Test Bank for Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 9th Edition. Updated Latest 2025–2026 Complete Chapter-by-Chapter Exam Preparation Resource. Comprehensive Questions, Answers and Rationales for Academic and NCLEX Success.

Test Bank - Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing by Mary
Townsend (9th Edition, 2017)




TEST BANK

,Chapter 01. The Concept of Stress Adaptation
Multiple Choice

1. A client/ has/ experienced/ the/ death/ of/ a/ close/ family/ member/ and/ at/ the/ same/ time/ becomes/ unemployed./
This/ situation/ has/ resulted/ in/ a/ 6-month/ score/ of/ 110/ on/ the/ Recent/ Life/ Changes/ Questionnaire./ How/ should/
the/ nurse/ evaluate/ this/ client/ data?

A. The/ client/ is/ experiencing/ severe/ distress/ and/ is/ at/ risk/ for/ physical/ and/ psychological/ illness.

B. A/ score/ of/ 110/ on/ the/ Miller/ and/ Rahe/ Recent/ Life/ Changes/ Questionnaire/ indicates/ no/ significant/ threat/ of/
stress-related/ illness.

C. Susceptibility/ to/ stress-related/ physical/ or/ psychological/ illness/ cannot/ be/ estimated/ without/ knowledge/ of/
coping/ resources/ and/ available/ supports.

D. The/ client/ may/ view/ these/ losses/ as/ challenges/ and/ perceive/ them/ as/ opportunities.

ANS:/ C

The/ Recent/ Life/ Changes/ Questionnaire/ is/ an/ expanded/ version/ of/ the/ Schedule/ of/ Recent/ Experiences/ and/ the/
Rahe-Holmes/ Social/ Readjustment/ Rating/ Scale./ A/ 6-month/ score/ of/ 300/ or/ more,/ or/ a/ year-score/ total/ of/
500/ or/ more,/ indicates/ high/ stress/ in/ a/ clients/ life./ However,/ positive/ coping/ mechanisms/ and/ strong/ social/
support/ can/ limit/ susceptibility/ to/ stress-related/ illnesses.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Evaluation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

2./ A/ physically/ and/ emotionally/ healthy/ client/ has/ just/ been/ fired./ During/ a/ routine/ office/ visit/ he/ states/ to/ a/
nurse:/ Perhaps/ this/ was/ the/ best/ thing/ to/ happen. / Maybe/ Ill/ look/ into/ pursuing/ an/ art/ degree./ How/ should/ the
NURSINGTB.COM
nurse/ characterize/ the/ clients/ appraisal/ of/ the job/ loss/ stressor?

A. Irrelevant

B. Harm/loss

C. Threatening

D. Challenging

ANS:/ D


The/ client/ perceives/ the/ situation/ of/ job/ loss/ as/ a/ challenge/ and/ an/ opportunity/ for/ growth.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Assessment/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

3. Which/ client/ statement/ should/ alert/ a/ nurse/ that/ a/ client/ may/ be/ responding/ maladaptively/ to/ stress?

A. Ive/ found/ that/ avoiding/ contact/ with/ others/ helps/ me/ cope.

B. I/ really/ enjoy/ journaling;/ its/ my/ private/ time.

C. I/ signed/ up/ for/ a/ yoga/ class/ this/ week.

D. I/ made/ an/ appointment/ to/ meet/ with/ a/ therapist.

ANS:/ A

Reliance/ on/ social/ isolation/ as/ a/ coping/ mechanism/ is/ a/ maladaptive/ method/ to/ relieve/ stress./ It/ can/ prevent/
learning/ appropriate/ coping/ skills/ and/ can/ prevent/ access/ to/ needed/ support/ systems.

,KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Evaluation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

4. A/ nursing/ student/ finds/ that/ she/ comes/ down/ with/ a/ sinus/ infection/ toward/ the/ end/ of/ every/ semester./ When/
this/ occurs,/ which/ stage/ of/ stress/ is/ the/ student/ most/ likely/ experiencing?

A. Alarm/ reaction/ stage

B. Stage/ of/ resistance

C. Stage/ of/ exhaustion

D. Fight-or-flight/ stage

ANS:/ C

At/ the/ stage/ of/ exhaustion,/ the/ students/ exposure/ to/ stress/ has/ been/ prolonged/ and/ adaptive/ energy/ has/ been/
depleted./ Diseases/ of/ adaptation/ occur/ more/ frequently/ in/ this/ stage.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Assessment/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

5. A/ school/ nurse/ is/ assessing/ a/ female/ high/ school/ student/ who/ is/ overly/ concerned/ about/ her/ appearance./ The/
clients/ mother/ states,/ Thats/ not/ something/ to/ be/ stressed/ about!/ Which/ is/ the/ most/ appropriate/ nursing/
response?

