Deck 1: Mental Health and Mental Illness

Question 1

In the majority culture of the United States,which individual has the greatest risk to be labeled mentally ill? One who:

A) describes hearing God's voice speaking.
B) is usually pessimistic but strives to meet personal goals.
C) is wealthy and gives away $20 bills to needy individuals.
D) always has an optimistic viewpoint about life and having own needs met.

Answer 1

describes hearing God's voice speaking.

Question 2

Which belief will best support a nurse's efforts to provide patient advocacy during a multidisciplinary patient care planning session?

A) All mental illnesses are culturally determined.
B) Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are cross-cultural disorders.
C) Symptoms of mental disorders are unchanged from culture to culture.
D) Assessment findings in mental disorders reflect a person's cultural patterns.

Answer 2

Assessment findings in mental disorders reflect a person's cultural patterns.

Question 3

Which finding best indicates that a patient has a mental illness? The patient:

A) responds to rules,routines,and customs of a group.
B) reports mood is consistently sad,discouraged,and hopeless.
C) performs tasks attempted within the limits set by own abilities.
D) is able to see the difference between the "as if" and the "for real."

Answer 3

reports mood is consistently sad,discouraged,and hopeless.

Question 4

Which finding best indicates that the goal "Demonstrate mentally healthy behavior" was achieved? A patient:

A) sees self as approaching ideals and capable of meeting demands.
B) seeks others to assume responsibility for major areas of own life.
C) behaves without considering the consequences of personal actions.
D) aggressively meets own needs without considering the rights of others.

Question 5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies:

A) deviant behaviors.
B) people with mental disorders.
C) present disability or distress.
D) mental disorders people have.

Question 6

Complete this analogy.NANDA : clinical judgment :: NIC : _________________

A) patient outcomes
B) nursing actions
C) diagnosis
D) symptoms

Question 7

A new staff nurse completes orientation to a psychiatric unit.This nurse may expect an advanced practice nurse to perform which additional interventions?

A) Conduct mental health assessments
B) Establish therapeutic relationships
C) Individualize nursing care plans
D) Prescribe psychotropic medication

Question 8

A nurse encounters an unfamiliar psychiatric disorder on a new patient's admission form.To determine criteria used to establish this diagnosis,the nurse should consult which resource?

A) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
B) A nursing diagnosis handbook
C) A psychiatric nursing textbook
D) A behavioral health reference manual

Question 9

A patient is depressed,mute,and motionless.According to family members,the patient has refused to bathe or eat for a week.The patient's global assessment of functioning score is:

A) 100
B) 50
C) 25
D) 10

Question 10

A newly admitted patient is uncommunicative about recent life events.The nurse suspects marital and economic problems,but the social worker's assessment is not yet available.Select the nurse's best action.

A) Focus assessment questions on these two topics.
B) Ask another patient who shares a room with this patient.
C) Avoid seeking information on these topics at this time.
D) Refer to axis IV of the DSM-IV-TR in the medical record.

Question 11

A new bill introduced in Congress would reduce funding for care of persons with mental illness.Groups of nurses write letters to their elected representatives in opposition to the legislation.Which role have the nurses fulfilled?

A) Advocacy
B) Attending
C) Recovery
D) Evidence-based practice

Question 12

Which documentation of diagnosis would a nurse expect in a psychiatric treatment setting?

A) I Acute renal failure
II 75
III Bipolar disorder I,mixed
IV Loss of disability benefits 2 months ago
V None
B) I Schizophrenia,paranoid type
II Death of spouse last year
III 60
IV None
V Diabetes,type 2
C) I Polysubstance dependence
II Narcissistic Personality Disorder
III 90
IV Hyperlipidemia
V Charges pending for assault
D) I Major Depression
II Avoidant Personality Disorder
III Hypertension
IV Home destroyed by hurricane last year
V 80

Question 13

A patient's relationships are intense and unstable.The patient initially idealizes the significant other and then devalues them,resulting in frequent feelings of emptiness.This patient will benefit from interventions to develop which aspect of mental health?

A) Effectiveness in work
B) Communication skills
C) Productive activities
D) Fulfilling relationships

Question 14

Two nursing students discuss their career plans after graduation.One student wants to enter psychiatric nursing.The other asks,"Why would you want to be a psychiatric nurse? The only thing they do is talk.You'll lose all your skills." Select the best response.

A) "Psychiatric nurses practice in safer environments than other specialties.Nurse-to-patient ratios must be better because of the nature of the patients' problems."
B) "Psychiatric nurses use complex communication skills as well as critical thinking to solve multidimensional problems.I am challenged by those situations."
C) "I think I will be good in the mental health field.I did not like clinical rotations in school,so I do not want to continue them after I graduate."
D) "Psychiatric nurses do not have to deal with as much pain and suffering as medical-surgical nurses do.That appeals to me."

