MIDTERM COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION | 175 VERIFIED QUESTIONS & RATIONALES | NEWEST EXAM 2026/2027
NR 547
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICUM
CHAMBERLAIN 2026/2027 MIDTERM
175 QUESTIONS MIDTERM RATIONALES 2026/2027 NEWEST
, EXAM COVERAGE AREAS
Midterm: Differential Assessment & MSE
• Differential diagnosis process rule out medical psychiatric
• MSE mental status exam appearance behavior speech mood affect thought
• PHQ-9 GAD-7 screening
• History
Midterm: Mood, Anxiety & Psychotic Differentials
• Mood MDD vs bipolar vs adjustment vs grief
• Anxiety GAD panic vs medical hyperthyroid
• Psychotic schizophrenia vs schizoaffective vs substance
• Criteria DSM-5-TR
Midterm: Lifespan Child Adolescent Geriatric
• Child ADHD vs anxiety vs learning
• Adolescent depression substance
• Geriatric depression vs dementia vs delirium
• Developmental
Midterm: Medical Mimics & Substance Differentials
• Medical mimics thyroid anemia infection
• Substance induced vs independent
• Lab workup TSH CBC UA
• Referral
Latest Midterm High Yield 2026/2027
• NR 547 Midterm focus differential diagnosis lifespan
• MSE
• Medical rule out
• 175 verified rationales
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 2
, QUESTION 1: Differential for depressed mood rule out?
A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection, substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs
adjustment vs grief vs normal
B) Only MDD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection,
substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs adjustment vs grief vs normal
RATIONALE: Differential depressed mood: rule out medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin deficiency infection,
substance induced vs independent, psychiatric MDD 2 weeks 5 symptoms anhedonia vs bipolar depressive
history mania vs persistent depressive vs adjustment stressor 3 months vs grief vs normal. Labs TSH CBC
BMP.
QUESTION 2: MSE components?
A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process content perception cognition insight
judgment
B) Only mood
C) Only appearance
D) No MSE
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process
content perception cognition insight judgment
RATIONALE: MSE mental status exam: Appearance grooming, behavior psychomotor eye contact, speech
rate volume, mood subjective, affect objective congruent, thought process linear circumstantial tangential,
thought content SI HI delusions, perception hallucinations, cognition MMSE orientation memory, insight
judgment.
QUESTION 3: MDD vs bipolar depression differential?
A) MDD no history mania hypomania, bipolar depression history mania hypomania elevated irritable
increased goal
B) Same
C) Only MDD
D) Only bipolar
CORRECT ANSWER: A) MDD no history mania hypomania, bipolar depression history
mania hypomania elevated irritable increased goal
RATIONALE: Mood differential: MDD major depressive episode 2 weeks 5 symptoms no mania history.
Bipolar I mania 7 days elevated irritable increased goal decreased sleep grandiosity, bipolar II hypomania 4
days plus depressive. Ask history mania hypomania family bipolar. Treatment different antidepressant alone
may induce mania bipolar needs mood stabilizer.
QUESTION 4: Anxiety differential medical mimic?
A) GAD excessive worry 6 months 3 symptoms vs panic abrupt fear vs medical hyperthyroid
hyperglycemia pheochromocytoma cardiac vs substance caffeine
B) Only GAD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 3
, CORRECT ANSWER: A) GAD excessive worry 6 months 3 symptoms vs panic abrupt
fear vs medical hyperthyroid hyperglycemia pheochromocytoma cardiac vs substance
caffeine
RATIONALE: Anxiety differential: GAD excessive anxiety worry 6 months 3 of restlessness fatigue
concentration irritability muscle tension sleep disturbance, panic recurrent abrupt fear 4 symptoms
palpitations dyspnea, medical hyperthyroid tremor weight loss tachycardia TSH, pheo HTN headache,
cardiac chest pain, substance caffeine stimulant cannabis withdrawal.
QUESTION 5: Geriatric depression vs dementia vs delirium differential?
A) Depression acute complaints memory poor effort, dementia insidious denies deficits progressive,
delirium acute fluctuating inattention medical cause
B) Same
C) Only depression
D) Only dementia
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Depression acute complaints memory poor effort, dementia
insidious denies deficits progressive, delirium acute fluctuating inattention medical
cause
RATIONALE: Geriatric differential: depression pseudodementia acute onset complains memory loss
answers I don't know poor effort diurnal worse morning. Dementia insidious gradual denies deficits
confabulates progressive sundowning. Delirium acute fluctuating inattention altered consciousness medical
cause infection meds. Workup MMSE MoCA labs.
QUESTION 6: Differential for depressed mood rule out?
A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection, substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs
adjustment vs grief vs normal
B) Only MDD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection,
substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs adjustment vs grief vs normal
RATIONALE: Differential depressed mood: rule out medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin deficiency infection,
substance induced vs independent, psychiatric MDD 2 weeks 5 symptoms anhedonia vs bipolar depressive
history mania vs persistent depressive vs adjustment stressor 3 months vs grief vs normal. Labs TSH CBC
BMP.
QUESTION 7: MSE components?
