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Grand Canyon University NSG-322 Final Exam (Behavioral
Health) EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR – JUST RELEASED
Grand Canyon University NSG-322 Final Exam (Behavioral Health) – 250 MCQ Questions with
Answers and Rationales
Exam Coverage Overview (10 Key Points)
1. Mental Health Concepts & Recovery Model – Recovery model empowers consumers,
emphasizes adaptive living, resilience, and hope. Mental health is a continuum, not a
fixed state; leading cause of disability in the US is Major Depressive Disorder .
2. Therapeutic Communication & Nurse-Patient Relationship – Peplau's Model phases:
Orientation (transference/countertransference awareness), Working (medication,
reorientation), Termination (discharge, independence) . Open-ended questions promote
exploration .
3. Defense Mechanisms & Therapeutic Milieu – Rationalization creates acceptable
explanations for unacceptable motives . Milieu therapy treats the total environment—
treatment team, physical setting, interactions, recovery activities .
4. Legal & Ethical Issues in Psychiatric Nursing – Seclusion/restraint requires a new order
for each specific circumstance, time limits, and documentation every 15 minutes . DSM-
5 is for psychiatric diagnosis (RNs cannot independently diagnose). Stigma is negative
perception fueled by societal beliefs .
5. Mood Disorders (Depression & Bipolar) – MDD: depressed mood, anhedonia (lack of
pleasure), anergia (lack energy), avolition (lack motivation), apathy, irritability (most
common in children), suicidality . First-line antidepressants: SSRIs, SNRIs,
Atypicals; second-line: MAOIs, TCAs .
6. Anxiety Disorders & Panic – Panic attacks: tachycardia, diaphoresis, SOB; panic disorder
develops in adolescence; agoraphobia occurs in 1/3 with panic disorder. OCD: recurrent
persistent thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions); first symptoms
in childhood/adolescence . Anxiety often co-occurs with depressive disorders, eating
disorders, substance abuse .
7. Schizophrenia Spectrum & Psychotic Disorders – Positive symptoms; negative
symptoms; antipsychotic medications; schizophrenia occurs equally in men and women .
8. Personality Disorders (Clusters A, B, C) – Cluster A: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal;
Cluster B: antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic; Cluster C: avoidant, dependent,
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obsessive-compulsive. Risk factors include childhood trauma—abusive/chaotic home,
alcoholic parents, harsh discipline, sexual abuse (BD specifically) .
9. Dissociative Disorders – Depersonalization: disconnected from self; derealization:
surroundings unreal/fuzzy. Dissociative amnesia with fugue: extreme memory loss +
assuming new identity. Dissociative identity disorder: two or more distinct personalities
in one body .
10. Psychopharmacology – SSRIs: inhibit serotonin reuptake (1-2 weeks onset, 2-4 weeks
full effectiveness). Serotonin syndrome: hyperactive, tachycardia, fever, elevated BP,
altered mental status, seizures, myoclonus, GI symptoms; treatment: discontinue
offending agents, serotonin receptor blockade, cooling blankets, anticonvulsants,
supportive care .
1. What is the leading cause of disability in the United States according to mental health
statistics?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Bipolar disorder
C) Major Depressive Disorder
D) Anxiety disorder
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Understanding
prevalence helps prioritize mental health education and intervention strategies. Women are
twice as likely to be affected by MDD as men .
2. Which group of individuals is more commonly affected by Major Depressive Disorder?
A) Men
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B) Women
C) Children
D) Elderly adults
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Major Depressive Disorder affects women twice as often as men. This is an important
epidemiological consideration in psychiatric nursing assessment and intervention planning .
3. According to the Recovery Model, what is the emphasis for mental health treatment?
A) Medication adherence only
B) Adaptive living and consumer empowerment
C) Institutionalization
D) Symptom elimination
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Recovery Model in mental health emphasizes adaptive living and consumer
empowerment. It focuses on helping consumers develop coping skills, facilitate recovery, and
build resilience. Mental illness is not "curable" but recovery is possible .
4. Which statement best reflects the core tenet of trauma-informed care?
A) "What's wrong with you?"
B) "What happened to you?"
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C) "Why did you do that?"
D) "When will you get better?"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from "What's wrong with you?" to "What
happened to you?" This approach recognizes the impact of trauma on mental health. The two
core tenets of trauma-informed care are empowerment and cultural respect .
5. What are the two core tenets of trauma-informed care?
A) Medication and therapy
B) Empowerment and cultural respect
C) Restraint and seclusion
D) Diagnosis and treatment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The two core tenets of trauma-informed care are empowerment and cultural
respect. This approach recognizes that treatment itself can be traumatic and emphasizes
creating a safe environment .
