WGU D579 Mental Health Awareness and Education: Exam 2
50 questions
1. Why is it important to view mental health on a continuum rather than as 'healthy vs. ill'?
A. Only people with diagnoses need support
B. Everyone's mental health changes over time, and support can be offered before a crisis
C. Mental health never changes
D. It allows labeling everyone
Correct Answer: B. Everyone's mental health changes over time, and support can be offered
before a crisis
Rationale: Continuum thinking encourages prevention and early help.
2. Why does self-stigma reduce recovery?
A. It increases motivation
B. It improves social support
C. It lowers self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to a 'why try' effect and less help-seeking
D. It only affects family members
Correct Answer: C. It lowers self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to a 'why try' effect and
less help-seeking
Rationale: Internalized stereotypes undermine goals.
3. Why is contact-based education effective at reducing stigma?
A. It uses fear
B. Meeting people with lived experience challenges stereotypes and builds empathy
C. It avoids discussion
D. It focuses only on statistics
Correct Answer: B. Meeting people with lived experience challenges stereotypes and builds
empathy
Rationale: Personal stories humanize mental illness.
4. A college campaign shows only images of people in crisis holding their heads. This may
unintentionally:
A. Reduce stigma
B. Increase help-seeking in all cases
C. Promote recovery stories
D. Reinforce stereotypes and hopelessness
Correct Answer: D. Reinforce stereotypes and hopelessness
Rationale: Images should show hope and recovery.
5. How do social determinants such as discrimination affect mental health?
A. They have no effect
B. They only affect physical health
C. They make people more resilient automatically
D. They create chronic stress and limit access to resources and care
Correct Answer: D. They create chronic stress and limit access to resources and care
Rationale: Structural factors drive disparities.
, 6. Why is the 'chemical imbalance' explanation of depression considered oversimplified?
A. Depression involves complex interactions of genetics, brain circuits, stress, thinking and social
factors
B. Brain chemistry has no role
C. Depression is purely a choice
D. Only serotonin matters
Correct Answer: A. Depression involves complex interactions of genetics, brain circuits,
stress, thinking and social factors
Rationale: The biopsychosocial model is more complete.
7. Why does avoidance maintain anxiety?
A. It cures anxiety
B. It increases exposure
C. Escaping feared situations brings short-term relief that reinforces avoidance and prevents learning
the situation is safe
D. It has no effect
Correct Answer: C. Escaping feared situations brings short-term relief that reinforces
avoidance and prevents learning the situation is safe
Rationale: Exposure therapy breaks this cycle.
8. Why is exposure therapy effective for phobias?
A. It avoids the feared object
B. It uses medication only
C. It focuses on childhood memories only
D. Gradual, repeated exposure without escape reduces fear through new learning
Correct Answer: D. Gradual, repeated exposure without escape reduces fear through new
learning
Rationale: Fear decreases as expectations are disconfirmed.
9. How does PTSD differ from normal stress after trauma?
A. Normal stress lasts years
B. PTSD has no avoidance
C. There is no difference
D. PTSD symptoms persist beyond a month and significantly impair functioning
Correct Answer: D. PTSD symptoms persist beyond a month and significantly impair
functioning
Rationale: Most people recover naturally over weeks.
10. A soldier returning from deployment feels guilt over actions that violated his values. This is
best described as:
A. Mania
B. ADHD
C. Schizophrenia
D. Moral injury
Correct Answer: D. Moral injury
Rationale: Moral injury can coexist with PTSD.
50 questions
1. Why is it important to view mental health on a continuum rather than as 'healthy vs. ill'?
A. Only people with diagnoses need support
B. Everyone's mental health changes over time, and support can be offered before a crisis
C. Mental health never changes
D. It allows labeling everyone
Correct Answer: B. Everyone's mental health changes over time, and support can be offered
before a crisis
Rationale: Continuum thinking encourages prevention and early help.
2. Why does self-stigma reduce recovery?
A. It increases motivation
B. It improves social support
C. It lowers self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to a 'why try' effect and less help-seeking
D. It only affects family members
Correct Answer: C. It lowers self-esteem and self-efficacy, leading to a 'why try' effect and
less help-seeking
Rationale: Internalized stereotypes undermine goals.
3. Why is contact-based education effective at reducing stigma?
A. It uses fear
B. Meeting people with lived experience challenges stereotypes and builds empathy
C. It avoids discussion
D. It focuses only on statistics
Correct Answer: B. Meeting people with lived experience challenges stereotypes and builds
empathy
Rationale: Personal stories humanize mental illness.
4. A college campaign shows only images of people in crisis holding their heads. This may
unintentionally:
A. Reduce stigma
B. Increase help-seeking in all cases
C. Promote recovery stories
D. Reinforce stereotypes and hopelessness
Correct Answer: D. Reinforce stereotypes and hopelessness
Rationale: Images should show hope and recovery.
5. How do social determinants such as discrimination affect mental health?
A. They have no effect
B. They only affect physical health
C. They make people more resilient automatically
D. They create chronic stress and limit access to resources and care
Correct Answer: D. They create chronic stress and limit access to resources and care
Rationale: Structural factors drive disparities.
, 6. Why is the 'chemical imbalance' explanation of depression considered oversimplified?
A. Depression involves complex interactions of genetics, brain circuits, stress, thinking and social
factors
B. Brain chemistry has no role
C. Depression is purely a choice
D. Only serotonin matters
Correct Answer: A. Depression involves complex interactions of genetics, brain circuits,
stress, thinking and social factors
Rationale: The biopsychosocial model is more complete.
7. Why does avoidance maintain anxiety?
A. It cures anxiety
B. It increases exposure
C. Escaping feared situations brings short-term relief that reinforces avoidance and prevents learning
the situation is safe
D. It has no effect
Correct Answer: C. Escaping feared situations brings short-term relief that reinforces
avoidance and prevents learning the situation is safe
Rationale: Exposure therapy breaks this cycle.
8. Why is exposure therapy effective for phobias?
A. It avoids the feared object
B. It uses medication only
C. It focuses on childhood memories only
D. Gradual, repeated exposure without escape reduces fear through new learning
Correct Answer: D. Gradual, repeated exposure without escape reduces fear through new
learning
Rationale: Fear decreases as expectations are disconfirmed.
9. How does PTSD differ from normal stress after trauma?
A. Normal stress lasts years
B. PTSD has no avoidance
C. There is no difference
D. PTSD symptoms persist beyond a month and significantly impair functioning
Correct Answer: D. PTSD symptoms persist beyond a month and significantly impair
functioning
Rationale: Most people recover naturally over weeks.
10. A soldier returning from deployment feels guilt over actions that violated his values. This is
best described as:
A. Mania
B. ADHD
C. Schizophrenia
D. Moral injury
Correct Answer: D. Moral injury
Rationale: Moral injury can coexist with PTSD.
