Mental Health: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders NCLEX MAIN EXAM UPDATED 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT ALREADY GRADED SOLUTIONS || 100% GUARANTEED PASS

Mental Health: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders NCLEX MAIN EXAM UPDATED 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED CORRECT ALREADY GRADED SOLUTIONS || 100% GUARANTEED PASS >> 1. The ED nurse assesses a confused client diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and notes the use of confabulation. Which complication of alcohol use disorder would the nurse suspect? 1) Korsakoff's psychosis 2) Vascular neurocognitive disorder 3) Wernicke's encephalopathy 4) Esophageal varices - ANSWER Korsakoff's psychosis is identified by a syndrome of confusion, loss of memory, and confabulation. Confabulation is the creating of imaginary events to fill in memory gaps. 2. An impaired nurse is admitted to an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility. Which applies to his situation? 1) The nurse must relinquish his driver's license to the office of motor vehicles. 2) The nurse is mandated to comply with treatment and prescribed therapies. 3) The nurse is not mandated to meet specific requirements, because all civil rights are ensured. 4) The nurse must relinquish his registered nurse (RN) license to the state board of nursing. - ANSWER 3) The nurse is not mandated to meet specific requirements, because all civil rights are ensured. 3. Although some variations occur from state to state, currently psychiatric clients maintain all of their civil rights. This nurse is not mandated by law to meet specific requirements, because all civil rights are ensured. 4. Which client and family teaching is most important regarding the cause of substance addiction? 1) An individual's social and cultural environment can be implicated in the cause of substance addiction. 2) Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors can all be implicated in the cause of substance addiction. 3) Evidence of a genetic link accounts for most cases of substance addiction. 4) Reinforcing properties of the substance encourage progression from use to addiction. - ANSWER 2) Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors can all be implicated in the cause of substance addiction. 5. Which symptom would the nurse expect to observe in a client experiencing opioid intoxication? 1) Insomnia 2) Abdominal cramps 3) Muscle aches 4) Impaired judgment - ANSWER 4) Impaired judgment Impaired judgment; initial euphoria followed by apathy; dysphoria; and psychomotor agitation or retardation are all symptoms of opioid intoxication. 6. Which would the nurse consider a priority intervention when planning care for a medically unstable client diagnosed with alcohol use disorder? 1) Simplifying the environment 2) Addressing physical needs 3) Providing opportunities for success experiences 4) Establishing a trusting interpersonal relationship - ANSWER 2) Addressing physical needs Physical problems must be addressed prior to meeting any psychosocial needs of a client who is medically unstable. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, physiological needs should be prioritized over all other needs. 7. A client who is going through alcohol detoxification states, "I see bugs crawling on the wall." Which is the best nursing response? 1) "I'll remove the bugs from the wall." 2) "You are confused because of your alcoholism." 3) "There are no bugs on the wall. I'll stay with you until you feel less anxious." 4) "You do not see any bugs on the wall." - ANSWER 3) "There are no bugs on the wall. I'll stay with you until you feel less anxious." This response presents objective reality and may help decrease the client's anxiety by the nurse's therapeutic offering of self. 8. Paula is attending an education class on addictive disorders. She suspects that her husband may be abusing opiates since he has been taking pills given to him by his brother and she knows the brother had been taking oxycodone for back pain. She asks the nurse how to interpret her husband's behaviors. Which of the following observations by Paula are consistent with opioid intoxication? Select all that apply. 1) "Sometimes he seems euphoric and other times he acts like he doesn't care about anything." 2) "Last night he went out without a coat on and it was 15 degrees outside." 3) "While we were talking at dinner his speech was rapid and he seemed hyperalert to everything in the environment." 4) "He's been having trouble remembering things." 5) "Sometimes it looks like his pupils are very small." - ANSWER Correct 1: One manifestation of opioid intoxication is an initial period of euphoria followed by apathy, which is indicated by her statement that "sometimes he acts like he doesn't care about anything." Correct 2: Going outside without a coat in subfreezing weather could be inferred as impaired judgment, which is consistent with opioid intoxication. Feedback 3: Rapid speech and hypervigilance are more consistent with stimulant intoxication. In opioid intoxication one would expect to see mental cloudiness. Correct 4: Impairment in attention and memory is consistent with opioid intoxication. Correct 5: Paula is describing pupillary constriction, which is consistent with opioid intoxication. 9. When teaching a client diagnosed with alcoholism about nutritional needs, which nutritional concept should the nurse emphasize? 1) Eat a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet to promote lean body mass. 2) Increase sodium-rich foods to increase iodine levels. 3) Provide multivitamin supplements, including thiamine and folic acid. 4) Restrict fluid intake to decrease renal load. - ANSWER 3) Provide multivitamin supplements, including thiamine and folic acid. Vitamin B deficiencies contribute to the nervous system disorders seen in chronic alcohol abuse. Supplements of these vitamins are important to prevent complications. It is important that vitamin supplements include both thiamine (vitamin B1) and folic acid. 10. Which nursing intervention relates to rehabilitative care for a recovering alcoholic? 