6. What is the definition of depersonalization?
A) Feeling that one's surroundings are unreal or fuzzy
B) Feeling disconnected from oneself, often accompanied by a belief of having god-like control
Grand Canyon University NSG-322 Final Exam (Behavioral
Health) EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR – JUST RELEASED
Grand Canyon University NSG-322 Final Exam (Behavioral Health) – 250 MCQ Questions with
Answers and Rationales
Exam Coverage Overview (10 Key Points)
1. Mental Health Concepts & Recovery Model – Recovery model empowers consumers,
emphasizes adaptive living, resilience, and hope. Mental health is a continuum, not a
fixed state; leading cause of disability in the US is Major Depressive Disorder .
2. Therapeutic Communication & Nurse-Patient Relationship – Peplau's Model phases:
Orientation (transference/countertransference awareness), Working (medication,
reorientation), Termination (discharge, independence) . Open-ended questions promote
exploration .
3. Defense Mechanisms & Therapeutic Milieu – Rationalization creates acceptable
explanations for unacceptable motives . Milieu therapy treats the total environment—
treatment team, physical setting, interactions, recovery activities .
4. Legal & Ethical Issues in Psychiatric Nursing – Seclusion/restraint requires a new order
for each specific circumstance, time limits, and documentation every 15 minutes . DSM-
5 is for psychiatric diagnosis (RNs cannot independently diagnose). Stigma is negative
perception fueled by societal beliefs .
5. Mood Disorders (Depression & Bipolar) – MDD: depressed mood, anhedonia (lack of
pleasure), anergia (lack energy), avolition (lack motivation), apathy, irritability (most
common in children), suicidality . First-line antidepressants: SSRIs, SNRIs,
Atypicals; second-line: MAOIs, TCAs .
6. Anxiety Disorders & Panic – Panic attacks: tachycardia, diaphoresis, SOB; panic disorder
develops in adolescence; agoraphobia occurs in 1/3 with panic disorder. OCD: recurrent
persistent thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions); first symptoms
in childhood/adolescence . Anxiety often co-occurs with depressive disorders, eating
disorders, substance abuse .
7. Schizophrenia Spectrum & Psychotic Disorders – Positive symptoms; negative
symptoms; antipsychotic medications; schizophrenia occurs equally in men and women .
8. Personality Disorders (Clusters A, B, C) – Cluster A: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal;
Cluster B: antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic; Cluster C: avoidant, dependent,
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obsessive-compulsive. Risk factors include childhood trauma—abusive/chaotic home,
alcoholic parents, harsh discipline, sexual abuse (BD specifically) .
9. Dissociative Disorders – Depersonalization: disconnected from self; derealization:
surroundings unreal/fuzzy. Dissociative amnesia with fugue: extreme memory loss +
assuming new identity. Dissociative identity disorder: two or more distinct personalities
in one body .
10. Psychopharmacology – SSRIs: inhibit serotonin reuptake (1-2 weeks onset, 2-4 weeks
full effectiveness). Serotonin syndrome: hyperactive, tachycardia, fever, elevated BP,
altered mental status, seizures, myoclonus, GI symptoms; treatment: discontinue
offending agents, serotonin receptor blockade, cooling blankets, anticonvulsants,
supportive care .
1. What is the leading cause of disability in the United States according to mental health
statistics?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Bipolar disorder
C) Major Depressive Disorder
D) Anxiety disorder
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Understanding
prevalence helps prioritize mental health education and intervention strategies. Women are
twice as likely to be affected by MDD as men .
2. Which group of individuals is more commonly affected by Major Depressive Disorder?
A) Men
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B) Women
C) Children
D) Elderly adults
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Major Depressive Disorder affects women twice as often as men. This is an important
epidemiological consideration in psychiatric nursing assessment and intervention planning .
3. According to the Recovery Model, what is the emphasis for mental health treatment?
A) Medication adherence only
B) Adaptive living and consumer empowerment
C) Institutionalization
D) Symptom elimination
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Recovery Model in mental health emphasizes adaptive living and consumer
empowerment. It focuses on helping consumers develop coping skills, facilitate recovery, and
build resilience. Mental illness is not "curable" but recovery is possible .
4. Which statement best reflects the core tenet of trauma-informed care?
A) "What's wrong with you?"
B) "What happened to you?"
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C) "Why did you do that?"
D) "When will you get better?"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from "What's wrong with you?" to "What
happened to you?" This approach recognizes the impact of trauma on mental health. The two
core tenets of trauma-informed care are empowerment and cultural respect .
5. What are the two core tenets of trauma-informed care?
A) Medication and therapy
B) Empowerment and cultural respect
C) Restraint and seclusion
D) Diagnosis and treatment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The two core tenets of trauma-informed care are empowerment and cultural
respect. This approach recognizes that treatment itself can be traumatic and emphasizes
creating a safe environment .
6. What is the definition of depersonalization?
A) Feeling that one's surroundings are unreal or fuzzy
B) Feeling disconnected from oneself, often accompanied by a belief of having god-like control