A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process content perception cognition insight
judgment
B) Only mood
C) Only appearance
D) No MSE
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process
content perception cognition insight judgment
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 4
NR 547
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICUM
CHAMBERLAIN 2026/2027 MIDTERM
175 QUESTIONS MIDTERM RATIONALES 2026/2027 NEWEST
, EXAM COVERAGE AREAS
Midterm: Differential Assessment & MSE
• Differential diagnosis process rule out medical psychiatric
• MSE mental status exam appearance behavior speech mood affect thought
• PHQ-9 GAD-7 screening
• History
Midterm: Mood, Anxiety & Psychotic Differentials
• Mood MDD vs bipolar vs adjustment vs grief
• Anxiety GAD panic vs medical hyperthyroid
• Psychotic schizophrenia vs schizoaffective vs substance
• Criteria DSM-5-TR
Midterm: Lifespan Child Adolescent Geriatric
• Child ADHD vs anxiety vs learning
• Adolescent depression substance
• Geriatric depression vs dementia vs delirium
• Developmental
Midterm: Medical Mimics & Substance Differentials
• Medical mimics thyroid anemia infection
• Substance induced vs independent
• Lab workup TSH CBC UA
• Referral
Latest Midterm High Yield 2026/2027
• NR 547 Midterm focus differential diagnosis lifespan
• MSE
• Medical rule out
• 175 verified rationales
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 2
, QUESTION 1: Differential for depressed mood rule out?
A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection, substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs
adjustment vs grief vs normal
B) Only MDD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection,
substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs adjustment vs grief vs normal
RATIONALE: Differential depressed mood: rule out medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin deficiency infection,
substance induced vs independent, psychiatric MDD 2 weeks 5 symptoms anhedonia vs bipolar depressive
history mania vs persistent depressive vs adjustment stressor 3 months vs grief vs normal. Labs TSH CBC
BMP.
QUESTION 2: MSE components?
A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process content perception cognition insight
judgment
B) Only mood
C) Only appearance
D) No MSE
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process
content perception cognition insight judgment
RATIONALE: MSE mental status exam: Appearance grooming, behavior psychomotor eye contact, speech
rate volume, mood subjective, affect objective congruent, thought process linear circumstantial tangential,
thought content SI HI delusions, perception hallucinations, cognition MMSE orientation memory, insight
judgment.
QUESTION 3: MDD vs bipolar depression differential?
A) MDD no history mania hypomania, bipolar depression history mania hypomania elevated irritable
increased goal
B) Same
C) Only MDD
D) Only bipolar
CORRECT ANSWER: A) MDD no history mania hypomania, bipolar depression history
mania hypomania elevated irritable increased goal
RATIONALE: Mood differential: MDD major depressive episode 2 weeks 5 symptoms no mania history.
Bipolar I mania 7 days elevated irritable increased goal decreased sleep grandiosity, bipolar II hypomania 4
days plus depressive. Ask history mania hypomania family bipolar. Treatment different antidepressant alone
may induce mania bipolar needs mood stabilizer.
QUESTION 4: Anxiety differential medical mimic?
A) GAD excessive worry 6 months 3 symptoms vs panic abrupt fear vs medical hyperthyroid
hyperglycemia pheochromocytoma cardiac vs substance caffeine
B) Only GAD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 3
, CORRECT ANSWER: A) GAD excessive worry 6 months 3 symptoms vs panic abrupt
fear vs medical hyperthyroid hyperglycemia pheochromocytoma cardiac vs substance
caffeine
RATIONALE: Anxiety differential: GAD excessive anxiety worry 6 months 3 of restlessness fatigue
concentration irritability muscle tension sleep disturbance, panic recurrent abrupt fear 4 symptoms
palpitations dyspnea, medical hyperthyroid tremor weight loss tachycardia TSH, pheo HTN headache,
cardiac chest pain, substance caffeine stimulant cannabis withdrawal.
QUESTION 5: Geriatric depression vs dementia vs delirium differential?
A) Depression acute complaints memory poor effort, dementia insidious denies deficits progressive,
delirium acute fluctuating inattention medical cause
B) Same
C) Only depression
D) Only dementia
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Depression acute complaints memory poor effort, dementia
insidious denies deficits progressive, delirium acute fluctuating inattention medical
cause
RATIONALE: Geriatric differential: depression pseudodementia acute onset complains memory loss
answers I don't know poor effort diurnal worse morning. Dementia insidious gradual denies deficits
confabulates progressive sundowning. Delirium acute fluctuating inattention altered consciousness medical
cause infection meds. Workup MMSE MoCA labs.
QUESTION 6: Differential for depressed mood rule out?
A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection, substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs
adjustment vs grief vs normal
B) Only MDD
C) Only medical
D) No differential
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin D B12 infection,
substance, MDD vs bipolar depressive vs adjustment vs grief vs normal
RATIONALE: Differential depressed mood: rule out medical hypothyroid anemia vitamin deficiency infection,
substance induced vs independent, psychiatric MDD 2 weeks 5 symptoms anhedonia vs bipolar depressive
history mania vs persistent depressive vs adjustment stressor 3 months vs grief vs normal. Labs TSH CBC
BMP.
QUESTION 7: MSE components?
A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process content perception cognition insight
judgment
B) Only mood
C) Only appearance
D) No MSE
CORRECT ANSWER: A) Appearance behavior speech mood affect thought process
content perception cognition insight judgment
NR 547 Differential Diagnosis PMH Lifespan Practicum 2026/2027 Midterm 175Q Page 4
