ANCC Psychiatric-
Mental Health
Nursing (PMH-BC)
Certification Exam
Guide – Study
Tips & Practice
Resources
Questions and
Answerss
Updated 2026
StressBasBaBbiologicalBresponseB-
BAnswerTheBstateBmanifestedBbyBaBspecificBsyndrome,BwhichBconsistBofBallBtheBnonsp
ecifically-
inducedBchangesBwithinBaBbiologicalBsystem.BThisBisBknownBalsoBasBFightBorBflight.
,AdaptationB-
BAnswerRestorationBofBtheBbodyBtoBhomeostasisBfollowingBaBphysiologicalBand/orBpsyc
hologicalBresponseBtoBstress.
MaladaptiveB-
BAnswerABfailureBofBtheBbodyBtoBreturnBtoBhomeostasisBfollowingBaBphysiologicalBand/
orBpsychologicalBresponseBtoBstress,BdisruptingBtheBindividualsBintegrity.
HansBSelyeB-BAnswerWhoBcameBupBwithB"flightBorBflight?"
HansBSelyeB-
BAnswerWhoBdefinedBstressBasBtheBstateBmanifestedBbyBaBspecificBsyndrome,BwhichBc
onsistsBofBallBtheBnonspecificallyBinducedBchangesBwithinBaBbiologicalBsystem"?
GeneralBadaptationBsyndromeB(GAS)B-
BAnswerStyleBcalledBstressBtheBgeneralBreactionBofBtheBbodyBtoBstressBknownBas?
PhysiologicalBneedsB-
BAnswerTheBbasicBfundamentalBneedsBincludeBfood,Bwater,Bair,Bsleep,Bexercise,Belimina
tion,Bshelter,BandBsexualBexpression
SafetyBandBsecurityB-
BAnswerNeedsBatBthisBlevelBareBforBavoidingBharm,BmaintainingBcomfort,Border,Bstructu
re,BphysicalBsafety,BfreedomBfromBfear,BandBprotection
LoveBandBbelongingB-
BAnswerNeedBareBforBgivingBandBreceivingBofBaffection,Bcompanionship,BsatisfactoryBint
erpersonalBrelationships,BandBidentificationBwithinBaBgroup
Self-esteem,Besteem-of-othersB-BAnswerTheBindividualBseeksBself-
respectBandBrespectBfromBothers,BworksBtoBachieveBsuccessBandBrecognition.BInBwork,
BandBdesiresBprestigeBfromBaccomplishments
, Self-actualizationB-
BAnswerTheBindividualBpossessesBaBfeelingBofBselfBfulfillmentBandBtheBrealizationBofBhi
sBorBherBhighestBpotential.
AlarmBreactionBstageB-
BAnswerDuringBthisBstageBtheBresponseBofBtheB"fightBorBflight"BisBinitiated.BPartBofB(G
AS)
StageBofBresistanceB-
BAnsweryourBbodyBsystemsBstartBtoBresistBorBfightBtheBstressor.BIfBtheBadaptationBocc
ursBtheBnextBstepBisBpreventedBorBdelayed.B(PartBofBGAS)
StageBofBexhaustionB-
BAnswerOccursBwhenBtheirBisBaBprolongedBexposureBtoBtheBstressorBtoBwhichBtheBbod
yBbecomesBadjusted.BTheBadaptiveBenergyBisBdeletedBandBtheBindividualBcanBnoBlonge
rBdrawBfromBtheBresourcesBforBadaptation.B(PartBofBGAS)
EpinephrineBandBnorepinephrineBrunBthroughBtheBbloodstream,BpupilBdilate,BincreaseBi
nBsecretionBfromBtheBlacrimalBglands,BrespirationBincreases,BheartBrate,B/PBincrease,Bs
phincterBcontracts,BdecreaseBglycogenBsynthesis,BureterBmotilityBincreases,BincreasedBs
weating.B-BAnswerWhatBareBtheBinitialBstressBresponses?B"FightBorBflight"
NeurotransmittersB-
BAnswerchemicalsBthatBtransmitBinformationBacrossBtheBsynapseBtoBaBreceivingBneuron
'sBdendrites
StressBasBanBenvironmentalBeventB-
BAnswerThisBeventBisBoneBthatBcreatesBchangesBinBtheBlifeBpatternBofBtheBindividual,Br
equiresBsignificantBadjustmentBinBlifestyle,BandBtaxesBavailableBpersonalBresources.BThe
BchangeBcanBbeBpositiveBorBnegative.
StressBasBaBtransactionBbetweenBindividualBandBenvironmentB-
BAnswerThisBdefinitionBofBstressBisBappraisedBbyBtheBindividualBasBtaxingBorBexceeding
BhisBorBherBresourcesBandBendangeringBherBorBherBwell-being.
