1
ATI mental health proctored 2026/2027 exam with
actual and correct answers.
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: - ANS d.
implement measures to prevent intentional self-inflicted injury
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 - ANS a. Provide the client with a
quiet environment
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. - ANS b. Reports eating twice in the past two
weeks
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
,2
d. Reality orientation therapy - ANS b. Thought stopping
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 - ANS b. Dim the lights in the client's room
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: - ANS c. Identify prior coping
skills
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 - ANS d. Clang association
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.
, 3
d. Tell me the reasons you think your mother is depressed - ANS d. Tell me the
reasons you think your mother is depressed
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. - ANS b. Initiates social interactions
with caregivers.
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. - ANS a. Snap a
rubber band on your wrist when you think about checking the locks.
A nurse is caring for a client who is starting treatment for substance use
disorder. Which of the following actions indicates the nurse is practicing the
ethical principle of nonmaleficence?
a. Provide the client with quality care regardless of their ability to pay for
treatment.
b. Educating the client about legal rights concerning treatment.
c. Withholding the prescribed medication that is causing adverse effects for the
client.
d. Being truthful with the client about the manifestations of withdrawal. - ANS
c. Withholding the prescribed medication that is causing adverse effects for the
client.
ATI mental health proctored 2026/2027 exam with
actual and correct answers.
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: - ANS d.
implement measures to prevent intentional self-inflicted injury
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 - ANS a. Provide the client with a
quiet environment
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. - ANS b. Reports eating twice in the past two
weeks
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
,2
d. Reality orientation therapy - ANS b. Thought stopping
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 - ANS b. Dim the lights in the client's room
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: - ANS c. Identify prior coping
skills
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 - ANS d. Clang association
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.
, 3
d. Tell me the reasons you think your mother is depressed - ANS d. Tell me the
reasons you think your mother is depressed
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. - ANS b. Initiates social interactions
with caregivers.
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. - ANS a. Snap a
rubber band on your wrist when you think about checking the locks.
A nurse is caring for a client who is starting treatment for substance use
disorder. Which of the following actions indicates the nurse is practicing the
ethical principle of nonmaleficence?
a. Provide the client with quality care regardless of their ability to pay for
treatment.
b. Educating the client about legal rights concerning treatment.
c. Withholding the prescribed medication that is causing adverse effects for the
client.
d. Being truthful with the client about the manifestations of withdrawal. - ANS
c. Withholding the prescribed medication that is causing adverse effects for the
client.
