NUR 384
EXAM 1
(Mental Health Nursing)
Actual Questions with Correct Answers
Concordia University’s
What’s Included:
• 100+ verified questions with Correct answers with
Rationales.
• NCLEX-style multiple-choice questions
• select-all-that-apply (SATA) questions
• Case Studies / Scenario-Based questions
• Ideal for exam preparation and concept reinforcement.
,1. A nurse is caring for a client who states, "I feel like I can't control my worrying,
and I have trouble sleeping because my mind races all night." The nurse
recognizes that these symptoms are most consistent with which level of the
mental health continuum?
A. Well-being
B. Emotional problems
C. Mental illness
D. Serious mental illness
Correct Answer:
B. Emotional problems
Expert Rationale:
Emotional problems involve mild to moderate distress and temporary impairments in
functioning, such as insomnia or lack of concentration. The client describes worry and
sleep disturbance that interfere with functioning but does not indicate severe impairment
in daily life activities.
2. Which of the following best describes the definition of mental health according
to the World Health Organization?
A. The absence of psychiatric symptoms or emotional distress
B. A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their abilities, copes with normal
stresses, works productively, and contributes to their community
C. A condition requiring continuous pharmacological intervention to maintain stability
D. The ability to suppress negative emotions in social and professional settings
Correct Answer:
B. A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their abilities, copes with
normal stresses, works productively, and contributes to their community
Expert Rationale:
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being encompassing the ability to realize
one's abilities, cope with normal life stresses, work productively, and contribute to the
community. It is not merely the absence of illness.
3. A nurse is assessing a client with a history of adverse childhood experiences
(ACEs), including parental substance misuse and domestic violence. The nurse
understands that this client is at increased risk for developing mental illness due
to which category of risk factors?
,A. Biological factors
B. Environmental factors
C. Genetic predisposition
D. Pharmacological factors
Correct Answer:
B. Environmental factors
Expert Rationale:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, growing up in a
household with violence, substance misuse, or divorce, are classified as environmental
risk factors for mental illness. Biological factors include neurotransmitter imbalances
and genetics.
4. A client diagnosed with schizophrenia is unable to maintain employment,
perform daily hygiene, and prepare meals independently. The nurse recognizes
that this client meets criteria for which classification?
A. Emotional problems
B. Mental illness
C. Serious mental illness
D. Mild cognitive impairment
Correct Answer:
C. Serious mental illness
Expert Rationale:
Serious mental illness (SMI) causes disabling functional impairment that substantially
interferes with one or more major life activities, including caring for oneself, working,
and performing daily tasks. Schizophrenia is a classic example of SMI.
5. Which statement by a client best indicates impairment rather than dysfunction?
A. "I sometimes feel sad, but I still go to work and take care of my kids."
B. "I cannot get out of bed to shower or eat, and I stopped going to my job two weeks
ago."
C. "I have trouble concentrating when I am stressed, but I manage to finish my
assignments."
D. "I feel nervous before presentations, yet I am able to speak in front of my class."
Correct Answer:
B. "I cannot get out of bed to shower or eat, and I stopped going to my job two
weeks ago."
, Expert Rationale:
Impairment refers to a limited ability to engage in activities of daily living, such as
maintaining personal hygiene, preparing meals, or participating in work. Dysfunction
reflects disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior reflecting significant
psychological dysfunction.
6. A nurse is caring for a client from the Amish community who reports physical
and emotional pain but does not openly complain or seek mental health
treatment. The nurse understands that this behavior is most influenced by which
cultural concept?
A. Cultural stigma
B. Describing symptoms
C. Community support
D. Resource availability
Correct Answer:
B. Describing symptoms
Expert Rationale:
Culture influences how people describe or feel about their symptoms. Members of the
Amish community are typically stoic and endure physical and emotional pain without
complaining, which affects whether they recognize and talk openly about symptoms.
7. A nurse is working with a client who has limited access to mental health
services due to lack of insurance and geographic isolation. These barriers are
best categorized under which social determinant of health?
A. Economic stability
B. Education access and quality
C. Health care access and quality
D. Social and community context
Correct Answer:
C. Health care access and quality
Expert Rationale:
Barriers such as lack of insurance, geographic limitations, and inadequate health care
infrastructure prevent individuals from receiving necessary mental health care and fall
under the social determinant of health care access and quality.
