NSG 3450 Mental Health Exam 1 – Review
Questions | 2025/2026 Updated Study Guide
& Practice Questions | 100% Pass Guarantee
The scope of practiced for an advanced nurse practitioner would include which
intervention?
a. Conducting a mental health assessment.
b. Prescribing psychotropic medication.
c. Establishing a therapeutic relationship.
d. Individualizing a nursing care plan. - correct answerb. Prescribing psychotropic
medication.
A nursing student expresses concerns that mental health nurses "lose all their clinical
nursing skills." Select the best response by the mental health nurse.
a. "Psychiatric nurses practice in safer environments than other specialties. Nurse-to
client ratios must be better because of the nature of the clients' problems."
b. "Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to
solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations."
c. "That's a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high technology
monitoring
equipment and manage complex intravenous therapies."
d. "Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering as medical-
surgical nurses do. That appeals to me." - correct answerb. "Psychiatric nurses use
complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to solve multidimensional
problems. I am challenged by those situations."
When a new bill introduced in Congress reduces funding for care of persons diagnosed
with mental illness, a group of nurses write letters to their elected representatives in
opposition to the legislation. Which role have the nurses fulfilled?
a. Recovery
b. Attending
c. Advocacy
d. Evidence-based practice - correct answerc. Advocacy
A family has a long history of conflicted relationships among the members. Which family
member's comment best reflects a mentally healthy perspective?
,a. "I've made mistakes but everyone else in this family has also."
b. "I remember joy and mutual respect from our early years together."
c. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
d. "It's best for me to move away from my family. Things will never change." - correct
answerc. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a client may be experiencing a
mental illness?
a. reporting occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. reporting a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. being able to describe the difference between "as if" and "for real."
d. experiencing difficulty making a decision about whether to change jobs. - correct
answerb. reporting a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
Which finding best indicates that the goal "Demonstrate mentally healthy behavior" was
achieved for an adult client?
a. being willing to work towards achieving ideals and meeting demands.
b. behaving without considering the consequences of personal actions.
c. aggressively meeting personal needs without considering the rights of others.
d. seeking help from others to avoid assuming responsibility for major areas of own life.
- correct answera. being willing to work towards achieving ideals and meeting demands.
A nurse encounters an unfamiliar psychiatric disorder on a new client's admission form.
Which resource should the nurse consult to determine criteria used to establish this
diagnosis?
a. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
(ICD-10)
b. The ANA's Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice
c. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)
d. A behavioral health reference manual - correct answerc. Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)
A nurse wants to find a description of diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. Which
resource would have the most complete information?
a. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
b. DSM-V
c. The ANA's Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice
d. ICD-10 - correct answerb. DSM-V
Which individual behavior demonstrates resilience?
a. Repress stressors associated with a divorce.
,b. Continuing to grieve the death of a spouse for 5 years.
c. Continuing to live in a shelter for 2 years after the home is destroyed by fire.
d. Taking a temporary job to maintain financial stability after loss of a permanent job. -
correct answerd. Taking a temporary job to maintain financial stability after loss of a
permanent job.
The relationship of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) is to
clinical judgment as Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is to what?
a. client outcomes.
b. nursing actions.
c. diagnosis.
d. symptoms. - correct answerb. nursing actions.
An adult says, "Most of the time I'm happy and feel good about myself. I have learned
that what I get out of something is proportional to the effort I put into it." Which number
on this mental health continuum should the nurse select?
Mental Illness Mental Health
12345
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5 - correct answere. 5
Which disorder is an example of a culture-bound syndrome?
a. Epilepsy
b. Schizophrenia
c. Running amok
d. Major depressive disorder - correct answerc. Running amok
What does the DSM-V classify?
a. deviant behaviors
b. present disability or distress
c. people with mental disorders
d. mental disorders - correct answerd) Mental disorders
The DSM-V classifies disorders people have rather than people themselves.
