ATI MENTAL HEALTH PROCTORED EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST VERSION 2026

1. A nurse is planning overall strategies to address problems for a client who has a borderline personality disorder. Which of the following strategies is the priority for the nurse to incorporate into the plan of care? a. discuss the appropriate use of assertive behavior with the client b. encourage the client to attend weekly support group meetings c. assist the client to maintain awareness of her thoughts and feelings d. implement measures to prevent intentional self-inflicted injury: - ANSWER d. implement measures to prevent intentional self-inflicted injury 2. A nurse is admitting a client who has a generalized anxiety disorder. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take first? a. Provide the client with a quiet environment b. Determine how the client handles stress. c. Teach the client to use guided imagery. d. Ask the client to identify her strengths - ANSWER a. Provide the client with a quiet environment 3. A nurse is conducting an admission interview with a client who is experiencing mania. Which of the following should the nurse report to the provider? a. States that he hasn't bathed in 2 days b. Reports eating twice in the past two weeks. c. Makes inappropriate sexual comments. d. Speaks in rhyming sentences. - ANSWER b. Reports eating twice in the past two weeks 4. A nurse is planning care for a client who has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Which of the following recommendation should the nurse include in the client's plan of care? a. Validation therapy b. Thought stopping c. Operant conditioning d. Reality orientation therapy - ANSWER b. Thought stopping 5. A nurse is caring for a client who has bipolar disorder and is experiencing a manic episode. Which of the following actions should the nurse take? a. Encourage the client to join group activities b. Dim the lights in the client's room c. Provide detailed explanations to the client d. Administer methylphenidate - ANSWER b. Dim the lights in the client's room 6. A nurse is leading a crisis intervention group for adolescents who witnessed the suicide of a classmate. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first? a. Initiate referrals b. Review community resources c. Identify prior coping skills d. Discuss the importance of confidentiality: - ANSWER c. Identify prior coping skills 7. A nurse overhears a client saying"I am a spy, a spy for the FBI.I am an I, an eye for an eye in the sky. Sky is up high." The nurse should document the client's statement as which of the following speech alterations? a. Echolalia b. Word salad c. Neologism d. Clang association - ANSWER d. Clang association 8. An older adult client is brought to the mental health clinic by her daughter. The daughter reports that her mother is not eating and seems uninterested in routine activities. The daughter states "Im so worried that my mother is depressed" which of the following responses should the nurse make? a. Everyone gets depressed from time to time. b. You shouldn't worry about this because the depressive disorder is easily treated. c. Older adults are usually diagnosed with the depressive disorder as they age. d. Tell me the reasons you think your mother is depressed - ANSWER d. Tell me the reasons you think your mother is depressed 9. A nurse is planning care for an adolescent who has autism spectrum disorder. Which of the following outcomes should the nurse include in the plan care? a. Meets own needs without manipulating others. b. Initiates social interactions with caregivers. c. Changes behavior as a result of peer pressure. d. Acknowledges his delusions are not real. - ANSWER b. Initiates social interactions with caregivers. 10. A nurse is providing behavior therapy for a client who has obsessive-compulsive disorder. The client repeatedly checks that the doors are locked at night. Which of the following instructions should the nurse give the client when using thought stopping technique? a. Snap a rubber band on your wrist when you think about checking the locks. b. Ask a family member to check the locks for you at night. c. Focus on abdominal breathing whenever you go to check the locks. d. Keep a journal of how often you check the locks each night. - ANSWER a. Snap a rubber band on your wrist when you think about checking the locks. 11. A nurse is orienting a new client to a mental health unit. When explaining the unit's community meetings, which of the following statements should the nurse make? A. "You and a group of other clients will meet to discuss your treatment plans. B. "Community meetings have a specific agenda that is established by staff. C. "You and the other clients will meet with staff to discuss common problems. D. "Community meetings are an excellent opportunity to explore your personal mental health issues." - ANSWER C. "You and the other clients will meet with staff to discuss common problems. 12. A nurse is caring several clients who are attending community-based mental health programs. Which of the following clients should the nurse plan to visit first? A. A client who recently burned her arm while using a hot iron at home. B. A client who requests that her antipsychotic medication be changed due to some new adverse effects. C. A client who says he is hearing a voice that tells him he is not worth living anymore. D. A client who tells the nurse he experienced manifestations of severe a - ANSWER C. A client who says he is hearing a voice that tells him he is not worth living anymore.