NR 326 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 PRACTICE QUESTIONS 2026/2027 – ANSWERS,
RATIONALES, AND COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
Anxiety that can positively motivate an individual and assist in performance
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Mild anxiety
Anxiety is heightened and as a result the perceptual field is narrowed.
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ C. Moderate anxiety
This is anxiety that results in the inability to attend to the surroundings
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ D. Severe anxiety
The level of anxiety has now reached a level of terror where the concern is to escape
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ B. Panic anxiety
What type of anxiety assists the individuals in focusing on the current situation?
,A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Mild anxiety
An individual may have difficulty attending to the surroundings and difficulty following instructions or
commands
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ C. Moderate anxiety
Anxiety where Physical symptoms may develop, such as perspiration, rapid heart rate, and labored
breathing
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ D. Severe anxiety
What is the primary objective for severe anxiety? - Correct answer✅✅ Anxiety relief
An example of when panic anxiety may occur would be.... - Correct answer✅✅ a fire in the house in
which you are residing
What type of anxiety brings a sudden feeling of feeling of doom?
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic emotional anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ B. Panic emotional anxiety
,Someone who has panic attacks over and over can be diagosed with
A. Panic disorder
B. OCD
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Panic disorder
The act that serves to relieve the stress associated with the obsession - Correct answer✅✅
Compulsion
How many symptoms must a person be having to be defined as a panic attack? - Correct answer✅✅
At least 4
A mother is concerned about her ability to perform in her new role. She is quite anxious and refuses to
leave the postpartum unit. To offer effective client care, a nurse should recognize which information
about this type of crisis?
A. This type of crisis is precipitated by unexpected external stressors.
B. This type of crisis is precipitated by preexisting psychopathology.
C. This type of crisis is precipitated by an acute response to an external situational stressor.
D. This type of crisis is precipitated by normal life-cycle transitions that overwhelm the client. - Correct
answer✅✅ D. This type of crisis is precipitated by normal life-cycle transitions that overwhelm the
client.
A wife brings her husband to an emergency department after an attempt to hang himself. He is a full-
time student and works 8 hours at night to support his family. He states, "I can't function any longer
under all this stress." Which type of crisis is the client experiencing?
A. Maturational/developmental crisis
B. Psychiatric emergency crisis
C. Anticipated life transition crisis
D. Traumatic stress crisis - Correct answer✅✅ B. Psychiatric emergency crisis
, A client comes to a psychiatric clinic, experiencing sudden extreme fatigue and decreased sleep and
appetite. The client works 12 hours a day and rates anxiety as 8/10 on a numeric scale. What correctly
written long-term outcome is realistic in addressing this client's crisis?
A. The client will change his or her type A personality traits to more adaptive ones by week 1.
B. The client will list five positive self-attributes.
C. The client will examine how childhood events led to an overachieving orientation.
D. The client will return to previous adaptive levels of functioning by week 6 - Correct answer✅✅ D.
The client will return to previous adaptive levels of functioning by week 6
Which of the following nursing statements and/or questions represent appropriate communication to
assess an individual in crisis? Select all that apply.
A. "Tell me what happened."
B. "What coping methods have you used, and did they work?"
C. "Describe to me what your life was like before this happened."
D. "Let's focus on the current problem."
E. "I'll assist you in selecting functional coping strategies." - Correct answer✅✅ A. "Tell me what
happened."
B. "What coping methods have you used, and did they work?"
C. "Describe to me what your life was like before this happened."
What emotion is at the heart of phobias? - Correct answer✅✅ Fear
What emotion is at the heart of OCD and anxiety? - Correct answer✅✅ Anxiety
1. Which of the following is a correct assumption regarding the concept of crisis?
A. Crises occur only in individuals with psychopathology
B. The stressful event that precipitates crisis is seldom identifiable
C. A crisis situation contains the potential for psychological growth or deterioration
D. Crises are chronic situations that recur many times during an individual's life - Correct answer✅✅ C.
A crisis situation contains the potential for psychological growth or deterioration
RATIONALES, AND COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE
Anxiety that can positively motivate an individual and assist in performance
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Mild anxiety
Anxiety is heightened and as a result the perceptual field is narrowed.
