PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
Q1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Introduction; Mental Health and Mental
Illness
Stem: A 22-year-old college student is brought to the campus
health clinic by a friend who reports the student has withdrawn
from classes, lost weight, sleeps poorly, and expresses
hopelessness for 3 weeks. During the nursing assessment the
student says, “I don’t see the point in anything” and looks
downcast but denies suicidal intent. Which nursing action is
most appropriate initially?
A. Provide reassurance that things will improve and schedule a
,follow-up in 1 week.
B. Conduct a focused risk assessment for suicidal ideation and
intent now.
C. Recommend immediate referral to a psychiatrist for
medication without further assessment.
D. Encourage the student to attend a student support group
next week.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale (Correct): A focused suicide risk assessment is the
immediate priority when a patient expresses hopelessness and
behavioral changes; this determines safety and level of care.
Assessing ideation, intent, plan, means, and protective factors
aligns with safety first in psychiatric nursing.
Rationale (A): Reassurance and delayed follow-up are
premature and unsafe because they assume low risk without
assessment.
Rationale (C): Referral for medication without assessing risk or
thoroughly evaluating clinical status bypasses nursing
assessment and is not immediately justified.
Rationale (D): Peer support may be beneficial later but is
inadequate as an initial response to possible self-harm risk.
Teaching point: Always assess suicide risk immediately when
hopelessness or withdrawal is present.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
,Q2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Mental Health and Mental Illness;
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Stem: A 45-year-old man reports persistent sadness, loss of
interest, and sleep disturbance for 5 months. He asks the nurse
whether his symptoms qualify as a mental disorder. Using the
DSM framework, which nursing explanation is most accurate
and helpful?
A. “If your mood is low and interfering with daily life, it may
meet DSM criteria; a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation is
needed.”
B. “Only your primary care doctor can say whether this is a
mental disorder; I can’t comment.”
C. “A mental disorder requires hallucinations or delusions, so
yours sounds like normal sadness.”
D. “If symptoms last more than 2 weeks, it is definitely major
depressive disorder.”
Correct Answer: A
Rationale (Correct): The nurse should explain that DSM criteria
focus on symptom type, duration, and functional impairment
and that a diagnostic evaluation (including clinical history and
assessment) is necessary. This response educates while
promoting collaboration.
Rationale (B): Deferring entirely to another provider abdicates
the nurse’s role in assessment and patient education.
Rationale (C): Hallucinations/delusions are not required for
, depressive disorders; this response is inaccurate.
Rationale (D): While 2 weeks is a DSM time threshold for major
depressive episode, declaring “definitely” is premature without
full criteria and assessment of impairment and other causes.
Teaching point: Explain DSM criteria: symptom type, duration,
and functional impairment guide diagnosis.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
Q3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Historical Perspectives of the Treatment of
Mental Illness
Stem: A nursing student is preparing a brief teaching session for
community volunteers about how psychiatric care has changed
over time. Which historical shift should the student emphasize
as most influential to modern community psychiatric nursing?
A. Institutionalization as the primary approach to long-term
care.
B. The discovery of psychoanalysis as the single effective
treatment.
C. Deinstitutionalization and the move toward community-
based care and outpatient services.
D. The universal acceptance of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
as first-line treatment.
Correct Answer: C
10TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)SHEILA L. VIDEBECK
TEST BANK
UNIT 1 — CURRENT THEORIES & PRACTICE
Q1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Introduction; Mental Health and Mental
Illness
Stem: A 22-year-old college student is brought to the campus
health clinic by a friend who reports the student has withdrawn
from classes, lost weight, sleeps poorly, and expresses
hopelessness for 3 weeks. During the nursing assessment the
student says, “I don’t see the point in anything” and looks
downcast but denies suicidal intent. Which nursing action is
most appropriate initially?
A. Provide reassurance that things will improve and schedule a
,follow-up in 1 week.
B. Conduct a focused risk assessment for suicidal ideation and
intent now.
C. Recommend immediate referral to a psychiatrist for
medication without further assessment.
D. Encourage the student to attend a student support group
next week.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale (Correct): A focused suicide risk assessment is the
immediate priority when a patient expresses hopelessness and
behavioral changes; this determines safety and level of care.
Assessing ideation, intent, plan, means, and protective factors
aligns with safety first in psychiatric nursing.
Rationale (A): Reassurance and delayed follow-up are
premature and unsafe because they assume low risk without
assessment.
Rationale (C): Referral for medication without assessing risk or
thoroughly evaluating clinical status bypasses nursing
assessment and is not immediately justified.
Rationale (D): Peer support may be beneficial later but is
inadequate as an initial response to possible self-harm risk.
Teaching point: Always assess suicide risk immediately when
hopelessness or withdrawal is present.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
,Q2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Mental Health and Mental Illness;
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Stem: A 45-year-old man reports persistent sadness, loss of
interest, and sleep disturbance for 5 months. He asks the nurse
whether his symptoms qualify as a mental disorder. Using the
DSM framework, which nursing explanation is most accurate
and helpful?
A. “If your mood is low and interfering with daily life, it may
meet DSM criteria; a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation is
needed.”
B. “Only your primary care doctor can say whether this is a
mental disorder; I can’t comment.”
C. “A mental disorder requires hallucinations or delusions, so
yours sounds like normal sadness.”
D. “If symptoms last more than 2 weeks, it is definitely major
depressive disorder.”
Correct Answer: A
Rationale (Correct): The nurse should explain that DSM criteria
focus on symptom type, duration, and functional impairment
and that a diagnostic evaluation (including clinical history and
assessment) is necessary. This response educates while
promoting collaboration.
Rationale (B): Deferring entirely to another provider abdicates
the nurse’s role in assessment and patient education.
Rationale (C): Hallucinations/delusions are not required for
, depressive disorders; this response is inaccurate.
Rationale (D): While 2 weeks is a DSM time threshold for major
depressive episode, declaring “definitely” is premature without
full criteria and assessment of impairment and other causes.
Teaching point: Explain DSM criteria: symptom type, duration,
and functional impairment guide diagnosis.
Citation: Videbeck, S. L. (2025). Psychiatric–Mental Health
Nursing (10th ed.). Ch. 1.
Q3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Historical Perspectives of the Treatment of
Mental Illness
Stem: A nursing student is preparing a brief teaching session for
community volunteers about how psychiatric care has changed
over time. Which historical shift should the student emphasize
as most influential to modern community psychiatric nursing?
A. Institutionalization as the primary approach to long-term
care.
B. The discovery of psychoanalysis as the single effective
treatment.
C. Deinstitutionalization and the move toward community-
based care and outpatient services.
D. The universal acceptance of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
as first-line treatment.
Correct Answer: C
