NR547 Final Exam 2026/2027 COMPREHENSIVE
REVIEW AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS
• What is the HAM-D? -✓✓ Clinician administered depression rating scale that
monitors the severity of depression symptoms with a focus on psychological and
physical aspects of depression (scored 0-2 or 0-4).
• What is the components of the HAM-D? -✓✓ Mood, guilt feelings, SI, insomnia,
work and activities, psychomotor agitation or retardation, anxiety, somatic
symptoms, hypochondriasis, loss of weight, insight
• HAM-D score that indicates no depression? -✓✓ 0-7
• HAM-D score that indicates mild depression? -✓✓ 8-16
• HAM-D score that indicates moderate depression? -✓✓ 17-23
• HAM-D score that indicates severe depression? -✓✓ 24 or >
• What is the geriatric depression scale? -✓✓ Consists of yes/no questions that
assess emotional, cognitive, behavioral symptoms of depression in older adults.
Avoid somatic symptoms that may overlap with medical conditions
• What are the components of the geriatric depression scale? -✓✓ Mood and
enjoyment, energy levels, social withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness, memory
concerns, anxiety and worry, suicidal thoughts (1 point of each depressed
response)
,• What GDS score is normal? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 0--4
• What GDS score is mild? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 10--8
• What GDS score is moderate? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 20-30
(moderate to severe) / 9-11
• What GDS score is severe on the 15 point scale? -✓✓ 12-15
• What is the PHQ-9 scale? -✓✓ Self report tool for screening, diagnosing, and
monitoring depression. It evaluations symptom severity over the past 2 weeks
• What are the components of the PHQ-9? -✓✓ Anhedonia, depressed mood, sleep
problems, fatigue, appetite changes, low self-worth, concentrations issues,
psychomotor changes, suicidal thoughts
• What PHQ-9 score indicates none -✓✓ 0-4
• What PHQ-9 score indicates mild -✓✓ 5-9
• What PHQ-9 score indicates moderate -✓✓ 10-14
• What PHQ-9 score indicates moderately severe -✓✓ 15-19
• What PHQ-9 score indicates severe -✓✓ 20-27
,• What is the mood disorder questionnaire? -✓✓ Screening tool used for bipolar
disorder that helps to differentiate bipolar from unipolar with 13 yes/no questions
• What are the components of the mood disorder questionnaire? -✓✓ Part 1:
increased energy and activity, euphoric mood or irritable mood, decreased need for
sleep, unusual talkativeness or pressured speech, racing thoughts, easily distracted,
increase in goal-directed activities, involvement in risky behaviors, unusual
confidence or grandiosity, more outgoing/social than usual, episodes lasting
several days or longer, other people noticing these changes, symptoms occurring
together in the same time period
Part 2: "Have several of the above symptoms ever happened during the same
period of time?"
Part 3: "How much did these problems cause difficulty in work, social, or family
life?"
• What is the criteria for the mood disorder questionnaire to be positive? -✓✓ 7 or
more "yes" responses in Part 1, "Yes" in Part 2, OR moderate or serious
impairment in Part 3
• What is the criteria for the mood disorder questionnaire to be negative? -✓✓
Fewer than 7 "yes" response in Part 1 OR "no" in Part 2 OR "no/minor problems"
in Part 3
• Normal TSH -✓✓ 0.4-4.0 (elevated TSH = hypo) / (low TSH = hyper)
• Normal Hgb -✓✓ Men: 13.8-17.2 / Women: 12.1-15.1
• Normal lithium / toxic -✓✓ 0.6-1.2 / >1.5
, • Symptoms of lithium toxicity -✓✓ Confusion, seizures, tremors, coma
• When should a lithium level be drawn? -✓✓ 12 hours after last dose
• What other labs should be checked when a patient is on lithium? -✓✓ Kidney
function and thyroid levels
• Normal depakote (valproic acid) / toxic -✓✓ 50-125 / >150
• Symptoms of depakote toxicity? -✓✓ Liver tox, pancreatitis, CNS depression
• When should depakote be checked? -✓✓ Before next dose
• What other labs should be drawn when a patient is on depakote? -✓✓ Liver
enzymes, platelets, ammonia
• What is mild MDD -✓✓ Few symptoms beyond diagnostic criteria, manageable
• What is moderate MDD -✓✓ More symptoms, significant impairment but
manageable
• What is severe MDD -✓✓ Many symptoms, major impairment in functioning
• What is MDD with psychosis -✓✓ Hallucinations or delusions are present
REVIEW AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS
• What is the HAM-D? -✓✓ Clinician administered depression rating scale that
monitors the severity of depression symptoms with a focus on psychological and
physical aspects of depression (scored 0-2 or 0-4).
