BARKLEY PMHNP ACTUAL EXAM BANK | 100% GRADED AND
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026 VERSION , GET IT
CORRECT!!!
What is the first step in the assessment process? - (ANSWER)Gather the chief complaint and
history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? - (ANSWER)C - Character of symptoms, O -
Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S - Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A -
Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? - (ANSWER)Relationships, work, education,
trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? - (ANSWER)Difficulties with parents,
teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health assessment? - (ANSWER)It helps
identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or substance use.
,What personal information should be gathered during assessment? - (ANSWER)Hobbies and
coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about schizophrenia risk? -
(ANSWER)Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the evaluation? - (ANSWER)To avoid bias and
ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric evaluations? - (ANSWER)To rule out
medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? - (ANSWER)Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and
REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? - (ANSWER)Appearance, behavior,
speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and cognitive examination.
,What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? - (ANSWER)To assess cognitive function
through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? - (ANSWER)Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a
clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? - (ANSWER)Orientation, memory recall, counting
backwards, language, and following commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale? - (ANSWER)0-76, with <7
indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
What does the PHQ-9 assess? - (ANSWER)Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with
a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? - (ANSWER)To assess anxiety symptoms
with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? - (ANSWER)Family history, speech patterns,
sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and impulsiveness.
, What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? - (ANSWER)Bipolar disorder through
yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? - (ANSWER)Symptoms must be present in two
different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess? - (ANSWER)Psychotic symptoms,
including those in children.
What does the AIMS scale measure? - (ANSWER)Abnormal involuntary movements to rule out
movement disorders.
What general labs should be screened for in psychiatric evaluations? - (ANSWER)CBC, CMP,
thyroid levels, B-12, folate, and Vitamin D.
What is the purpose of an EEG? - (ANSWER)To diagnose epilepsy and other brain conditions
by measuring electrical impulses.
What cranial nerve is responsible for smell? - (ANSWER)Olfactory nerve.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026 VERSION , GET IT
CORRECT!!!
What is the first step in the assessment process? - (ANSWER)Gather the chief complaint and
history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? - (ANSWER)C - Character of symptoms, O -
Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S - Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A -
Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? - (ANSWER)Relationships, work, education,
trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? - (ANSWER)Difficulties with parents,
teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health assessment? - (ANSWER)It helps
identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or substance use.
,What personal information should be gathered during assessment? - (ANSWER)Hobbies and
coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about schizophrenia risk? -
(ANSWER)Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the evaluation? - (ANSWER)To avoid bias and
ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric evaluations? - (ANSWER)To rule out
medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? - (ANSWER)Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and
REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? - (ANSWER)Appearance, behavior,
speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and cognitive examination.
,What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? - (ANSWER)To assess cognitive function
through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? - (ANSWER)Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a
clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? - (ANSWER)Orientation, memory recall, counting
backwards, language, and following commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale? - (ANSWER)0-76, with <7
indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
What does the PHQ-9 assess? - (ANSWER)Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with
a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? - (ANSWER)To assess anxiety symptoms
with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? - (ANSWER)Family history, speech patterns,
sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and impulsiveness.
, What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? - (ANSWER)Bipolar disorder through
yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? - (ANSWER)Symptoms must be present in two
different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess? - (ANSWER)Psychotic symptoms,
including those in children.
What does the AIMS scale measure? - (ANSWER)Abnormal involuntary movements to rule out
movement disorders.
What general labs should be screened for in psychiatric evaluations? - (ANSWER)CBC, CMP,
thyroid levels, B-12, folate, and Vitamin D.
What is the purpose of an EEG? - (ANSWER)To diagnose epilepsy and other brain conditions
by measuring electrical impulses.
What cranial nerve is responsible for smell? - (ANSWER)Olfactory nerve.
