Question 1

Which of the following is not associated with an elevated risk for suicide?

Accepted Answer

Conscientiousness is a personality trait characterized by being diligent, careful, and responsible, and is not typically associated with an elevated risk for suicide.

Question 2

Nirin is trying to come up with a diagnosis for her patient who seems to have some symptoms of depression and mania, which do not seem to be very intense or severe. Her patient is probably suffering from __________.

Accepted Answer

Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by periods of hypomanic symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms that are not severe enough to meet the criteria for bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder.

Question 3

When his charge nurse asks how he is feeling today, Merwyn looks up at her and says "pretty chewywaca." She smiles and says, "I'm glad to hear that," and leaves his room. Merwyn's use of a made up word is a symptom of schizophrenia called

Accepted Answer

Neologisms are made-up words or phrases that have meaning only to the person using them, which is a symptom often associated with schizophrenia.

Question 4

Breane suffers from the rarest form of bipolar disorders, characterized by periods of major depression and periods of hypomania. Based on this information, you know Breane has been diagnosed with __________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by periods of major depression and hypomania, which is less severe than the mania seen in Bipolar I disorder.

Question 5

Just before being placed in a psychiatric facility, Steve told Jane that he was going to "gwobble" her coat to the dry cleaners to get it "senft." What Steve meant was that he was going to take Jane's coat to the dry cleaners to get it dry cleaned. Such signs of thought disorders are known as

Accepted Answer

Neologisms are newly coined words or expressions that are often used in a way that is not understood by others, which is what Steve is doing by using "gwobble" and "senft."

Question 6

Lark has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. She experiences times of major depression and periods of regular mood. Other times, Lark has bouts of energetic optimism and elation, known as

Accepted Answer

Hypomania is a milder form of mania, characterized by periods of energetic optimism and elation, which is typical in bipolar II disorder.

Question 7

There are many misunderstandings about suicide. Which of the following statements reflects a truth about suicide?

Accepted Answer

Females are statistically more likely to attempt suicide than males, although males are more likely to die by suicide.

Question 8

Max felt so low and unhappy that he did not leave his room for six weeks. Two months later, Max has so much energy that he stays up all night redecorating the entire house and goes for days without sleep. This pattern repeats itself. Max would be most likely diagnosed with __________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Max is exhibiting symptoms of both depression (not leaving his room for six weeks) and mania (having so much energy that he stays up all night and goes without sleep for days). This is indicative of bipolar I disorder, where individuals experience episodes of manic and depressive symptoms.

Question 9

Which of the following is a treatment that is specific for those suffering from seasonal affective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Sleep deprivation can help reset the biological clock and is sometimes used as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder, which is linked to changes in light exposure.

Question 10

Vincent is an artist who has stayed up painting for three days straight. Despite his lack of sleep, he feels as if he has boundless energy and his paintings reflect a very high level of creativity. Although Vincent rarely feels tired, he only becomes this energetic once in a while. Vincent is most likely suffering from

Accepted Answer

Vincent's symptoms of boundless energy, lack of need for sleep, and heightened creativity suggest a manic episode, which is characteristic of mania.

Question 11

Leonard suffers from schizophrenia and lives in an institution. One day, he walked up to one of the staff members and said, "Humble ports on the window overlook flying dunk myriad nevertheless honcho overload." Leonard's speech is an example of

Accepted Answer

Leonard's speech is an example of "word salad," which is characterized by a jumble of words and phrases that lack logical coherence, making it difficult to understand.

Question 12

Over the last several years, Sue has alternated between feeling a little sad, disinterested, and tired and feeling a little more energetic, optimistic, and happy than most people. Sue would best be diagnosed with __________.

Accepted Answer

Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by alternating periods of mild depression and hypomania, which aligns with Sue's symptoms of fluctuating mood and energy levels.

Question 13

For the past few months, Val felt completely hopeless and unmotivated. She would not eat much and felt worthless. Then, she suddenly felt extremely optimistic and full of energy. Val is probably suffering from __________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Val's symptoms of alternating between periods of hopelessness and extreme optimism and energy are characteristic of bipolar I disorder, which involves episodes of depression and mania.

Question 14

Laverne is concerned about her sister, Shirley, whose symptoms of schizophrenia have worsened. During a visit to Shirley's doctor, he explained that improvement is possible. He states that one of the best predictors is her premorbid adjustment, which include all of the following factors except her

Accepted Answer

Attributional style is not typically considered a factor in premorbid adjustment for schizophrenia. Premorbid adjustment usually refers to the level of functioning before the onset of the disorder, including education, social relationships, and employment stability.

Question 15

Breanna is more likely to feel depressed than Terron. When Breanna is sad, she constantly thinks about negative events, why they occurred, and how depressed she is about them. When Terron feels down, he goes out jogging until he is exhausted but free of his negative frame of mind. Breanna exhibits a(n)__________ cognitive style and Terron uses a __________ cognitive style.

Accepted Answer

Breanna exhibits a ruminative cognitive style as she focuses on negative events and her feelings about them, while Terron uses a distracting cognitive style by engaging in physical activity to shift his focus away from negative thoughts.

Question 16

A psychologist who believes in the learned helplessness view of depression wants to create a treatment program for his clients. The major focus of this treatment will probably be on

Accepted Answer

The learned helplessness view of depression suggests that individuals believe they have no control over the events and situations in their lives, leading to feelings of helplessness and depression. Therefore, the major focus of the treatment program would likely be on helping clients gain control over their lives, which would involve teaching them coping strategies and problem-solving skills that can help them address the challenges they face. Focusing on the bright side of a situation or reducing the search for attention are not likely to be effective interventions for addressing learned helplessness and depression. While teaching clients not to blame themselves for things that go wrong may be beneficial, it is not as central to the learned helplessness view of depression as gaining control over one's life.

Question 17

Which of the following is probably not a biological cause of affective disorders?

Accepted Answer

Affective disorders are often associated with high levels of cortisol, not low levels.

Question 18

When Bach talks, his words are meaningless. He giggles for no reason and makes ritualistic movements while hallucinating. He is most likely suffering from

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described, such as meaningless speech, giggling without reason, ritualistic movements, and hallucinations, are characteristic of schizophrenia.

Question 19

Maggie has been living in Alaska for several months. She has noticed that as the daylight hours get shorter and shorter, she feels more and more depressed. Joel, her doctor, should prescribe __________ to help Maggie's symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Exposure to daylight or light therapy is a common treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is likely what Maggie is experiencing due to the shorter daylight hours in Alaska.

Question 20

Lewis has been depressed for about three months. Now, however, he feels more energetic than normal and starts up several creative projects that he thought he'd never have the motivation to start again. Lewis most likely suffers from __________ disorder.

Accepted Answer

Lewis's symptoms suggest a pattern of depression followed by a period of increased energy and activity, which is characteristic of bipolar II disorder, where individuals experience hypomanic episodes along with depressive episodes.

Quiz 12: Psychological Disorders