A citizen at a community health fair asks the nurse, "What is the most prevalent mental
disorder in the United States?" Select the nurse's correct response.
a. Schizophrenia
, b. Bipolar disorder
c. Dissociative fugue
d. Alzheimer's disease - correct answerd. Alzheimer's disease
In the majority culture of the United States, which individual has the greatest risk to be
labeled mentally ill?
a. One who describes hearing God's voice speaking.
b. One who is usually pessimistic but strives to meet personal goals.
c. One who is wealthy and gives away $20 bills to needy individuals.
d. One who always has an optimistic viewpoint about life - correct answera. One who
describes hearing God's voice speaking.
A client's relationships are intense and unstable. The client initially idealizes the
significant other and then devalues him or her, resulting in frequent feelings of
emptiness. This client will benefit from interventions to develop which aspect of mental
health?
a. Effectiveness in work
b. Communication skills
c. Productive activities
d. Fulfilling relationships - correct answerd. Fulfilling relationships
Which belief will best support a nurse's efforts to provide client advocacy during a
multidisciplinary client care planning session?
a. All mental illnesses are culturally determined.
b. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are cross-cultural disorders.
c. Symptoms of mental disorders are unchanged from culture to culture.
d. Assessment findings in mental illness reflect a person's cultural patterns. - correct
answerd. Assessment findings in mental illness reflect a person's cultural patterns.
A nurse is part of a multidisciplinary team working with groups of depressed clients. One
group of clients receives supportive interventions and antidepressant medication. The
other group receives only medication. The team measures outcomes for each group.
Which type of study is evident?
a. Incidence
b. Prevalence
c. Comorbidity
d. Clinical epidemiology - correct answerd. Clinical epidemiology
The spouse of a client diagnosed with schizophrenia says, "I don't understand how
events from childhood have anything to do with this disabling illness." Which response
by the nurse will best help the spouse understand the cause of this disorder?
a. "Psychological stress is the basis of most mental disorders."
Questions | 2025/2026 Updated Study Guide
& Practice Questions | 100% Pass Guarantee
The scope of practiced for an advanced nurse practitioner would include which
intervention?
a. Conducting a mental health assessment.
b. Prescribing psychotropic medication.
c. Establishing a therapeutic relationship.
d. Individualizing a nursing care plan. - correct answerb. Prescribing psychotropic
medication.
A nursing student expresses concerns that mental health nurses "lose all their clinical
nursing skills." Select the best response by the mental health nurse.
a. "Psychiatric nurses practice in safer environments than other specialties. Nurse-to
client ratios must be better because of the nature of the clients' problems."
b. "Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to
solve multidimensional problems. I am challenged by those situations."
c. "That's a misconception. Psychiatric nurses frequently use high technology
monitoring
equipment and manage complex intravenous therapies."
d. "Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering as medical-
surgical nurses do. That appeals to me." - correct answerb. "Psychiatric nurses use
complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to solve multidimensional
problems. I am challenged by those situations."
When a new bill introduced in Congress reduces funding for care of persons diagnosed
with mental illness, a group of nurses write letters to their elected representatives in
opposition to the legislation. Which role have the nurses fulfilled?
a. Recovery
b. Attending
c. Advocacy
d. Evidence-based practice - correct answerc. Advocacy
A family has a long history of conflicted relationships among the members. Which family
member's comment best reflects a mentally healthy perspective?
,a. "I've made mistakes but everyone else in this family has also."
b. "I remember joy and mutual respect from our early years together."
c. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
d. "It's best for me to move away from my family. Things will never change." - correct
answerc. "I will make some changes in my behavior for the good of the family."
Which assessment finding most clearly indicates that a client may be experiencing a
mental illness?
a. reporting occasional sleeplessness and anxiety.
b. reporting a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
c. being able to describe the difference between "as if" and "for real."
d. experiencing difficulty making a decision about whether to change jobs. - correct
answerb. reporting a consistently sad, discouraged, and hopeless mood.
