,OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Student Answer Guide
OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health
Nursing Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing ...................................................... 3
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Theories and Therapies..................................................................... 7
Chapter 3: Communication, Perception, and Assessment ........................................................... 12
Chapter 4: Neurology and Pharmacology Standards ................................................................... 16
Chapter 5: Therapeutic Settings ................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 6: Therapeutic Relationships........................................................................................... 26
Chapter 7: Interprofessional Care................................................................................................. 30
Chapter 8: Cultural Considerations ............................................................................................... 41
Chapter 9: Social and Emotional Concerns ................................................................................... 47
Chapter 10: Legal and Ethical Guidelines ..................................................................................... 54
Chapter 11: Court Involvement .................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 12: Self-Determination and Advocacy ............................................................................ 64
Chapter 13: Clinical Guidelines and Practice ................................................................................ 71
Chapter 14: Neurocognitive Disorders ......................................................................................... 82
Chapter 15: Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder and Other Psychotic Disorders .......................... 87
Chapter 16: Mood Disorders and Suicide ..................................................................................... 90
Chapter 17: Anxiety, OCD, and Trauma-Stressor Disorders ......................................................... 95
Chapter 18: Personality Disorders .............................................................................................. 102
Chapter 19: Substance Use and Misuse ..................................................................................... 106
Chapter 20: Eating Disorders ...................................................................................................... 111
Chapter 21: Somatic Symptom Disorders ................................................................................... 116
Chapter 22: Sexual Dysfunction and Gender Dysphoria ............................................................ 120
Chapter 23: Children and Adolescents ....................................................................................... 125
Chapter 24: Older Adults ............................................................................................................ 132
Chapter 25: Community Mental Health Treatment ................................................................... 137
Chapter 26: Adjuncts to Treatments .......................................................................................... 141
Chapter 27: Current Trends and Growing Needs ....................................................................... 146
Chapter 28: Critical Thinking in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing .......................................... 151
2
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3/13/2025
,OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
Review Questions
1. Nurse Jon is caring for a client with severe anxiety. Their anxiety has recently increased so
much that the client is unable to go to work. Nurse Jon realizes that according to the mental
health to mental illness continuum, this client is in the category of:
a. emotional problems or concerns
b. well-being
c. mental illness
d. between well-being and emotional problems
[Answer: C]
3. What is the scope of psychiatric-mental health nursing practice?
a. assessment, education, medication administration, and screening for suicide risk
b. assessment, medical diagnosis, giving orders, writing prescriptions, admitting, and
discharging
c. assisting providers, assisting with ADLs, monitoring clients, offering support, promoting
safety
d. assessment, counseling, teaching coping skills, giving advice, listening
[Answer: A]
5. A client of the local mental health clinic arrives for their appointment out of breath, hair a
mess, and clothing askew. The receptionist tells the client, “You are fifteen minutes late. I
will have to see if the doctor can still see you.” The client responds, “I know I am late. I can
explain, my mother-in-law had a bad night. She lives with my husband and me. I am just so
tired of taking care of her.” This example falls under which category of risk factors?
a. genetic comorbidities
b. psychological factors
c. social factors
d. victimization
[Answer: C]
7. To keep the plan of care client-centered, what important assessment should the nurse do
after identifying several risk factors for substance abuse in a client?
a. contact a rehab center for an intake assessment
b. perform a client strengths assessment
c. ask the psychiatrist to screen for depression
d. complete a health assessment
[Answer: B]
9. A person with mental illness does not want to seek care because of the shame they feel for
being sick. What type of stigma is this related to?
a. self-stigma
b. caregiver stigma
c. institutional stigma
d. public stigma
3
, OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Student Answer Guide
[Answer: A]
11 A student nurse is studying for an exam on the recovery process. It is evident that they
understand the concept when they explain to their study group:
a. “The majority of people with mental illness or substance use do not recover.”
b. “The recovery process is dictated by the health-care team.”
c. “Recovery is a nonlinear process based on instilling hope.”
d. “In recovery, a client needs to advocate for themselves right from the start.”
[Answer: C]
13. What should the psychiatric nurse do to assist individuals and families to understand the
recovery process and the resources available to them?
a. psychoeducation
b. create a care plan for them
c. refer them to a psychiatrist
d. refer them to a website to read on their own
[Answer: A]
15. Nurse Sheila makes adjustments to the client’s plan of care after talking with the client. This
is most likely an example of the ________ component of the EBP model.
a. best available research
b. client preferences
c. nursing expertise
d. review of evidence
[Answer: B]
17. What should the nurse do to locate credible sources of research in order to practice
evidence-based interventions?
a. The nurse should ask a supervisor for help locating credible sources.
b. The nurse should access CINAHL or another professional database.
c. The nurse should perform a Wikipedia search.
d. The nurse should ask a librarian to gather information for them.
[Answer: B]
Check Your Understanding Questions
1. Define psychiatric-mental health.
[Answer: Psychiatric-mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their
own abilities, copes with the normal stresses of life, works productively, and contributes to
their community.]
3. Why do nurses complete a spiritual assessment as part of the psychosocial assessment?
[Answers may vary, but should include that spirituality is a protective factor. Knowing the
importance of spirituality to the client helps the nurse create interventions specific to that
client’s needs.]
