Comprehensive NCLEX Guide: Bipolar Spectrum
Disorders & Nursing Care Exam Questions and
Answers (verified answers)2026 RATED A+
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BSDs) - CORRECT ANSWERS A group of brain diseases
characterized by unusual and often dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels that impair the
ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Bipolar I Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Defined by the occurrence of at least one full manic
episode, which is a distinct period of a persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, accompanied
by a significant increase in energy and activity.
Manic Episode - CORRECT ANSWERS A period of intense mood disturbance characterized by
elation, irritability, and increased energy, representing a significant deviation from a person's normal
state.
Core Symptoms of Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS Include distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity,
flight of ideas/racing thoughts, increased activity/energy, diminished sleep needs, and talkativeness.
Hypomania - CORRECT ANSWERS A less severe form of mania that must last for at least four
consecutive days, involving a noticeable change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the individual.
Bipolar II Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Characterized by at least one episode of hypomania
alternating with one or more major depressive episodes, with no history of a full manic episode.
Cyclothymic Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Diagnosed in adults who experience at least two
years (or one year in children and adolescents) of both hypomanic and persistent depressive episodes
that do not meet full criteria for an episode of hypomania or major depression.
Mania Symptoms - CORRECT ANSWERS Include distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity, flight
of ideas/racing thoughts, increased activity/energy, diminished sleep needs, and talkativeness.
,Distractibility - CORRECT ANSWERS Attention is easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant
external stimuli.
Impulsivity - CORRECT ANSWERS Excessive involvement in high-risk activities, such as
spending sprees or sexual indiscretions.
Grandiosity - CORRECT ANSWERS Inflated self-esteem or exaggerated sense of importance,
power, or knowledge.
Flight of Ideas/Racing Thoughts - CORRECT ANSWERS Rapid, often disconnected speech that
jumps from one topic to another.
Activity/Energy Increase - CORRECT ANSWERS A marked increase in goal-directed activity or
psychomotor agitation.
Sleep Needs Diminish - CORRECT ANSWERS Feeling rested after only a few hours of sleep,
such as 3 hours.
Talkative - CORRECT ANSWERS More talkative than usual, with pressured speech that is
difficult to interrupt.
Major Depressive Episodes - CORRECT ANSWERS Periods of severe depression that can occur
in Bipolar II Disorder.
Chronic Illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Bipolar Spectrum Disorders are chronic, recurrent
illnesses that require lifetime monitoring.
, Therapeutic Alliance - CORRECT ANSWERS The relationship between a healthcare provider
and a patient that is crucial for effective treatment.
Medication Adherence - CORRECT ANSWERS The extent to which patients take medications
as prescribed, which can be impacted by understanding BSDs.
Long-term Health Outcomes - CORRECT ANSWERS The overall health results that can be
affected by a nurse's understanding of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders.
Depression - CORRECT ANSWERS A major depressive episode in the context of BSD involves a
period of profound sadness and loss of interest in formerly enjoyable activities. Key symptoms include
feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and worthlessness; significant changes in sleep (insomnia or
hypersomnia); loss of energy and fatigue; changes in appetite and weight; inability to concentrate or
make decisions; recurrent thoughts of death and suicide.
Delirious Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS A rare and severe form of mania that constitutes a
medical emergency. It is characterized by the acute onset of delirium superimposed on manic
symptoms. Key features include a severe clouding of consciousness, disorientation, psychosis, catatonia,
and extreme excitement.
Acute Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS A more severe state than hypomania, where judgment is
poor, but insight is limited, not absent. Physical behavior is overactive, distractible, and busily occupied
with grandiose plans. Increased sexual appetite and financial extravagance are common, and the
individual may go without sleep but can take short naps.
Specifiers - CORRECT ANSWERS Used in the DSM-5 to further clarify the nature of a patient's
current or most recent mood episode and the course of their illness. They are critical for tailoring the
most appropriate medical interventions.
With anxious distress - CORRECT ANSWERS The patient experiences significant symptoms of
anxiety during a mood episode.