Which finding best indicates that the goal "Demonstrate mentally healthy behavior" was
achieved for an adult client?
a. being willing to work towards achieving ideals and meeting demands.
b. behaving without considering the consequences of personal actions.
c. aggressively meeting personal needs without considering the rights of others.
d. seeking help from others to avoid assuming responsibility for major areas of own life.
- correct answera. being willing to work towards achieving ideals and meeting demands.
A nurse encounters an unfamiliar psychiatric disorder on a new client's admission form.
Which resource should the nurse consult to determine criteria used to establish this
diagnosis?
a. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
(ICD-10)
b. The ANA's Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice
c. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)
d. A behavioral health reference manual - correct answerc. Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)
A nurse wants to find a description of diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. Which
resource would have the most complete information?
a. Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC)
b. DSM-V
c. The ANA's Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice
d. ICD-10 - correct answerb. DSM-V
Which individual behavior demonstrates resilience?
a. Repress stressors associated with a divorce.
,b. Continuing to grieve the death of a spouse for 5 years.
c. Continuing to live in a shelter for 2 years after the home is destroyed by fire.
d. Taking a temporary job to maintain financial stability after loss of a permanent job. -
correct answerd. Taking a temporary job to maintain financial stability after loss of a
permanent job.
The relationship of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) is to
clinical judgment as Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) is to what?
a. client outcomes.
b. nursing actions.
c. diagnosis.
d. symptoms. - correct answerb. nursing actions.
An adult says, "Most of the time I'm happy and feel good about myself. I have learned
that what I get out of something is proportional to the effort I put into it." Which number
on this mental health continuum should the nurse select?
Mental Illness Mental Health
12345
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5 - correct answere. 5
Which disorder is an example of a culture-bound syndrome?
a. Epilepsy
b. Schizophrenia
c. Running amok
d. Major depressive disorder - correct answerc. Running amok
What does the DSM-V classify?
a. deviant behaviors
b. present disability or distress
c. people with mental disorders
d. mental disorders - correct answerd) Mental disorders
The DSM-V classifies disorders people have rather than people themselves.
A citizen at a community health fair asks the nurse, "What is the most prevalent mental
disorder in the United States?" Select the nurse's correct response.
a. Schizophrenia
, b. Bipolar disorder
c. Dissociative fugue
d. Alzheimer's disease - correct answerd. Alzheimer's disease
In the majority culture of the United States, which individual has the greatest risk to be
labeled mentally ill?
a. One who describes hearing God's voice speaking.
b. One who is usually pessimistic but strives to meet personal goals.
c. One who is wealthy and gives away $20 bills to needy individuals.
d. One who always has an optimistic viewpoint about life - correct answera. One who
describes hearing God's voice speaking.
A client's relationships are intense and unstable. The client initially idealizes the
significant other and then devalues him or her, resulting in frequent feelings of
emptiness. This client will benefit from interventions to develop which aspect of mental
health?
a. Effectiveness in work
b. Communication skills
c. Productive activities
d. Fulfilling relationships - correct answerd. Fulfilling relationships
Which belief will best support a nurse's efforts to provide client advocacy during a
multidisciplinary client care planning session?
a. All mental illnesses are culturally determined.
b. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are cross-cultural disorders.
c. Symptoms of mental disorders are unchanged from culture to culture.
d. Assessment findings in mental illness reflect a person's cultural patterns. - correct
answerd. Assessment findings in mental illness reflect a person's cultural patterns.
A nurse is part of a multidisciplinary team working with groups of depressed clients. One
group of clients receives supportive interventions and antidepressant medication. The
other group receives only medication. The team measures outcomes for each group.
Which type of study is evident?
a. Incidence
b. Prevalence
c. Comorbidity
d. Clinical epidemiology - correct answerd. Clinical epidemiology
The spouse of a client diagnosed with schizophrenia says, "I don't understand how
events from childhood have anything to do with this disabling illness." Which response
by the nurse will best help the spouse understand the cause of this disorder?
a. "Psychological stress is the basis of most mental disorders."
