Galen NUR 253 Exam 1 – Mental Health (2026) Actual Questions and Answers
(PDF
Section 1: Foundations of Mental Health Nursing (Q1 - Q30)
Q1. A nursing instructor is teaching students about the concepts of mental health
and mental illness. Which statement best defines mental health?
A. The absence of diagnosed mental illness
B. A state of well-being in which individuals reach their own potential, cope with
normal stresses, work productively, and contribute to the community
C. The ability to function independently without any assistance
D. A condition characterized by altered thinking, mood, and behavior
Answer: B
Rationale: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state
of well-being where individuals can realize their own abilities, cope with normal
stresses, work productively, and make contributions to their community .
Q2. The nurse is applying the Diathesis-Stress Model to understand a patient's
mental illness. What is the focus of this model?
A. The unconscious conflict between the id and superego
B. The interaction between a biological predisposition and environmental stress
or trauma
,C. The imbalance of neurotransmitters in the limbic system
D. The maladaptive learned behaviors from childhood
Answer: B
Rationale: The Diathesis-Stress Model is the most accepted explanation for
mental illness. It suggests that individuals have a biological vulnerability
(diathesis) that, when combined with environmental stressors or trauma, triggers
the development of a mental disorder .
Q3. A community health nurse is implementing primary prevention strategies for
mental health. Which activity best demonstrates this level of prevention?
A. Administering antipsychotic medication to a client experiencing acute psychosis
B. Teaching coping strategies to adolescents at risk for developing anxiety
disorders
C. Providing rehabilitation services to a client with chronic schizophrenia
D. Screening clients for depression in a primary care setting
Answer: B
Rationale: Primary prevention occurs before any problem manifests. It aims to
reduce the incidence of mental disorders by preventing or delaying onset in
vulnerable individuals through education and coping strategies .
,Q4. A patient states, "I don't know what to do anymore. My life feels completely
out of control." Which response by the nurse demonstrates therapeutic use of
self and empathy?
A. "I understand exactly how you feel. I went through the same thing last year."
B. "You shouldn't feel that way. You have a lot to live for."
C. "It sounds like you are feeling overwhelmed by everything that is happening."
D. "Why do you feel like you have lost control?"
Answer: C
Rationale: Empathy involves understanding the patient's feelings from their
perspective without claiming to share the exact experience (which is sympathy).
Option C reflects the patient's feeling (overwhelmed) back to them, validating
their emotion and encouraging further discussion .
Q5. A patient is being admitted involuntarily to a psychiatric unit. Which of the
following criteria must be met for this admission to be legal? (Select all that apply)
A. The patient has a diagnosed mental illness
B. The patient poses a danger to self or others
C. The patient is gravely disabled and unable to provide for basic needs
D. The patient requests to be admitted due to severe anxiety
, E. The patient is unable to pay for outpatient services
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: Involuntary commitment is court-ordered. Criteria generally include:
having a mental illness, being a danger to self (suicidal) or others (homicidal), or
being "gravely disabled" (unable to provide food, clothing, or shelter) .
Q6. The nurse is reviewing patient rights on an inpatient unit. Which action
violates a patient’s legal rights?
A. Separating a volatile patient from others by placing them in seclusion for 4
hours without a doctor's order
B. Encouraging the patient to sign an informed consent for Electroconvulsive
Therapy (ECT)
C. Respecting a patient’s refusal to take PRN Benadryl for mild akathisia
D. Allowing the patient to make a phone call to their attorney
Answer: A
Rationale: Seclusion and restraint are considered last-resort interventions. They
require a doctor's order, and the patient must be reevaluated frequently (specific
time limits vary by state, but initiating without an order is generally only allowed
Section 1: Foundations of Mental Health Nursing (Q1 - Q30)
Q1. A nursing instructor is teaching students about the concepts of mental health
and mental illness. Which statement best defines mental health?
A. The absence of diagnosed mental illness
B. A state of well-being in which individuals reach their own potential, cope with
normal stresses, work productively, and contribute to the community
C. The ability to function independently without any assistance
D. A condition characterized by altered thinking, mood, and behavior
Answer: B
Rationale: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state
of well-being where individuals can realize their own abilities, cope with normal
stresses, work productively, and make contributions to their community .
Q2. The nurse is applying the Diathesis-Stress Model to understand a patient's
mental illness. What is the focus of this model?
A. The unconscious conflict between the id and superego
B. The interaction between a biological predisposition and environmental stress
or trauma
,C. The imbalance of neurotransmitters in the limbic system
D. The maladaptive learned behaviors from childhood
Answer: B
Rationale: The Diathesis-Stress Model is the most accepted explanation for
mental illness. It suggests that individuals have a biological vulnerability
(diathesis) that, when combined with environmental stressors or trauma, triggers
the development of a mental disorder .
Q3. A community health nurse is implementing primary prevention strategies for
mental health. Which activity best demonstrates this level of prevention?
A. Administering antipsychotic medication to a client experiencing acute psychosis
B. Teaching coping strategies to adolescents at risk for developing anxiety
disorders
C. Providing rehabilitation services to a client with chronic schizophrenia
D. Screening clients for depression in a primary care setting
Answer: B
Rationale: Primary prevention occurs before any problem manifests. It aims to
reduce the incidence of mental disorders by preventing or delaying onset in
vulnerable individuals through education and coping strategies .
,Q4. A patient states, "I don't know what to do anymore. My life feels completely
out of control." Which response by the nurse demonstrates therapeutic use of
self and empathy?
A. "I understand exactly how you feel. I went through the same thing last year."
B. "You shouldn't feel that way. You have a lot to live for."
C. "It sounds like you are feeling overwhelmed by everything that is happening."
D. "Why do you feel like you have lost control?"
Answer: C
Rationale: Empathy involves understanding the patient's feelings from their
perspective without claiming to share the exact experience (which is sympathy).
Option C reflects the patient's feeling (overwhelmed) back to them, validating
their emotion and encouraging further discussion .
Q5. A patient is being admitted involuntarily to a psychiatric unit. Which of the
following criteria must be met for this admission to be legal? (Select all that apply)
A. The patient has a diagnosed mental illness
B. The patient poses a danger to self or others
C. The patient is gravely disabled and unable to provide for basic needs
D. The patient requests to be admitted due to severe anxiety
, E. The patient is unable to pay for outpatient services
Answer: A, B, C
Rationale: Involuntary commitment is court-ordered. Criteria generally include:
having a mental illness, being a danger to self (suicidal) or others (homicidal), or
being "gravely disabled" (unable to provide food, clothing, or shelter) .
Q6. The nurse is reviewing patient rights on an inpatient unit. Which action
violates a patient’s legal rights?
A. Separating a volatile patient from others by placing them in seclusion for 4
hours without a doctor's order
B. Encouraging the patient to sign an informed consent for Electroconvulsive
Therapy (ECT)
C. Respecting a patient’s refusal to take PRN Benadryl for mild akathisia
D. Allowing the patient to make a phone call to their attorney
Answer: A
Rationale: Seclusion and restraint are considered last-resort interventions. They
require a doctor's order, and the patient must be reevaluated frequently (specific
time limits vary by state, but initiating without an order is generally only allowed