1) Providing a safe and supportive environment during alcohol withdrawal 2) Teaching about physical symptoms 3) Providing client and family education and assistance during treatment 4) Encouraging continued participation in AA - ANSWER 4) Encouraging continued participation in AA Because recovery is a long-term process, it is critical that the nurse encourage continuous participation in outpatient support systems such as AA. 11. Which issues influence an individual's predisposition to substance-related disorders? Select all that apply. 1) Genetic history 2) Fixation at the oral stage of psychosexual development 3) Punitive ego 4) Personality traits 5) Behavior modeling - ANSWER Correct 1: Research has indicated that an apparent hereditary factor is involved in the development of substance-use disorders. This is especially evident with alcoholism. Correct 2: Theories of psychosexual development state that anxiety in people fixated at the oral stage may be reduced by their consumption of substances such as alcohol. Feedback 3: A psychodynamic approach to the etiology of substance abuse focuses on a punitive superego, not ego. According to psychodynamic theory, individuals with punitive superegos turn to alcohol to diminish unconscious anxiety. Correct 4: Certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem, depression, and passivity, are thought to increase a tendency toward addictive behavior. Correct 5: Studies have shown that children and adolescents are more likely to use substances if they have parents who provide a model for substance use. 12. Paul, a 65-year-old Caucasian, is being seen at the health clinic for hypertension and has a history of alcohol use disorder. Which of the following observations by the nurse are consistent with physical complications associated with chronic alcohol use disorders? Select all that apply. His skin is yellow. ) He has a butterfly-shaped rash on his cheeks and nose. 3) His abdomen is distended. 4) He is coughing up blood. 5) He complains of acute pain in his left eye. - ANSWER Correct 1: Yellowish skin is evidence of jaundice, which is secondary to cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver is a common manifestation of end-stage alcoholic liver disease. Feedback 2: Although facial flushing is a common manifestation in chronic alcohol use disorders, a distinctly butterfly-shaped rash may be indicative of other autoimmune conditions such as lupus erythematosis. Further assessment is warranted. Correct 3: Abdominal distention can be a manifestation of alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and pancreatitis, all of which are complications of alcohol use disorder. Further assessment is warranted. Correct 4: Coughing up blood may be evidence of several complications of alcoholism, including esophageal varices, which can culminate in potentially fatal hemorrhage. Further assessment is warranted to evaluate for these as well as other potential causes of coughing up blood. Feedback 5: A complaint of pain or pressure in or behind one's eyes is not directly associated with alcoholism but suggests a potentially emergent concern that requires further assessment. 13. Which is the most serious symptom experienced during alcohol withdrawal? 1) Blackout 2) Acute withdrawal delirium 3) Hypotension 4) Seizure - ANSWER 4) Seizure During alcohol withdrawal, the central nervous system (CNS) rebounds from the effects of suppression caused by alcohol intake. This excitation of the CNS can lead to grand mal seizures and other complications, which are life threatening. This is the most serious complication of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. 14. The nurse is assessing a client who is a substance abuser. The client states, "I use every day, but it rarely interferes with my work." The nurse determines that the client is using which defense mechanism? 1) Projection 2) Denial 3) Reaction formation 4) Displacement - ANSWER 2) Denial Denial is characterized by avoidance of disagreeable realities and unconscious refusal to acknowledge a thought, feeling, need, or desire. By stating that alcohol use rarely interferes with his or her work, the client is denying a substance abuse problem. 15. Janice is a nurse whose husband is in rehab for alcohol use disorder. While attending a family group, Janice makes several statements about their relationship. Which of these statements would suggest Janice is exhibiting codependent behavior? Select all that apply. 1) "My husband has to accept responsibility for his behavior and the consequences of his drinking." 2) "I know I shouldn't go out drinking with him, but I'm afraid he'll leave me if I don't." 3) "My father was the same way and I learned its better just to keep your mouth shut so you don't get hit." 4) "If he didn't have me monitoring his every move he'd probably be dead already." 5) "I need to make sure I'm protecting myself and my children." - ANSWER Feedback 1: This statement is an example of healthy boundaries rather than codependent behavior. Correct 2: People-pleasing, fear of abandonment, and neediness, as evidenced in this statement, are all characteristic codependent behaviors. Correct 3: The sense of helplessness and a history of abuse or neglect as a child are consistent with codependency. Correct 4: This statement suggests an unrealistic need to be in control and may also suggest that Janice's self-worth is rooted in her need to be needed. Both of these are evidence of codependency. Feedback 5: Janice's expression of concern for her own safety and her clear identification of her responsibilities as a parent are examples of healthy rather than codependent behaviors.