ATI Mental Health: Personality Disorders Practice Exam 2026
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Paranoid Personality Disorder. Which
behavior should the nurse expect?
A. Extreme suspicion of others
B. Excessive emotionality
C. Submissive behavior
D. Lack of remorse for others
Answer: A
Rationale: Paranoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a pervasive distrust and
suspicion of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent.
2. Which personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of intense and
unstable relationships and an unstable self-image?
A. Schizoid Personality Disorder
B. Avoidant Personality Disorder
C. Borderline Personality Disorder
D. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Answer: C
Rationale: Borderline Personality Disorder is marked by instability in affect, identity, and
relationships, often involving splitting and fear of abandonment.
,3. A client with Antisocial Personality Disorder is being aggressive toward
another peer. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Set clear limits and consequences for the behavior
B. Provide a detailed explanation of why the behavior is wrong
C. Offer a PRN sedative immediately
D. Ignore the behavior to avoid reinforcement
Answer: A
Rationale: For clients with Antisocial Personality Disorder, setting firm, consistent limits
and consequences is the priority intervention to manage manipulative or aggressive
behavior.
4. Which cluster of personality disorders is described as ‘odd or eccentric’?
A. Cluster B
B. Cluster A
C. Cluster C
D. Cluster D
Answer: B
Rationale: Cluster A includes Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal personality disorders,
which are characterized by odd or eccentric behaviors.
5. A client demonstrates a pattern of needing to be the center of attention,
using physical appearance to draw attention, and displaying exaggerated
emotions. This is consistent with:
A. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
B. Schizotypal Personality Disorder
C. Dependent Personality Disorder
D. Histrionic Personality Disorder
Answer: D
, Rationale: Histrionic Personality Disorder involves colorful, dramatic, and extroverted
behavior in excitable people who enjoy being the center of attention.
6. A nurse is managing a client with Schizoid Personality Disorder. What is a
typical characteristic of this disorder?
A. Magical thinking
B. Fear of abandonment
C. Emotional detachment and preference for isolation
D. Arrogance and grandiosity
Answer: C
Rationale: Schizoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a profound defect in the
ability to form personal relationships and a preference for solitary activities.
7. When working with a client who uses ‘splitting,’ the nurse should:
A. Agree with the client’s perception of other staff
B. Allow the client to choose which staff member provides care
C. Communicate frequently with the treatment team to maintain consistency
D. Avoid discussing the client’s feelings about staff
Answer: C
Rationale: Splitting is a defense mechanism where the client sees people as all good or all
bad. Consistent communication among the team prevents the client from playing staff
against each other.
8. A client with Narcissistic Personality Disorder is likely to exhibit which of the
following?
A. Feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem
B. Severe social anxiety and avoidance
C. A sense of entitlement and lack of empathy
D. Self-sacrificing behavior for others
Answer: C
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is caring for a client with Paranoid Personality Disorder. Which
behavior should the nurse expect?
A. Extreme suspicion of others
B. Excessive emotionality
C. Submissive behavior
D. Lack of remorse for others
Answer: A
Rationale: Paranoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a pervasive distrust and
suspicion of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent.
2. Which personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of intense and
unstable relationships and an unstable self-image?
A. Schizoid Personality Disorder
B. Avoidant Personality Disorder
C. Borderline Personality Disorder
D. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Answer: C
Rationale: Borderline Personality Disorder is marked by instability in affect, identity, and
relationships, often involving splitting and fear of abandonment.
,3. A client with Antisocial Personality Disorder is being aggressive toward
another peer. Which action should the nurse take first?
A. Set clear limits and consequences for the behavior
B. Provide a detailed explanation of why the behavior is wrong
C. Offer a PRN sedative immediately
D. Ignore the behavior to avoid reinforcement
Answer: A
Rationale: For clients with Antisocial Personality Disorder, setting firm, consistent limits
and consequences is the priority intervention to manage manipulative or aggressive
behavior.
4. Which cluster of personality disorders is described as ‘odd or eccentric’?
A. Cluster B
B. Cluster A
C. Cluster C
D. Cluster D
Answer: B
Rationale: Cluster A includes Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal personality disorders,
which are characterized by odd or eccentric behaviors.
5. A client demonstrates a pattern of needing to be the center of attention,
using physical appearance to draw attention, and displaying exaggerated
emotions. This is consistent with:
A. Narcissistic Personality Disorder
B. Schizotypal Personality Disorder
C. Dependent Personality Disorder
D. Histrionic Personality Disorder
Answer: D
, Rationale: Histrionic Personality Disorder involves colorful, dramatic, and extroverted
behavior in excitable people who enjoy being the center of attention.
6. A nurse is managing a client with Schizoid Personality Disorder. What is a
typical characteristic of this disorder?
A. Magical thinking
B. Fear of abandonment
C. Emotional detachment and preference for isolation
D. Arrogance and grandiosity
Answer: C
Rationale: Schizoid Personality Disorder is characterized by a profound defect in the
ability to form personal relationships and a preference for solitary activities.
7. When working with a client who uses ‘splitting,’ the nurse should:
A. Agree with the client’s perception of other staff
B. Allow the client to choose which staff member provides care
C. Communicate frequently with the treatment team to maintain consistency
D. Avoid discussing the client’s feelings about staff
Answer: C
Rationale: Splitting is a defense mechanism where the client sees people as all good or all
bad. Consistent communication among the team prevents the client from playing staff
against each other.
8. A client with Narcissistic Personality Disorder is likely to exhibit which of the
following?
A. Feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem
B. Severe social anxiety and avoidance
C. A sense of entitlement and lack of empathy
D. Self-sacrificing behavior for others
Answer: C
