulating a sense of self and belonging
✿ Intimacy vs. isolation (young adult)
❀ Virtue: Love
❀ Task: Forming adult, loving relationships, and meaningful attachments to others
✿ Generativity vs. stagnation (middle adult)
❀ Virtue: Care
❀ Task: Being creative and productive; establishing the next generation
✿ Ego integrity vs. despair (maturity)
❀ Virtue: Wisdom
❀ Task: Accepting responsibility for oneself and life
2. Define unconditional positive regard.
✿Non-judgemental care for the client that is not dependent on the client’s behavior.