5. Identify the five stages of psychiatric-mental health recovery.
4
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
3/13/2025
OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health
Nursing Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing ...................................................... 3
Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Theories and Therapies..................................................................... 7
Chapter 3: Communication, Perception, and Assessment ........................................................... 12
Chapter 4: Neurology and Pharmacology Standards ................................................................... 16
Chapter 5: Therapeutic Settings ................................................................................................... 21
Chapter 6: Therapeutic Relationships........................................................................................... 26
Chapter 7: Interprofessional Care................................................................................................. 30
Chapter 8: Cultural Considerations ............................................................................................... 41
Chapter 9: Social and Emotional Concerns ................................................................................... 47
Chapter 10: Legal and Ethical Guidelines ..................................................................................... 54
Chapter 11: Court Involvement .................................................................................................... 57
Chapter 12: Self-Determination and Advocacy ............................................................................ 64
Chapter 13: Clinical Guidelines and Practice ................................................................................ 71
Chapter 14: Neurocognitive Disorders ......................................................................................... 82
Chapter 15: Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder and Other Psychotic Disorders .......................... 87
Chapter 16: Mood Disorders and Suicide ..................................................................................... 90
Chapter 17: Anxiety, OCD, and Trauma-Stressor Disorders ......................................................... 95
Chapter 18: Personality Disorders .............................................................................................. 102
Chapter 19: Substance Use and Misuse ..................................................................................... 106
Chapter 20: Eating Disorders ...................................................................................................... 111
Chapter 21: Somatic Symptom Disorders ................................................................................... 116
Chapter 22: Sexual Dysfunction and Gender Dysphoria ............................................................ 120
Chapter 23: Children and Adolescents ....................................................................................... 125
Chapter 24: Older Adults ............................................................................................................ 132
Chapter 25: Community Mental Health Treatment ................................................................... 137
Chapter 26: Adjuncts to Treatments .......................................................................................... 141
Chapter 27: Current Trends and Growing Needs ....................................................................... 146
Chapter 28: Critical Thinking in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing .......................................... 151
2
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
3/13/2025
,OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Student Answer Guide
Chapter 1: Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
Review Questions
1. Nurse Jon is caring for a client with severe anxiety. Their anxiety has recently increased so
much that the client is unable to go to work. Nurse Jon realizes that according to the mental
health to mental illness continuum, this client is in the category of:
a. emotional problems or concerns
b. well-being
c. mental illness
d. between well-being and emotional problems
[Answer: C]
3. What is the scope of psychiatric-mental health nursing practice?
a. assessment, education, medication administration, and screening for suicide risk
b. assessment, medical diagnosis, giving orders, writing prescriptions, admitting, and
discharging
c. assisting providers, assisting with ADLs, monitoring clients, offering support, promoting
safety
d. assessment, counseling, teaching coping skills, giving advice, listening
[Answer: A]
5. A client of the local mental health clinic arrives for their appointment out of breath, hair a
mess, and clothing askew. The receptionist tells the client, “You are fifteen minutes late. I
will have to see if the doctor can still see you.” The client responds, “I know I am late. I can
explain, my mother-in-law had a bad night. She lives with my husband and me. I am just so
tired of taking care of her.” This example falls under which category of risk factors?
a. genetic comorbidities
b. psychological factors
c. social factors
d. victimization
[Answer: C]
7. To keep the plan of care client-centered, what important assessment should the nurse do
after identifying several risk factors for substance abuse in a client?
a. contact a rehab center for an intake assessment
b. perform a client strengths assessment
c. ask the psychiatrist to screen for depression
d. complete a health assessment
[Answer: B]
9. A person with mental illness does not want to seek care because of the shame they feel for
being sick. What type of stigma is this related to?
a. self-stigma
b. caregiver stigma
c. institutional stigma
d. public stigma
3
, OpenStax Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Student Answer Guide
[Answer: A]
11 A student nurse is studying for an exam on the recovery process. It is evident that they
understand the concept when they explain to their study group:
a. “The majority of people with mental illness or substance use do not recover.”
b. “The recovery process is dictated by the health-care team.”
c. “Recovery is a nonlinear process based on instilling hope.”
d. “In recovery, a client needs to advocate for themselves right from the start.”
[Answer: C]
13. What should the psychiatric nurse do to assist individuals and families to understand the
recovery process and the resources available to them?
a. psychoeducation
b. create a care plan for them
c. refer them to a psychiatrist
d. refer them to a website to read on their own
[Answer: A]
15. Nurse Sheila makes adjustments to the client’s plan of care after talking with the client. This
is most likely an example of the ________ component of the EBP model.
a. best available research
b. client preferences
c. nursing expertise
d. review of evidence
[Answer: B]
17. What should the nurse do to locate credible sources of research in order to practice
evidence-based interventions?
a. The nurse should ask a supervisor for help locating credible sources.
b. The nurse should access CINAHL or another professional database.
c. The nurse should perform a Wikipedia search.
d. The nurse should ask a librarian to gather information for them.
[Answer: B]
Check Your Understanding Questions
1. Define psychiatric-mental health.
[Answer: Psychiatric-mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their
own abilities, copes with the normal stresses of life, works productively, and contributes to
their community.]
3. Why do nurses complete a spiritual assessment as part of the psychosocial assessment?
[Answers may vary, but should include that spirituality is a protective factor. Knowing the
importance of spirituality to the client helps the nurse create interventions specific to that
client’s needs.]
5. Identify the five stages of psychiatric-mental health recovery.
4
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
3/13/2025
