HOSA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EXAM
2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is a Mental Disorder - ✔✔-involve changes in thinking, mood, and/or
behavior;can affect how we relate to others and make a decision.
How many US adults have a mental illness disorder? - ✔✔1 in 5
Systematic desensitization - ✔✔the learning of a new conditioned response that is
opposed with the past conditioned response.
Aversive conditioning - ✔✔tries to transform an unpleasant conditioned response into a
dangerous stimulus
How many US adults have a serious mental illness disorder? - ✔✔1 in 20
How many youth age 6-17 have a mental illness? - ✔✔1 in 6
How many mental illnesses start at age 14? at age 24? - ✔✔50% ; 75%
How many people experienced a mental disorder? Substance abuse disorder? How
many had both? - ✔✔-43.6 million
-20.2 million
-7.9 million
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - ✔✔A system for
classification of psychological disorders published by the American Psychiatric
Association.
What is anxiety - ✔✔-anxiety can range from specific phobias to general feelings of
wory and tension.
-characterized by excessive fear or anxiety to control and negatively and substantially
impacts daily functioning
- is anticipation of a future threat
emotional symptoms of anxiety disorder - ✔✔feelings of apprehension or dread, tense
or jumpy, restlessness or irritability, expecting the worse outcome
physical symptoms of anxiety disorder - ✔✔pounding or racing heart, shortness of
breath, twitchy, sweating, tremors, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, frequent urination,
diarrhea, upset stomach
Examples of anxiety disorders - ✔✔- general anxiety disorder
-panic disorder
-seperation anxiety disorder
-social anxiety
generalized anxiety disorder - ✔✔chronic, excessive worrying about everyday life.
worrying for hours at a time. Hard to concentrate or complete everyday tasks. May feel
exhausted by worry at the end of the day and may experience headaches, tension, or
nausea.
biological explanations for GAD - ✔✔fear circuit involving the amygdala (has receptors
for GABA, which is a a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity)
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,higher levels of activity in prefrontal cortex, thalamus, amygdala
social anxiety disorder - ✔✔intense fear of social interaction, often driven by irrational
worries of humiliation, panic attacks, may not take part in conversations or raise hand
in the classroom, will isolate themselves.
panic disorder - ✔✔panic attacks, sudden feelings of terror striking repeatedly and
without warning, often mistaken for a heart attack because of intense physical
symptoms (chest pains, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, upset
stomach), social isolation to avoid panic attacks
biological explanations for panic disorder - ✔✔people with panic disorder have higher
levels of orexins (released by cells in the hypothalamus and play important roles in
wakefulness and vigilance)
phobias - ✔✔powerful reactions to strong, irrational fears. try to avoid triggers.
separation anxiety disorder
selective mutism
Agoraphobia
How many americans experienced anxiety - ✔✔40 million in the past year
In what age group is general anxiety disorder most prevalent? - ✔✔13-18, earliest is 6
years old
What causes anxiety - ✔✔Anxiety is caused by a combination of genetics, biological,
and enviromental factors
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, diagnosis of anxiety - ✔✔After ruling out an underlying physical illness, a doctor may
refer a person to a mental health professional for evaluation.Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
What is the medication that helps to control anxiety - ✔✔anti-anxiety drugs
(benzodiazepines), clonazepam, lorazepam, alprozam, anti-depressants, beta-blockers
Mindfulness therapy - ✔✔help patients to stay in the present and stop struggling to
control distressing thoughts and feelings
What are effective treatments for anxiety - ✔✔~Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
~Mindfulness therapy
~Exposure Therapy
~Exercise, relaxation techniques, positive support from family and friends may help,
yoga, self management techniques, relaxation
What is ADHD? - ✔✔Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder
characterized by excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention
ADHD in the brain - ✔✔underactive frontal lobes (hyperactivity and impulsivity),
smaller amygdala, smaller basal ganglia (large amounts of dopamine activity), smaller
hippocampus, smaller brain, disruption in the corpus callosum, prefrontal areas, more
slowly developing cortical thickness
Subtypes of ADHD? - ✔✔-Predominatly hyperactive
-Predominantly inattentive
-Combined hyperactive/inattentive
Prevalence of ADHD in children - ✔✔Children
-8.8% of prevelance in ages of 4-17
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
2025 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is a Mental Disorder - ✔✔-involve changes in thinking, mood, and/or
behavior;can affect how we relate to others and make a decision.