A. Teenagers!/ They/ dont/ know/ a/ thing/ about/ real/ stress.

B. Stress/ occurs/ only/ when/ there/ is/ a/ loss.

C. When/ you/ are/ in/ poor/ physical/ condition,/ yNoU
u/R
caSnIN
t/ eGxTpBer.C
ieOncMe/ psychological/ well-being.

D. Stress/ can/ be/ psychological./ A/ threat/ to/ self-esteem/ may/ result/ in/ high/ stress/ levels.

ANS:/ D

Stress/ can/ be/ physical/ or/ psychological/ in/ nature./ A/ perceived/ threat/ to/ self-esteem/ can/ be/ as/ stressful/ as/ a/
physiological/ change.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Implementation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

6. A/ bright/ student/ confides/ in/ the/ school/ nurse/ about/ conflicts/ related/ to/ attending/ college/ or/ working/ to/ add/
needed/ financial/ support/ to/ the/ family./ Which/ coping/ strategy/ is/ most/ appropriate/ for/ the/ nurse/ to/ recommend/
to/ the/ student/ at/ this/ time?

A. Meditation

B. Problem-solving/ training

C. Relaxation

D. Journaling

ANS:/ B

The/ student/ must/ assess/ his/ or/ her/ situation/ and/ determine/ the/ best/ course/ of/ action./ Problem-solving/ training,/
by/ providing/ structure/ and/ objectivity,/ can/ assist/ in/ decision/ making.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Implementation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

, 7. An/ unemployed/ college/ graduate/ is/ experiencing/ severe/ anxiety/ over/ not/ finding/ a/ teaching/ position/ and/ has/
difficulty/ with/ independent/ problem-solving./ During/ a/ routine/ physical/ examination,/ the/ graduate/ confides/ in/
the/ clinic/ nurse./ Which/ is/ the/ most/ appropriate/ nursing/ intervention?

A. Encourage/ the/ student/ to/ use/ the/ alternative/ coping/ mechanism/ of/ relaxation/ exercises.

B. Complete/ the/ problem-solving/ process/ for/ the/ client.

C. Work/ through/ the/ problem-solving/ process/ with/ the/ client.

D. Encourage/ the/ client/ to/ keep/ a/ journal.

ANS:/ C

During/ times/ of/ high/ anxiety/ and/ stress,/ clients/ will/ need/ more/ assistance/ in/ problem-solving/ and/ decision/
making.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Implementation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

8. A/ school/ nurse/ is/ assessing/ a/ distraught/ female/ high/ school/ student/ who/ is/ overly/ concerned/ because/ her/
parents/ cant/ afford/ horseback/ riding/ lessons./ How/ should/ the/ nurse/ interpret/ the/ students/ reaction/ to/ her/
perceived/ problem?

A. The/ problem/ is/ endangering/ her/ well-being.

B. The/ problem/ is/ personally/ relevant/ to/ her.

C. The/ problem/ is/ based/ on/ immaturity.

D. The/ problem/ is/ exceeding/ her/ capacity/ to/ cN
opUeR./SINGTB.COM

ANS:/ B

Psychological/ stressors/ to/ self-esteem/ and/ self-image/ are/ related/ to/ how/ the/ individual/ perceives/ the/ situation/ or/
event./ Self-image/ is/ of/ particular/ importance/ to/ adolescents,/ who/ feel/ entitled/ to/ have/ all/ the/ advantages/ that/
other/ adolescents/ experience.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Evaluation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

9. Meditation/ has/ been/ shown/ to/ be/ an/ effective/ stress/ management/ technique./ When/ meditation/ is/ effective,/
what/ should/ a/ nurse/ expect/ to/ assess?

A. An/ achieved/ state/ of/ relaxation

B. An/ achieved/ insight/ into/ ones/ feelings

C. A/ demonstration/ of/ appropriate/ role/ behaviors

D. An/ enhanced/ ability/ to/ problem-solve

ANS:/ A

Meditation/ produces/ relaxation/ by/ creating/ a/ special/ state/ of/ consciousness/ through/ focused/ concentration.

KEY:/ Cognitive/ Level:/ Application/ |/ Integrated/ Processes:/ Nursing/ Process:/ Evaluation/ |/ Client/ Need:
Psychosocial/ Integrity

10. A/ distraught,/ single,/ first-time/ mother/ cries/ and/ asks/ a/ nurse,/ How/ can/ I/ go/ to/ work/ if/ I/ cant/ afford/
childcare?/ What/ is/ the/ nurses/ initial/ action/ in/ assisting/ the/ client/ with/ the/ problem-solving/ process?