Mental Health
Nursing (PMH-BC)
Certification Exam
Guide – Study
Tips & Practice
Resources
Questions and
Answerss
Updated 2026
StressBasBaBbiologicalBresponseB-
BAnswerTheBstateBmanifestedBbyBaBspecificBsyndrome,BwhichBconsistBofBallBtheBnonsp
ecifically-
inducedBchangesBwithinBaBbiologicalBsystem.BThisBisBknownBalsoBasBFightBorBflight.
,AdaptationB-
BAnswerRestorationBofBtheBbodyBtoBhomeostasisBfollowingBaBphysiologicalBand/orBpsyc
hologicalBresponseBtoBstress.
MaladaptiveB-
BAnswerABfailureBofBtheBbodyBtoBreturnBtoBhomeostasisBfollowingBaBphysiologicalBand/
orBpsychologicalBresponseBtoBstress,BdisruptingBtheBindividualsBintegrity.
HansBSelyeB-BAnswerWhoBcameBupBwithB"flightBorBflight?"
HansBSelyeB-
BAnswerWhoBdefinedBstressBasBtheBstateBmanifestedBbyBaBspecificBsyndrome,BwhichBc
onsistsBofBallBtheBnonspecificallyBinducedBchangesBwithinBaBbiologicalBsystem"?
GeneralBadaptationBsyndromeB(GAS)B-
BAnswerStyleBcalledBstressBtheBgeneralBreactionBofBtheBbodyBtoBstressBknownBas?
PhysiologicalBneedsB-
BAnswerTheBbasicBfundamentalBneedsBincludeBfood,Bwater,Bair,Bsleep,Bexercise,Belimina
tion,Bshelter,BandBsexualBexpression
SafetyBandBsecurityB-
BAnswerNeedsBatBthisBlevelBareBforBavoidingBharm,BmaintainingBcomfort,Border,Bstructu
re,BphysicalBsafety,BfreedomBfromBfear,BandBprotection
LoveBandBbelongingB-
BAnswerNeedBareBforBgivingBandBreceivingBofBaffection,Bcompanionship,BsatisfactoryBint
erpersonalBrelationships,BandBidentificationBwithinBaBgroup
Self-esteem,Besteem-of-othersB-BAnswerTheBindividualBseeksBself-
respectBandBrespectBfromBothers,BworksBtoBachieveBsuccessBandBrecognition.BInBwork,
BandBdesiresBprestigeBfromBaccomplishments
, Self-actualizationB-
BAnswerTheBindividualBpossessesBaBfeelingBofBselfBfulfillmentBandBtheBrealizationBofBhi
sBorBherBhighestBpotential.
AlarmBreactionBstageB-
BAnswerDuringBthisBstageBtheBresponseBofBtheB"fightBorBflight"BisBinitiated.BPartBofB(G
AS)
StageBofBresistanceB-
BAnsweryourBbodyBsystemsBstartBtoBresistBorBfightBtheBstressor.BIfBtheBadaptationBocc
ursBtheBnextBstepBisBpreventedBorBdelayed.B(PartBofBGAS)
StageBofBexhaustionB-
BAnswerOccursBwhenBtheirBisBaBprolongedBexposureBtoBtheBstressorBtoBwhichBtheBbod
yBbecomesBadjusted.BTheBadaptiveBenergyBisBdeletedBandBtheBindividualBcanBnoBlonge
rBdrawBfromBtheBresourcesBforBadaptation.B(PartBofBGAS)
EpinephrineBandBnorepinephrineBrunBthroughBtheBbloodstream,BpupilBdilate,BincreaseBi
nBsecretionBfromBtheBlacrimalBglands,BrespirationBincreases,BheartBrate,B/PBincrease,Bs
phincterBcontracts,BdecreaseBglycogenBsynthesis,BureterBmotilityBincreases,BincreasedBs
weating.B-BAnswerWhatBareBtheBinitialBstressBresponses?B"FightBorBflight"
NeurotransmittersB-
BAnswerchemicalsBthatBtransmitBinformationBacrossBtheBsynapseBtoBaBreceivingBneuron
'sBdendrites
StressBasBanBenvironmentalBeventB-
BAnswerThisBeventBisBoneBthatBcreatesBchangesBinBtheBlifeBpatternBofBtheBindividual,Br
equiresBsignificantBadjustmentBinBlifestyle,BandBtaxesBavailableBpersonalBresources.BThe
BchangeBcanBbeBpositiveBorBnegative.
StressBasBaBtransactionBbetweenBindividualBandBenvironmentB-
BAnswerThisBdefinitionBofBstressBisBappraisedBbyBtheBindividualBasBtaxingBorBexceeding
BhisBorBherBresourcesBandBendangeringBherBorBherBwell-being.