NR546 WEEK 5 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE COMPLETE
EXAM STUDY GUIDE WITH PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025–2026
Pharmacologic Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder - correct answer -Selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
Serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs)
Miscellaneous antidepressants
Monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitors
Adjunct: antipsychotics
Pharmacologic Treatment of Bipolar Disorder - correct answer -Lithium
Anticonvulsants
Second generation antipsychotics
Mood disorders: role of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is to: - correct
answer -determine the malfunctioning brain circuit responsible for the client's presenting
symptoms and select the appropriate medication that targets the associated
neurotransmitter(s)
Mood disorders manifest across a spectrum from: - correct answer -mania to major depressive
disorder (MDD)
Unipolar depression - correct answer -major depressive disorder (MDD)
one of the most common mental disorders
,-Approximately 7.1% of adults in the U.S. had episode in last year, prevalence highest (13.1%)
among individuals aged 18-25
S/S
-depressed mood
-loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities
-irritability
-withdrawal
-problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth
-severe depression: may experience thoughts of suicide or psychotic symptoms.
Bipolar disorder (BD) - correct answer -Chronic condition characterized by extreme fluctuations
in mood, energy, and ability to function
-Moods may be manic, hypomanic, or depressed and may include mixed mood or psychotic
features
-many have only experienced only one manic episode in their lifetime
-Mood fluctuations may be separated by periods of high stability or may cycle rapidly
-diagnosed when a client has one or more episodes of mania or hypomania with a history of
one or more major depressive episodes
-high risk for suicide
mania - correct answer -characterized by a persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.
Related symptoms may include inflated self-esteem, increased goal-directed activity or energy,
including grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, excessive talkativeness, racing thoughts, flight
of ideas (FOI), distractibility, psychomotor agitation, and a propensity to be involved in high-risk
activities. Mania leads to significant functional impairment and may include psychotic features
or necessitate hospitalization
,Bipolar Type I: - correct answer -requires at least one episode of mania for at least one week (or
any duration if hospitalization due to symptoms is required)
Bipolar Type II: - correct answer -diagnosis requires a current or past hypomanic episode and a
current or past major depressive episode. Symptoms last for at least 4 days but fewer than
seven.
-Hypomanic symptoms are not of sufficient duration or severity to cause significant functional
impairment, psychosis, or hospitalization.
-Anger and irritability are common.
-Clients often enjoy the elevation of mood and are reluctant to report these symptoms, making
bipolar more difficult to diagnose if the client presents in the depression phase.
Cyclothymia: - correct answer -involves the chronic presentation of hypomanic and depressive
symptoms that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive or manic/hypomanic
episode.
If bipolar depression is mistaken for MDD: - correct answer -antidepressant therapy may
precipitate a manic episode or induce rapid-cycling bipolar depression
-may contribute to the increased incidence of death by suicide in children and adults younger
than 25
Antidepressants are used cautiously in clients with bipolar disorder and never as
________________. - correct answer -monotherapy
-Antidepressants should be combined with a mood stabilizer to prevent the onset of a
hypomanic or manic episode
DA, NE Dysfunction causes what mood related symptoms - correct answer -Decreased positive
affect:
depressed mood
loss of joy
, lack of interest
loss of energy
decreased alertness
decreased self-confidence
appetite changes
5HT, NE Dysfunction causes what mood related symptoms - correct answer -Increased negative
affect:
depressed mood
guilt
fear/anxiety
hostility
irritability
loneliness
appetite changes
neurobiological factors that contribute to mood and mood disorders: Genetics - correct answer
-MDD and BD are heritable disorders
-genetic factors 31-42% of the disease risk in MDD and 59-85% in BD
-causes of mood disorders complex, likely involve interactions between genetic/epigenetic,
biological, psychological, and social factors including:
• dysfunctions in brain
• imbalance of neurotransmitters
• life events
• abuse or trauma
• substance use or medication
• menstruation
EXAM STUDY GUIDE WITH PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025–2026
Pharmacologic Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder - correct answer -Selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
Serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs)
Miscellaneous antidepressants
Monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitors
Adjunct: antipsychotics
Pharmacologic Treatment of Bipolar Disorder - correct answer -Lithium
Anticonvulsants
Second generation antipsychotics
Mood disorders: role of the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is to: - correct
answer -determine the malfunctioning brain circuit responsible for the client's presenting
symptoms and select the appropriate medication that targets the associated
neurotransmitter(s)
Mood disorders manifest across a spectrum from: - correct answer -mania to major depressive
disorder (MDD)
Unipolar depression - correct answer -major depressive disorder (MDD)
one of the most common mental disorders
,-Approximately 7.1% of adults in the U.S. had episode in last year, prevalence highest (13.1%)
among individuals aged 18-25
S/S
-depressed mood
-loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities
-irritability
-withdrawal
-problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth
-severe depression: may experience thoughts of suicide or psychotic symptoms.