• What is the components of the HAM-D? -✓✓ Mood, guilt feelings, SI, insomnia,
work and activities, psychomotor agitation or retardation, anxiety, somatic
symptoms, hypochondriasis, loss of weight, insight
• HAM-D score that indicates no depression? -✓✓ 0-7
• HAM-D score that indicates mild depression? -✓✓ 8-16
• HAM-D score that indicates moderate depression? -✓✓ 17-23
• HAM-D score that indicates severe depression? -✓✓ 24 or >
• What is the geriatric depression scale? -✓✓ Consists of yes/no questions that
assess emotional, cognitive, behavioral symptoms of depression in older adults.
Avoid somatic symptoms that may overlap with medical conditions
• What are the components of the geriatric depression scale? -✓✓ Mood and
enjoyment, energy levels, social withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness, memory
concerns, anxiety and worry, suicidal thoughts (1 point of each depressed
response)
,• What GDS score is normal? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 0--4
• What GDS score is mild? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 10--8
• What GDS score is moderate? 30 point scale and 15 point scale -✓✓ 20-30
(moderate to severe) / 9-11
• What GDS score is severe on the 15 point scale? -✓✓ 12-15
• What is the PHQ-9 scale? -✓✓ Self report tool for screening, diagnosing, and
monitoring depression. It evaluations symptom severity over the past 2 weeks
• What are the components of the PHQ-9? -✓✓ Anhedonia, depressed mood, sleep
problems, fatigue, appetite changes, low self-worth, concentrations issues,
psychomotor changes, suicidal thoughts
• What PHQ-9 score indicates none -✓✓ 0-4
• What PHQ-9 score indicates mild -✓✓ 5-9
• What PHQ-9 score indicates moderate -✓✓ 10-14
• What PHQ-9 score indicates moderately severe -✓✓ 15-19
• What PHQ-9 score indicates severe -✓✓ 20-27
,• What is the mood disorder questionnaire? -✓✓ Screening tool used for bipolar
disorder that helps to differentiate bipolar from unipolar with 13 yes/no questions
• What are the components of the mood disorder questionnaire? -✓✓ Part 1:
increased energy and activity, euphoric mood or irritable mood, decreased need for
sleep, unusual talkativeness or pressured speech, racing thoughts, easily distracted,
increase in goal-directed activities, involvement in risky behaviors, unusual
confidence or grandiosity, more outgoing/social than usual, episodes lasting
several days or longer, other people noticing these changes, symptoms occurring
together in the same time period
Part 2: "Have several of the above symptoms ever happened during the same
period of time?"
Part 3: "How much did these problems cause difficulty in work, social, or family
life?"
• What is the criteria for the mood disorder questionnaire to be positive? -✓✓ 7 or
more "yes" responses in Part 1, "Yes" in Part 2, OR moderate or serious
impairment in Part 3
• What is the criteria for the mood disorder questionnaire to be negative? -✓✓
Fewer than 7 "yes" response in Part 1 OR "no" in Part 2 OR "no/minor problems"
in Part 3
• Normal TSH -✓✓ 0.4-4.0 (elevated TSH = hypo) / (low TSH = hyper)
• Normal Hgb -✓✓ Men: 13.8-17.2 / Women: 12.1-15.1
• Normal lithium / toxic -✓✓ 0.6-1.2 / >1.5
, • Symptoms of lithium toxicity -✓✓ Confusion, seizures, tremors, coma
• When should a lithium level be drawn? -✓✓ 12 hours after last dose
• What other labs should be checked when a patient is on lithium? -✓✓ Kidney
function and thyroid levels
• Normal depakote (valproic acid) / toxic -✓✓ 50-125 / >150
• Symptoms of depakote toxicity? -✓✓ Liver tox, pancreatitis, CNS depression
• When should depakote be checked? -✓✓ Before next dose
• What other labs should be drawn when a patient is on depakote? -✓✓ Liver
enzymes, platelets, ammonia
• What is mild MDD -✓✓ Few symptoms beyond diagnostic criteria, manageable
• What is moderate MDD -✓✓ More symptoms, significant impairment but
manageable
• What is severe MDD -✓✓ Many symptoms, major impairment in functioning
• What is MDD with psychosis -✓✓ Hallucinations or delusions are present