EXAM 1
(Mental Health Nursing)
Actual Questions with Correct Answers
Concordia University’s
What’s Included:
• 100+ verified questions with Correct answers with
Rationales.
• NCLEX-style multiple-choice questions
• select-all-that-apply (SATA) questions
• Case Studies / Scenario-Based questions
• Ideal for exam preparation and concept reinforcement.
,1. A nurse is caring for a client who states, "I feel like I can't control my worrying,
and I have trouble sleeping because my mind races all night." The nurse
recognizes that these symptoms are most consistent with which level of the
mental health continuum?
A. Well-being
B. Emotional problems
C. Mental illness
D. Serious mental illness
Correct Answer:
B. Emotional problems
Expert Rationale:
Emotional problems involve mild to moderate distress and temporary impairments in
functioning, such as insomnia or lack of concentration. The client describes worry and
sleep disturbance that interfere with functioning but does not indicate severe impairment
in daily life activities.
2. Which of the following best describes the definition of mental health according
to the World Health Organization?
A. The absence of psychiatric symptoms or emotional distress
B. A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their abilities, copes with normal
stresses, works productively, and contributes to their community
C. A condition requiring continuous pharmacological intervention to maintain stability
D. The ability to suppress negative emotions in social and professional settings
Correct Answer:
B. A state of well-being in which an individual realizes their abilities, copes with
normal stresses, works productively, and contributes to their community
Expert Rationale:
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being encompassing the ability to realize
one's abilities, cope with normal life stresses, work productively, and contribute to the
community. It is not merely the absence of illness.
3. A nurse is assessing a client with a history of adverse childhood experiences
(ACEs), including parental substance misuse and domestic violence. The nurse
understands that this client is at increased risk for developing mental illness due
to which category of risk factors?
,A. Biological factors
B. Environmental factors
C. Genetic predisposition
D. Pharmacological factors
Correct Answer:
B. Environmental factors
Expert Rationale:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, growing up in a
household with violence, substance misuse, or divorce, are classified as environmental
risk factors for mental illness. Biological factors include neurotransmitter imbalances
and genetics.
4. A client diagnosed with schizophrenia is unable to maintain employment,
perform daily hygiene, and prepare meals independently. The nurse recognizes
that this client meets criteria for which classification?
A. Emotional problems
B. Mental illness
C. Serious mental illness
D. Mild cognitive impairment
Correct Answer:
C. Serious mental illness
Expert Rationale:
Serious mental illness (SMI) causes disabling functional impairment that substantially
interferes with one or more major life activities, including caring for oneself, working,
and performing daily tasks. Schizophrenia is a classic example of SMI.
5. Which statement by a client best indicates impairment rather than dysfunction?
A. "I sometimes feel sad, but I still go to work and take care of my kids."
B. "I cannot get out of bed to shower or eat, and I stopped going to my job two weeks
ago."
C. "I have trouble concentrating when I am stressed, but I manage to finish my
assignments."
D. "I feel nervous before presentations, yet I am able to speak in front of my class."
Correct Answer:
B. "I cannot get out of bed to shower or eat, and I stopped going to my job two
weeks ago."
, Expert Rationale:
Impairment refers to a limited ability to engage in activities of daily living, such as
maintaining personal hygiene, preparing meals, or participating in work. Dysfunction
reflects disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior reflecting significant
psychological dysfunction.
6. A nurse is caring for a client from the Amish community who reports physical
and emotional pain but does not openly complain or seek mental health
treatment. The nurse understands that this behavior is most influenced by which
cultural concept?
A. Cultural stigma
B. Describing symptoms
C. Community support
D. Resource availability
Correct Answer:
B. Describing symptoms
Expert Rationale:
Culture influences how people describe or feel about their symptoms. Members of the
Amish community are typically stoic and endure physical and emotional pain without
complaining, which affects whether they recognize and talk openly about symptoms.
7. A nurse is working with a client who has limited access to mental health
services due to lack of insurance and geographic isolation. These barriers are
best categorized under which social determinant of health?
A. Economic stability
B. Education access and quality
C. Health care access and quality
D. Social and community context
Correct Answer:
C. Health care access and quality
Expert Rationale:
Barriers such as lack of insurance, geographic limitations, and inadequate health care
infrastructure prevent individuals from receiving necessary mental health care and fall
under the social determinant of health care access and quality.