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ C. Moderate anxiety
This is anxiety that results in the inability to attend to the surroundings
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ D. Severe anxiety
The level of anxiety has now reached a level of terror where the concern is to escape
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ B. Panic anxiety
What type of anxiety assists the individuals in focusing on the current situation?
,A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Mild anxiety
An individual may have difficulty attending to the surroundings and difficulty following instructions or
commands
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ C. Moderate anxiety
Anxiety where Physical symptoms may develop, such as perspiration, rapid heart rate, and labored
breathing
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ D. Severe anxiety
What is the primary objective for severe anxiety? - Correct answer✅✅ Anxiety relief
An example of when panic anxiety may occur would be.... - Correct answer✅✅ a fire in the house in
which you are residing
What type of anxiety brings a sudden feeling of feeling of doom?
A. Mild anxiety
B. Panic emotional anxiety
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ B. Panic emotional anxiety
,Someone who has panic attacks over and over can be diagosed with
A. Panic disorder
B. OCD
C. Moderate anxiety
D. Severe anxiety - Correct answer✅✅ A. Panic disorder
The act that serves to relieve the stress associated with the obsession - Correct answer✅✅
Compulsion
How many symptoms must a person be having to be defined as a panic attack? - Correct answer✅✅
At least 4
A mother is concerned about her ability to perform in her new role. She is quite anxious and refuses to
leave the postpartum unit. To offer effective client care, a nurse should recognize which information
about this type of crisis?
A. This type of crisis is precipitated by unexpected external stressors.
B. This type of crisis is precipitated by preexisting psychopathology.
C. This type of crisis is precipitated by an acute response to an external situational stressor.
D. This type of crisis is precipitated by normal life-cycle transitions that overwhelm the client. - Correct
answer✅✅ D. This type of crisis is precipitated by normal life-cycle transitions that overwhelm the
client.
A wife brings her husband to an emergency department after an attempt to hang himself. He is a full-
time student and works 8 hours at night to support his family. He states, "I can't function any longer
under all this stress." Which type of crisis is the client experiencing?
A. Maturational/developmental crisis
B. Psychiatric emergency crisis
C. Anticipated life transition crisis
D. Traumatic stress crisis - Correct answer✅✅ B. Psychiatric emergency crisis
, A client comes to a psychiatric clinic, experiencing sudden extreme fatigue and decreased sleep and
appetite. The client works 12 hours a day and rates anxiety as 8/10 on a numeric scale. What correctly
written long-term outcome is realistic in addressing this client's crisis?
A. The client will change his or her type A personality traits to more adaptive ones by week 1.
B. The client will list five positive self-attributes.
C. The client will examine how childhood events led to an overachieving orientation.
D. The client will return to previous adaptive levels of functioning by week 6 - Correct answer✅✅ D.
The client will return to previous adaptive levels of functioning by week 6
Which of the following nursing statements and/or questions represent appropriate communication to
assess an individual in crisis? Select all that apply.
A. "Tell me what happened."
B. "What coping methods have you used, and did they work?"
C. "Describe to me what your life was like before this happened."
D. "Let's focus on the current problem."
E. "I'll assist you in selecting functional coping strategies." - Correct answer✅✅ A. "Tell me what
happened."
B. "What coping methods have you used, and did they work?"
C. "Describe to me what your life was like before this happened."
What emotion is at the heart of phobias? - Correct answer✅✅ Fear
What emotion is at the heart of OCD and anxiety? - Correct answer✅✅ Anxiety
1. Which of the following is a correct assumption regarding the concept of crisis?
A. Crises occur only in individuals with psychopathology
B. The stressful event that precipitates crisis is seldom identifiable
C. A crisis situation contains the potential for psychological growth or deterioration
D. Crises are chronic situations that recur many times during an individual's life - Correct answer✅✅ C.
A crisis situation contains the potential for psychological growth or deterioration