Question 15

A college student said,"Most of the time I'm happy and feel good about myself.I have learned that what I get out of something is proportional to the effort I put into it." Which number on this mental health continuum should the nurse select?
Mental Illness Mental Health
1 2 3 4 5

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Question 16

An informal group of patients discusses their perceptions of nursing care.Which comment best indicates a patient perceived the nurse was caring? "My nurse:

A) always asks me which type of juice I want to help me swallow my medication."
B) explained my treatment plan to me and asked for my ideas about how to make it better."
C) told me that if I take all the medicines the doctor prescribes,then I will get discharged soon."
D) spends time listening to me talk about my problems.That helps me feel like I'm not alone."

Question 17

Which comment most clearly shows a speaker views mental illness with stigma?

A) "Some mental illnesses are inherited."
B) "Most people with mental illness are unmotivated."
C) "Severe environmental stress sometimes causes mental illness."
D) "Some mental illnesses are brain disorders resulting from changes in how impulses are transmitted."

Question 18

A nurse explains the multiaxial DSM-IV-TR to a psychiatric technician and includes information that it:

A) focuses on plans for treatment.
B) includes nursing and medical diagnoses.
C) classifies problems in multiple areas of functioning.
D) uses the framework of a specific biopsychosocial theory.

Question 19

A nurse wants to find a description of diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders.Which resource would have the most complete information?

A) The ICD-10
B) Nursing Outcomes Classification
C) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
D) The ANA Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice

Question 20

A nurse participating in a community health fair is asked,"What is the most prevalent mental disorder in the United States?" Select the nurse's best response.

A) Schizophrenia
B) "Why do you ask?"
C) Bipolar disorder
D) Alzheimer's disease

Question 21

The spouse of a patient with schizophrenia says,"I don't understand how nurturing or toilet training in childhood has anything to do with this incredibly disabling illness." Which response by the nurse will best help the spouse understand this disorder?

A) "This illness is the result of genetic factors."
B) "Psychological stress is at the root of most mental disorders."
C) "It must be frustrating for you that your spouse is sick so much of the time."
D) "New findings show that this condition more likely has biological rather than psychological origins."

Question 22

A nurse is part of a multidisciplinary team working with groups of depressed patients.Half the patients receive supportive interventions and antidepressant medication.The other half receives only medication.The team measures outcomes for each group.Which type of study is evident?

A) Prevalence
B) Clinical epidemiology
C) Descriptive epidemiology
D) Experimental epidemiology

Question 23

A 40-year-old who lives with parents and works at an unchallenging job says,"I'm as happy as anyone else,even though I don't socialize much outside of work.My work is routine,but when new things come up,my boss explains things a few times to make sure I catch on.At home,my parents make decisions for me,and I go along with their ideas." The nurse should identify interventions to improve this patient's:

A) self-concept.
B) overall happiness.
C) appraisal of reality.
D) control over behavior.

Question 24

Select the best response for the nurse who receives a query from another mental health professional seeking to understand the difference between a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis and a nursing diagnosis.

A) "There is no functional difference between the two.Both identify human disorders."
B) "The DSM-IV-TR diagnosis disregards culture,whereas the nursing diagnosis takes culture into account."
C) "The DSM-IV-TR diagnosis is associated with present distress or disability,whereas a nursing diagnosis considers past and present responses to actual mental health problems."
D) "The DSM-IV-TR diagnosis affects the choice of medical treatment,whereas the nursing diagnosis offers a framework for identifying interventions for phenomena a patient is experiencing."

Question 25

The psychiatric nurse addresses axis I of the DSM as the focus of treatment but must also consider physical health problems that may affect treatment.Which axis contains the desired information?

A) II
B) III
C) IV
D) V

Question 26

A patient asks the nurse,"I read an article online about psychosocial factors that influence depression.What are psychosocial factors?" Examples a nurse could cite to support the premise that a patient's depression may be influenced by psychosocial factors include: (Select all that apply)

A) having a hostile and overinvolved family.
B) having two first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder.
C) feeling strong guilt over having an abortion when one's religion forbids it.
D) experiencing the death of a parent a month before the onset of depression.
E) experiencing symptom remission when treated with antidepressant medication.

Question 27

A patient in the emergency department says,"The voices say someone is stalking me.They want to kill me because I developed a cure for cancer.I have a knife and will stab anyone who is a threat." Which aspect(s)of mental health should be of greatest immediate concern to the nurse? Select all that apply.

A) Happiness
B) Appraisal of reality
C) Control over behavior
D) Effectiveness in work
E) Healthy self-concept

Question 28

An experienced nurse says to a new graduate,"When you've practiced as long as I have,you'll instantly know how to take care of psychotic patients." Which information should the new graduate consider when analyzing this comment? You may select more than one answer.

A) The experienced nurse may have lost sight of patients' individuality,which may compromise the integrity of practice.
B) New research findings should be integrated continuously into a nurse's practice to provide the most effective care.
C) Experience provides mental health nurses with the essential tools and skills needed for effective professional practice.
D) Experienced psychiatric nurses have learned the best ways to care for mentally ill patients through trial and error.
E) An intuitive sense of patients' needs guides effective psychiatric nurses.