NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system in stress response? - (answer) It activates the stress
response, leading to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, dilated pupils,
sweating, muscle tension, and a surge of glucose for energy.
What triggers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system during stress? - (answer) Perceived
dangerous stimuli are sent to the brain's amygdala, which processes emotional data and signals the
hypothalamus to activate the adrenal glands.
What hormones are released during the stress response? - (answer) Adrenaline (epinephrine) is
released from the adrenal glands, and cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex after stimulation by
ACTH.
What is the function of the hypothalamus in the stress response? - (answer) It secretes corticotropin-
releasing hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to release ACTH, leading to cortisol production.
What are the three stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) theory? - (answer) 1. Alarm:
initial response to stress; 2. Resistance: adaptation stage; 3. Exhaustion: resources are depleted, leading
to potential health issues.
What happens during the alarm stage of GAS? - (answer) There is a brief and adaptive response to the
stressor, including blood vessel constriction and the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine.
What characterizes the resistance stage of GAS? - (answer) It is the adaptation stage where the body
sustains optimal resistance and hormone levels adjust, allowing recovery and return to homeostasis.
What are the consequences of the exhaustion stage in GAS? - (answer) Attempts to resist the stressor
are futile, resources are depleted, leading to chronic stress, immune system challenges, and potential
health disorders.
How do females differ from males in their stress responses? - (answer) Females may exhibit a 'tend
and befriend' response due to estrogen exposure, while males may experience altered prefrontal blood
flow.
,NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the definition of stress? - (answer) Stress is the brain's response to any demand that poses a
challenge or threat to mental or physical health.
What is distress and how does it affect individuals? - (answer) Distress is negative stress that drains
energy and can lead to anxiety, depression, confusion, helplessness, and fatigue.
What is eustress? - (answer) Eustress is positive stress that motivates individuals and results in feelings
of happiness, hopefulness, and purposeful movement.
What are some examples of physical stressors? - (answer) Illness, poor diet, lack of sleep,
environmental toxins, physical exertion, and prolonged sitting.
What are some examples of psychological stressors? - (answer) Work/school demands, social conflicts,
life events (like death or divorce), financial issues, and personal health challenges.
What is the nurse's role in managing patient stress? - (answer) The nurse should promote a healing
environment, facilitate coping strategies, and teach adaptive ways to cope.
What physiological changes occur in the body during the stress response? - (answer) Increased heart
rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, and release of stress hormones.
What is the impact of childhood stress exposure on adult mental health? - (answer) High levels of
stress in childhood may lead to greater incidences of mental illness in adulthood.
What is the significance of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in stress response? - (answer)
It regulates the body's response to stress through hormone release, particularly cortisol, which helps
manage energy and metabolism.
What are the clinical manifestations of chronic stress? - (answer) Disorders may develop, including
anxiety and somatic symptoms.
,NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
How can nurses facilitate successful coping in patients? - (answer) By providing basic needs, role
modeling effective coping strategies, and encouraging self-affirmation.
What is the importance of developing future coping strategies for patients? - (answer) It helps patients
maintain stability and adapt to stressors effectively once they are stabilized.
What is the relationship between stress and the immune system? - (answer) Chronic stress can
challenge the immune system, leading to increased vulnerability to illness.
What are the potential outcomes of prolonged stress on health? - (answer) Chronic stress can lead to
cardiac or renal failure and may ultimately result in death.
What can acute stress cause? - (answer) Uneasiness/concern, sadness, loss of appetite, suppression of
the immune system, hypertension, decreased memory/learning, infertility, impotence.
What are some effects of chronic stress? - (answer) Anxiety/panic attacks, major depressive disorder,
anorexia/overeating, lowered resistance to infections, insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus, increased
fatigue/irritability, amenorrhea or loss of sex drive, increased risk for cardiac events.
How does chronic stress affect the immune system? - (answer) It can lead to malfunctions resulting in
autoimmune disorders, immunodeficiency, and hypersensitivities, but can also enhance the immune
system temporarily.
What role do cytokines play in stress and the immune system? - (answer) Cytokines activate the
immune system but their release is limited due to corticosteroids that inhibit immune function.
What factors influence an individual's perception of stress? - (answer) Age, gender, culture, life
experience, and lifestyle.
How does temperament affect stress response? - (answer) Specific strengths and vulnerabilities
determine how one reacts to stressors, serving as a good indicator of adult reactions.
, NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the impact of social support on stress? - (answer) Strong support from significant others
enhances mental/physical health and acts as a buffer against distress.
How does culture affect stress perception? - (answer) Cultural differences exist in how people perceive
events as stressful and in the behaviors they consider appropriate for dealing with stress.
What is the purpose of the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire? - (answer) To measure
positive/negative life events and stress levels over the past 6 months to a year.
What are some coping strategies for managing stress? - (answer) Health-sustaining habits, life
satisfaction, social support, and effective responses to stress.
What are some relaxation techniques beneficial for anxiety and depression? - (answer) Biofeedback,
deep-breathing exercises, guided imagery, progressive relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, and physical
exercise.
What is biofeedback? - (answer) A technique that uses a recording device to detect internal
physiological processes, providing feedback on somatic activity.
What is the focus of deep-breathing exercises? - (answer) To take slow, deep, even breaths, focusing
first on abdominal breathing and then quieting mental noise.
What is guided imagery? - (answer) A relaxation technique that involves focusing on pleasant images
to replace negative or stressful feelings.
What is progressive relaxation? - (answer) A method to decrease anxiety by deliberately tightening and
then relaxing muscle groups.
What is meditation? - (answer) A discipline for training the mind to develop calmness and elicit a
relaxation response.
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system in stress response? - (answer) It activates the stress
response, leading to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, dilated pupils,
sweating, muscle tension, and a surge of glucose for energy.
