,NUR 253 EXAM 2 Mental Health Nursing Questions And Answers
2026/2027 Galen College
Q1. Which physiologic response is expected during the initial fight-
or-flight response to stress?
A) Increased heart rate
B) Decreased respiratory rate
C) Increased gastrointestinal activity
D) Increased insulin sensitivity
Correct Answer: A) Increased heart rate
Rationale: Activation of the sympathetic nervous system during acute
stress increases heart rate and other physiologic responses that prepare the
body to respond to a threat.
Q2. Which hormone is strongly associated with the body's longer-
term stress response?
A) Insulin
B) Cortisol
C) Melatonin
D) Oxytocin
Correct Answer: B) Cortisol
Rationale: Cortisol is released through activation of the hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal axis and helps the body respond to prolonged stress.
Q3. What is a potential consequence of chronic stress?
A) Elimination of all inflammatory responses
B) Permanent absence of anxiety
C) Increased risk for physical and psychological health problems
D) Improved immune function in every person
Correct Answer: C) Increased risk for physical and psychological health
problems
Rationale: Prolonged activation of stress-response systems can contribute
to sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems,
impaired coping, and other health effects.
Q4. Which nursing intervention is most appropriate for helping a
patient develop healthy stress-management skills?
,A) Encourage identification of stressors and use of adaptive coping strategies
B) Tell the patient to avoid every stressful situation
C) Encourage suppression of emotions
D) Recommend withdrawing from supportive relationships
Correct Answer: A) Encourage identification of stressors and use of adaptive
coping strategies
Rationale: Effective stress management involves identifying stressors and
developing adaptive strategies such as problem-solving, exercise, relaxation,
social support, and realistic planning.
Q5. Which behavior is an example of displacement?
A) A student forgets an upsetting event
B) A patient blames another person for a personal mistake
C) An employee becomes angry with a supervisor but later yells at a family
member
D) A person refuses to acknowledge an obvious problem
Correct Answer: C) An employee becomes angry with a supervisor but later
yells at a family member
Rationale: Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original
source to a safer or less threatening target.
Q6. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge an
uncomfortable reality?
A) Sublimation
B) Denial
C) Compensation
D) Rationalization
Correct Answer: B) Denial
Rationale: Denial protects the person from distress by blocking recognition
or acceptance of an uncomfortable thought, feeling, or reality.
Q7. A patient who has failed an examination says, “The instructor
failed me because she dislikes me.” Which defense mechanism is
most consistent with this response?
A) Projection
B) Sublimation
, C) Suppression
D) Regression
Correct Answer: A) Projection
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts,
feelings, or shortcomings to another person.
Q8. Which example best illustrates rationalization?
A) A person unconsciously forgets a traumatic event
B) A person redirects anger toward a safer target
C) A person explains a poor academic result by saying the course was unfair
despite inadequate preparation
D) A person channels aggression into exercise
Correct Answer: C) A person explains a poor academic result by saying the
course was unfair despite inadequate preparation
Rationale: Rationalization involves creating a plausible but often inaccurate
explanation that protects self-esteem from an uncomfortable reality.
Q9. Which defense mechanism is generally considered more
adaptive because unacceptable impulses are redirected into socially
acceptable activities?
A) Sublimation
B) Denial
C) Projection
D) Displacement
Correct Answer: A) Sublimation
Rationale: Sublimation channels unacceptable impulses into constructive
and socially acceptable activities.
Q10. A patient experiences a stressful event but consciously decides
not to think about it until a more appropriate time. Which defense
mechanism is illustrated?
A) Regression
B) Suppression
C) Projection
D) Splitting
Correct Answer: B) Suppression
2026/2027 Galen College
Q1. Which physiologic response is expected during the initial fight-
or-flight response to stress?
A) Increased heart rate
B) Decreased respiratory rate
C) Increased gastrointestinal activity
D) Increased insulin sensitivity
Correct Answer: A) Increased heart rate
Rationale: Activation of the sympathetic nervous system during acute
stress increases heart rate and other physiologic responses that prepare the
body to respond to a threat.
Q2. Which hormone is strongly associated with the body's longer-
term stress response?
A) Insulin
B) Cortisol
C) Melatonin
D) Oxytocin
Correct Answer: B) Cortisol
Rationale: Cortisol is released through activation of the hypothalamic-
pituitary-adrenal axis and helps the body respond to prolonged stress.
Q3. What is a potential consequence of chronic stress?
A) Elimination of all inflammatory responses
B) Permanent absence of anxiety
C) Increased risk for physical and psychological health problems
D) Improved immune function in every person
Correct Answer: C) Increased risk for physical and psychological health
problems
Rationale: Prolonged activation of stress-response systems can contribute
to sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems,
impaired coping, and other health effects.
Q4. Which nursing intervention is most appropriate for helping a
patient develop healthy stress-management skills?
,A) Encourage identification of stressors and use of adaptive coping strategies
B) Tell the patient to avoid every stressful situation
C) Encourage suppression of emotions
D) Recommend withdrawing from supportive relationships
Correct Answer: A) Encourage identification of stressors and use of adaptive
coping strategies
Rationale: Effective stress management involves identifying stressors and
developing adaptive strategies such as problem-solving, exercise, relaxation,
social support, and realistic planning.
Q5. Which behavior is an example of displacement?
A) A student forgets an upsetting event
B) A patient blames another person for a personal mistake
C) An employee becomes angry with a supervisor but later yells at a family
member
D) A person refuses to acknowledge an obvious problem
Correct Answer: C) An employee becomes angry with a supervisor but later
yells at a family member
Rationale: Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original
source to a safer or less threatening target.
Q6. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to acknowledge an
uncomfortable reality?
A) Sublimation
B) Denial
C) Compensation
D) Rationalization
Correct Answer: B) Denial
Rationale: Denial protects the person from distress by blocking recognition
or acceptance of an uncomfortable thought, feeling, or reality.
Q7. A patient who has failed an examination says, “The instructor
failed me because she dislikes me.” Which defense mechanism is
most consistent with this response?
A) Projection
B) Sublimation
, C) Suppression
D) Regression
Correct Answer: A) Projection
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts,
feelings, or shortcomings to another person.
Q8. Which example best illustrates rationalization?
A) A person unconsciously forgets a traumatic event
B) A person redirects anger toward a safer target
C) A person explains a poor academic result by saying the course was unfair
despite inadequate preparation
D) A person channels aggression into exercise
Correct Answer: C) A person explains a poor academic result by saying the
course was unfair despite inadequate preparation
Rationale: Rationalization involves creating a plausible but often inaccurate
explanation that protects self-esteem from an uncomfortable reality.
Q9. Which defense mechanism is generally considered more
adaptive because unacceptable impulses are redirected into socially
acceptable activities?
A) Sublimation
B) Denial
C) Projection
D) Displacement
Correct Answer: A) Sublimation
Rationale: Sublimation channels unacceptable impulses into constructive
and socially acceptable activities.
Q10. A patient experiences a stressful event but consciously decides
not to think about it until a more appropriate time. Which defense
mechanism is illustrated?
A) Regression
B) Suppression
C) Projection
D) Splitting
Correct Answer: B) Suppression