Bipolar disorder (BD) - correct answer -Chronic condition characterized by extreme fluctuations
in mood, energy, and ability to function
-Moods may be manic, hypomanic, or depressed and may include mixed mood or psychotic
features
-many have only experienced only one manic episode in their lifetime
-Mood fluctuations may be separated by periods of high stability or may cycle rapidly
-diagnosed when a client has one or more episodes of mania or hypomania with a history of
one or more major depressive episodes
-high risk for suicide
mania - correct answer -characterized by a persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.
Related symptoms may include inflated self-esteem, increased goal-directed activity or energy,
including grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, excessive talkativeness, racing thoughts, flight
of ideas (FOI), distractibility, psychomotor agitation, and a propensity to be involved in high-risk
activities. Mania leads to significant functional impairment and may include psychotic features
or necessitate hospitalization
,Bipolar Type I: - correct answer -requires at least one episode of mania for at least one week (or
any duration if hospitalization due to symptoms is required)
Bipolar Type II: - correct answer -diagnosis requires a current or past hypomanic episode and a
current or past major depressive episode. Symptoms last for at least 4 days but fewer than
seven.
-Hypomanic symptoms are not of sufficient duration or severity to cause significant functional
impairment, psychosis, or hospitalization.
-Anger and irritability are common.
-Clients often enjoy the elevation of mood and are reluctant to report these symptoms, making
bipolar more difficult to diagnose if the client presents in the depression phase.
Cyclothymia: - correct answer -involves the chronic presentation of hypomanic and depressive
symptoms that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive or manic/hypomanic
episode.
If bipolar depression is mistaken for MDD: - correct answer -antidepressant therapy may
precipitate a manic episode or induce rapid-cycling bipolar depression
-may contribute to the increased incidence of death by suicide in children and adults younger
than 25
Antidepressants are used cautiously in clients with bipolar disorder and never as
________________. - correct answer -monotherapy
-Antidepressants should be combined with a mood stabilizer to prevent the onset of a
hypomanic or manic episode
DA, NE Dysfunction causes what mood related symptoms - correct answer -Decreased positive
affect:
depressed mood
loss of joy
, lack of interest
loss of energy
decreased alertness
decreased self-confidence
appetite changes
5HT, NE Dysfunction causes what mood related symptoms - correct answer -Increased negative
affect:
depressed mood
guilt
fear/anxiety
hostility
irritability
loneliness
appetite changes
neurobiological factors that contribute to mood and mood disorders: Genetics - correct answer
-MDD and BD are heritable disorders
-genetic factors 31-42% of the disease risk in MDD and 59-85% in BD
-causes of mood disorders complex, likely involve interactions between genetic/epigenetic,
biological, psychological, and social factors including:
• dysfunctions in brain
• imbalance of neurotransmitters
• life events
• abuse or trauma
• substance use or medication
• menstruation
