According to Margaret Mahler's developmental theory of psychology, which of the following indicates a
successful resolution of the process of separation-individualism in a toddler?
A. Trust
B. Intimacy
C. Object consistency
D. Normal symbiosis
E. Secondary individuation - Answers object consistency
Which of the following neurodevelopmental processes predominantly occurs during adolescence and
young adulthood?
A. Synaptic pruning
B. Decreased myelination
C. Ventricular enlargement
D. Prefrontal cortex reduction
E. Growth of gray matter volumes - Answers synaptic pruning
Medical record data was used to estimate the prevalence of diabetes among patients who started on an
antipsychotic medication. Which of the follow best describes this study design?
A. Cohort study
B. Meta-analysis
C. Systematic review
D. Cost-benefit analysis
E. Randomized controlled trial - Answers cohort study
,An 80 yer old presents with depressed mood and cognitive decline. The patient answers the
interviewer's questions with brief, one-word responses and rare spontaneous elaboration. This is an
example of which of the following?
A. Echolalia
B. Loss of goal
C. Poverty of speech
D. Latency of speech
E. Paraphasic speech - Answers poverty of speech
Despite an extensive workup, no medical etiology can be identified as the cause of a patient's leg pain
and weakness. The patient's primary care physician suspects a diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder.
Which of the following responses is the most appropriate next step?
A. Refer for psychiatric evaluation
B. Inform the patient the leg pain is not real
C. Transition care of the patient to a neurologist
D. Schedule frequent, brief follow-up appointments
E. Reinforce the non-medical nature of the illness at each visit - Answers schedule frequent, brief follow-
up appointments
Over the last six months a ten year old child has been exhibiting anger and temper tantrums. The child
has been deliberately annoying others and blaming this misbehavior on classmates. This has led to
multiple disciplinary actions at school. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Conduct disorder
B. Oppositional defiant disorder
C. Intermittent explosive disorder
D. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
E. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - Answers oppositional defiant disorder
,A patient presents to the psychiatrist with the complaint of "I think I'm going crazy." The patient reports
that she often feels as if she has "no self and her thoughts are not her own. In fact, she often feels like a
robot and as if she is unable to control her body. She states that she knows she has feelings but is not
able to feel them, instead feeling emotionally numb, and she frequently feels that her head is "full of
cotton." Recently, she has begun having "out of body" experiences. Which of the following is the most
likely diagnosis?
A. Illness anxiety disorder
B. Dissociative identity disorder
C. Posttraumatic stress disorder
D. Borderline personality disorder
E. Depersonalization/derealization disorder - Answers depersonalization/derealization disorder
A cancer patient becomes nauseous when seeing a commercial on television for the local cancer center
where they receive chemotherapy. The patient's nausea is best described as what element of classical
conditioning?
A. Reinforcement
B. Conditioned stimulus
C. Conditioned response
D. Unconditioned stimulus
E. Unconditioned response - Answers conditioned response
In the 1970's, evidence for the role of serotonin in depression and a desire to develop drugs with a
better side effect profile than the tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, led to the development
of which of the following medications?
A. Buspirone
B. Bupropion
C. Fluoxetine
D. Lamotrigine
, E. Clomipramine - Answers fluoxetine
A 72 year old patient is seen for a six month history of rapid dementia, gait unsteadiness, and jerky
movements. Electroencephalogram (EEG) demonstrates a periodic discharge with sharp waves occurring
every one second. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Prion disease
B. Status epilepticus
C. Alcohol withdrawal
D. Herpes encephalitis
E. Hepatic encephalopathy - Answers prion disease
A primary care practice follows patient progress through a registry. Each patient is assigned a primary
care provider and a behavioral health care manager. A psychiatrist is consistently available to these
providers for consultation. This arrangement is best described by which model?
A. Integrated care
B. Co-located care
C. Collaborative care
D. Remote consultation care
E. Assertive community treatment - Answers collaborative care
Which of the following types of research studies is most likely to result in external validity?
A. Efficacy trials
B. Case-control study
C. Effectiveness trials
D. Cross-sectional study
E. Randomized controlled trials - Answers effectiveness trials
Which antidepressant has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of akathisia?