Disorders & Nursing Care Exam Questions and
Answers (verified answers)2026 RATED A+
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BSDs) - CORRECT ANSWERS A group of brain diseases
characterized by unusual and often dramatic shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels that impair the
ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Bipolar I Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Defined by the occurrence of at least one full manic
episode, which is a distinct period of a persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, accompanied
by a significant increase in energy and activity.
Manic Episode - CORRECT ANSWERS A period of intense mood disturbance characterized by
elation, irritability, and increased energy, representing a significant deviation from a person's normal
state.
Core Symptoms of Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS Include distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity,
flight of ideas/racing thoughts, increased activity/energy, diminished sleep needs, and talkativeness.
Hypomania - CORRECT ANSWERS A less severe form of mania that must last for at least four
consecutive days, involving a noticeable change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the individual.
Bipolar II Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Characterized by at least one episode of hypomania
alternating with one or more major depressive episodes, with no history of a full manic episode.
Cyclothymic Disorder - CORRECT ANSWERS Diagnosed in adults who experience at least two
years (or one year in children and adolescents) of both hypomanic and persistent depressive episodes
that do not meet full criteria for an episode of hypomania or major depression.
Mania Symptoms - CORRECT ANSWERS Include distractibility, impulsivity, grandiosity, flight
of ideas/racing thoughts, increased activity/energy, diminished sleep needs, and talkativeness.
,Distractibility - CORRECT ANSWERS Attention is easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant
external stimuli.
Impulsivity - CORRECT ANSWERS Excessive involvement in high-risk activities, such as
spending sprees or sexual indiscretions.
Grandiosity - CORRECT ANSWERS Inflated self-esteem or exaggerated sense of importance,
power, or knowledge.
Flight of Ideas/Racing Thoughts - CORRECT ANSWERS Rapid, often disconnected speech that
jumps from one topic to another.
Activity/Energy Increase - CORRECT ANSWERS A marked increase in goal-directed activity or
psychomotor agitation.
Sleep Needs Diminish - CORRECT ANSWERS Feeling rested after only a few hours of sleep,
such as 3 hours.
Talkative - CORRECT ANSWERS More talkative than usual, with pressured speech that is
difficult to interrupt.
Major Depressive Episodes - CORRECT ANSWERS Periods of severe depression that can occur
in Bipolar II Disorder.
Chronic Illness - CORRECT ANSWERS Bipolar Spectrum Disorders are chronic, recurrent
illnesses that require lifetime monitoring.
, Therapeutic Alliance - CORRECT ANSWERS The relationship between a healthcare provider
and a patient that is crucial for effective treatment.
Medication Adherence - CORRECT ANSWERS The extent to which patients take medications
as prescribed, which can be impacted by understanding BSDs.
Long-term Health Outcomes - CORRECT ANSWERS The overall health results that can be
affected by a nurse's understanding of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders.
Depression - CORRECT ANSWERS A major depressive episode in the context of BSD involves a
period of profound sadness and loss of interest in formerly enjoyable activities. Key symptoms include
feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and worthlessness; significant changes in sleep (insomnia or
hypersomnia); loss of energy and fatigue; changes in appetite and weight; inability to concentrate or
make decisions; recurrent thoughts of death and suicide.
Delirious Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS A rare and severe form of mania that constitutes a
medical emergency. It is characterized by the acute onset of delirium superimposed on manic
symptoms. Key features include a severe clouding of consciousness, disorientation, psychosis, catatonia,
and extreme excitement.
Acute Mania - CORRECT ANSWERS A more severe state than hypomania, where judgment is
poor, but insight is limited, not absent. Physical behavior is overactive, distractible, and busily occupied
with grandiose plans. Increased sexual appetite and financial extravagance are common, and the
individual may go without sleep but can take short naps.
Specifiers - CORRECT ANSWERS Used in the DSM-5 to further clarify the nature of a patient's
current or most recent mood episode and the course of their illness. They are critical for tailoring the
most appropriate medical interventions.
With anxious distress - CORRECT ANSWERS The patient experiences significant symptoms of
anxiety during a mood episode.