What triggers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system during stress? - (answer) Perceived
dangerous stimuli are sent to the brain's amygdala, which processes emotional data and signals the
hypothalamus to activate the adrenal glands.
What hormones are released during the stress response? - (answer) Adrenaline (epinephrine) is
released from the adrenal glands, and cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex after stimulation by
ACTH.
What is the function of the hypothalamus in the stress response? - (answer) It secretes corticotropin-
releasing hormone that stimulates the pituitary gland to release ACTH, leading to cortisol production.
What are the three stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) theory? - (answer) 1. Alarm:
initial response to stress; 2. Resistance: adaptation stage; 3. Exhaustion: resources are depleted, leading
to potential health issues.
What happens during the alarm stage of GAS? - (answer) There is a brief and adaptive response to the
stressor, including blood vessel constriction and the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine.
What characterizes the resistance stage of GAS? - (answer) It is the adaptation stage where the body
sustains optimal resistance and hormone levels adjust, allowing recovery and return to homeostasis.
What are the consequences of the exhaustion stage in GAS? - (answer) Attempts to resist the stressor
are futile, resources are depleted, leading to chronic stress, immune system challenges, and potential
health disorders.
How do females differ from males in their stress responses? - (answer) Females may exhibit a 'tend
and befriend' response due to estrogen exposure, while males may experience altered prefrontal blood
flow.
,NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the definition of stress? - (answer) Stress is the brain's response to any demand that poses a
challenge or threat to mental or physical health.
What is distress and how does it affect individuals? - (answer) Distress is negative stress that drains
energy and can lead to anxiety, depression, confusion, helplessness, and fatigue.
What is eustress? - (answer) Eustress is positive stress that motivates individuals and results in feelings
of happiness, hopefulness, and purposeful movement.
What are some examples of physical stressors? - (answer) Illness, poor diet, lack of sleep,
environmental toxins, physical exertion, and prolonged sitting.
What are some examples of psychological stressors? - (answer) Work/school demands, social conflicts,
life events (like death or divorce), financial issues, and personal health challenges.
What is the nurse's role in managing patient stress? - (answer) The nurse should promote a healing
environment, facilitate coping strategies, and teach adaptive ways to cope.
What physiological changes occur in the body during the stress response? - (answer) Increased heart
rate, elevated blood pressure, rapid breathing, and release of stress hormones.
What is the impact of childhood stress exposure on adult mental health? - (answer) High levels of
stress in childhood may lead to greater incidences of mental illness in adulthood.
What is the significance of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in stress response? - (answer)
It regulates the body's response to stress through hormone release, particularly cortisol, which helps
manage energy and metabolism.
What are the clinical manifestations of chronic stress? - (answer) Disorders may develop, including
anxiety and somatic symptoms.
,NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
How can nurses facilitate successful coping in patients? - (answer) By providing basic needs, role
modeling effective coping strategies, and encouraging self-affirmation.
What is the importance of developing future coping strategies for patients? - (answer) It helps patients
maintain stability and adapt to stressors effectively once they are stabilized.
What is the relationship between stress and the immune system? - (answer) Chronic stress can
challenge the immune system, leading to increased vulnerability to illness.
What are the potential outcomes of prolonged stress on health? - (answer) Chronic stress can lead to
cardiac or renal failure and may ultimately result in death.
What can acute stress cause? - (answer) Uneasiness/concern, sadness, loss of appetite, suppression of
the immune system, hypertension, decreased memory/learning, infertility, impotence.
What are some effects of chronic stress? - (answer) Anxiety/panic attacks, major depressive disorder,
anorexia/overeating, lowered resistance to infections, insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus, increased
fatigue/irritability, amenorrhea or loss of sex drive, increased risk for cardiac events.
How does chronic stress affect the immune system? - (answer) It can lead to malfunctions resulting in
autoimmune disorders, immunodeficiency, and hypersensitivities, but can also enhance the immune
system temporarily.
What role do cytokines play in stress and the immune system? - (answer) Cytokines activate the
immune system but their release is limited due to corticosteroids that inhibit immune function.
What factors influence an individual's perception of stress? - (answer) Age, gender, culture, life
experience, and lifestyle.
How does temperament affect stress response? - (answer) Specific strengths and vulnerabilities
determine how one reacts to stressors, serving as a good indicator of adult reactions.
, NURS 256 MENTAL HEALTH EXAM 2 LATEST 2023-2024 COMPLETE EXAM 100 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
What is the impact of social support on stress? - (answer) Strong support from significant others
enhances mental/physical health and acts as a buffer against distress.
How does culture affect stress perception? - (answer) Cultural differences exist in how people perceive
events as stressful and in the behaviors they consider appropriate for dealing with stress.
What is the purpose of the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire? - (answer) To measure
positive/negative life events and stress levels over the past 6 months to a year.
What are some coping strategies for managing stress? - (answer) Health-sustaining habits, life
satisfaction, social support, and effective responses to stress.
What are some relaxation techniques beneficial for anxiety and depression? - (answer) Biofeedback,
deep-breathing exercises, guided imagery, progressive relaxation, meditation, mindfulness, and physical
exercise.
What is biofeedback? - (answer) A technique that uses a recording device to detect internal
physiological processes, providing feedback on somatic activity.
What is the focus of deep-breathing exercises? - (answer) To take slow, deep, even breaths, focusing
first on abdominal breathing and then quieting mental noise.
What is guided imagery? - (answer) A relaxation technique that involves focusing on pleasant images
to replace negative or stressful feelings.
What is progressive relaxation? - (answer) A method to decrease anxiety by deliberately tightening and
then relaxing muscle groups.
What is meditation? - (answer) A discipline for training the mind to develop calmness and elicit a
relaxation response.