How many US adults have a mental illness disorder? - ✔✔1 in 5
Systematic desensitization - ✔✔the learning of a new conditioned response that is
opposed with the past conditioned response.
Aversive conditioning - ✔✔tries to transform an unpleasant conditioned response into a
dangerous stimulus
How many US adults have a serious mental illness disorder? - ✔✔1 in 20
How many youth age 6-17 have a mental illness? - ✔✔1 in 6
How many mental illnesses start at age 14? at age 24? - ✔✔50% ; 75%
How many people experienced a mental disorder? Substance abuse disorder? How
many had both? - ✔✔-43.6 million
-20.2 million
-7.9 million
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - ✔✔A system for
classification of psychological disorders published by the American Psychiatric
Association.
What is anxiety - ✔✔-anxiety can range from specific phobias to general feelings of
wory and tension.
-characterized by excessive fear or anxiety to control and negatively and substantially
impacts daily functioning
- is anticipation of a future threat
emotional symptoms of anxiety disorder - ✔✔feelings of apprehension or dread, tense
or jumpy, restlessness or irritability, expecting the worse outcome
physical symptoms of anxiety disorder - ✔✔pounding or racing heart, shortness of
breath, twitchy, sweating, tremors, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, frequent urination,
diarrhea, upset stomach
Examples of anxiety disorders - ✔✔- general anxiety disorder
-panic disorder
-seperation anxiety disorder
-social anxiety
generalized anxiety disorder - ✔✔chronic, excessive worrying about everyday life.
worrying for hours at a time. Hard to concentrate or complete everyday tasks. May feel
exhausted by worry at the end of the day and may experience headaches, tension, or
nausea.
biological explanations for GAD - ✔✔fear circuit involving the amygdala (has receptors
for GABA, which is a a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity)
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,higher levels of activity in prefrontal cortex, thalamus, amygdala
social anxiety disorder - ✔✔intense fear of social interaction, often driven by irrational
worries of humiliation, panic attacks, may not take part in conversations or raise hand
in the classroom, will isolate themselves.
panic disorder - ✔✔panic attacks, sudden feelings of terror striking repeatedly and
without warning, often mistaken for a heart attack because of intense physical
symptoms (chest pains, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, upset
stomach), social isolation to avoid panic attacks
biological explanations for panic disorder - ✔✔people with panic disorder have higher
levels of orexins (released by cells in the hypothalamus and play important roles in
wakefulness and vigilance)
phobias - ✔✔powerful reactions to strong, irrational fears. try to avoid triggers.
separation anxiety disorder
selective mutism
Agoraphobia
How many americans experienced anxiety - ✔✔40 million in the past year
In what age group is general anxiety disorder most prevalent? - ✔✔13-18, earliest is 6
years old
What causes anxiety - ✔✔Anxiety is caused by a combination of genetics, biological,
and enviromental factors
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, diagnosis of anxiety - ✔✔After ruling out an underlying physical illness, a doctor may
refer a person to a mental health professional for evaluation.Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
What is the medication that helps to control anxiety - ✔✔anti-anxiety drugs
(benzodiazepines), clonazepam, lorazepam, alprozam, anti-depressants, beta-blockers
Mindfulness therapy - ✔✔help patients to stay in the present and stop struggling to
control distressing thoughts and feelings
What are effective treatments for anxiety - ✔✔~Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
~Mindfulness therapy
~Exposure Therapy
~Exercise, relaxation techniques, positive support from family and friends may help,
yoga, self management techniques, relaxation
What is ADHD? - ✔✔Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder
characterized by excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention
ADHD in the brain - ✔✔underactive frontal lobes (hyperactivity and impulsivity),
smaller amygdala, smaller basal ganglia (large amounts of dopamine activity), smaller
hippocampus, smaller brain, disruption in the corpus callosum, prefrontal areas, more
slowly developing cortical thickness
Subtypes of ADHD? - ✔✔-Predominatly hyperactive
-Predominantly inattentive
-Combined hyperactive/inattentive
Prevalence of ADHD in children - ✔✔Children
-8.8% of prevelance in ages of 4-17
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
