DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT IN
PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
SCRIPT 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Which theory would the PMHNP most need to consider when
conducting a psychiatric interview in the following situations?
A 14-year-old foster child struggling to develop trusting
relationships with his foster parents.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Psychosocial Development Theory
Cognitive Development Theory. Answer: Psychosocial Development
Theory
Rationale: According to Erickson's theory, a developmental crisis in
infancy trust vs. mistrust. When basic trust in caregivers is not
developed in early life, it can impact the creation of trusting
relationships later.
◉ Which theory would the PMHNP most need to consider when
conducting a psychiatric interview in the following situations?
,A 4-year-old is struggling to understand what she has seen on
television about civil protests.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Psychosocial Development Theory
Cognitive Development Theory. Answer: Cognitive Development
Theory
Rationale: According to Piaget, children in early childhood do not
have the cognitive ability to understand abstract concepts, such as
justice.
◉ Erikson's psychosocial stages:. Answer: -Infancy: Trust vs.
Mistrust (birth-18 months)
-Early Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (ages 18 months-
2 to 3 years)
-Preschool: Initiative vs. Guilt (ages 3-5)
-School Age: Industry vs. Inferiority (ages 6-11)
-Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion (ages 12-18)
,-Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation (ages 19-40)
-Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation (ages 40-65)
-Maturity: Integrity vs. Despair (ages 65-death)
◉ Psychoanalytic theory. Answer: Freuds theory of personality
-childhood experiences & unconscious desires influence behavior
-libido, fixation stuck at psychosexual development stages
• predicts adult personality
◉ The Therapeutic Alliance. Answer: the cooperative, purposive
working relationship that exists between the psychotherapist and
the client
-essential factors:
• agreement on the goals, tasks, & strategies of tx
• bond between the provider & the client
-strong therapeutic alliance is crucial to the success of therapy
-foundations of a therapeutic alliance:
• trust, connection, and rapport
, ◉ Provider characteristics that help build the therapeutic alliance:.
Answer: -empathy
-genuineness
-warmth
-acceptance
-a collaborative approach to goal-setting
-strong communication skills
-Unconditional positive regard
◉ Hildegard Peplau Theory of Interpersonal Relations in Nursing.
Answer: defined nursing as an interpersonal therapeutic process in
which nurses engage in therapeutic relationships with individuals in
need of health services
-Peplau is considered to be the "mother of psychiatric nursing"
• her work is foundational to the development of the PMHNP role in
psychotherapy
-emphasized the need for self-awareness in the nurse-client
relationship
• critical to ensure that the therapist will act in the client's interests
-nurse-client relationship has four sequential phases:
• orientation
• identification
• exploitation
PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
SCRIPT 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Which theory would the PMHNP most need to consider when
conducting a psychiatric interview in the following situations?
A 14-year-old foster child struggling to develop trusting
relationships with his foster parents.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Psychosocial Development Theory
Cognitive Development Theory. Answer: Psychosocial Development
Theory
Rationale: According to Erickson's theory, a developmental crisis in
infancy trust vs. mistrust. When basic trust in caregivers is not
developed in early life, it can impact the creation of trusting
relationships later.
◉ Which theory would the PMHNP most need to consider when
conducting a psychiatric interview in the following situations?
,A 4-year-old is struggling to understand what she has seen on
television about civil protests.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Psychosocial Development Theory
Cognitive Development Theory. Answer: Cognitive Development
Theory
Rationale: According to Piaget, children in early childhood do not
have the cognitive ability to understand abstract concepts, such as
justice.
◉ Erikson's psychosocial stages:. Answer: -Infancy: Trust vs.
Mistrust (birth-18 months)
-Early Childhood: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (ages 18 months-
2 to 3 years)
-Preschool: Initiative vs. Guilt (ages 3-5)
-School Age: Industry vs. Inferiority (ages 6-11)
-Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion (ages 12-18)
,-Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation (ages 19-40)
-Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation (ages 40-65)
-Maturity: Integrity vs. Despair (ages 65-death)
◉ Psychoanalytic theory. Answer: Freuds theory of personality
-childhood experiences & unconscious desires influence behavior
-libido, fixation stuck at psychosexual development stages
• predicts adult personality
◉ The Therapeutic Alliance. Answer: the cooperative, purposive
working relationship that exists between the psychotherapist and
the client
-essential factors:
• agreement on the goals, tasks, & strategies of tx
• bond between the provider & the client
-strong therapeutic alliance is crucial to the success of therapy
-foundations of a therapeutic alliance:
• trust, connection, and rapport
, ◉ Provider characteristics that help build the therapeutic alliance:.
Answer: -empathy
-genuineness
-warmth
-acceptance
-a collaborative approach to goal-setting
-strong communication skills
-Unconditional positive regard
◉ Hildegard Peplau Theory of Interpersonal Relations in Nursing.
Answer: defined nursing as an interpersonal therapeutic process in
which nurses engage in therapeutic relationships with individuals in
need of health services
-Peplau is considered to be the "mother of psychiatric nursing"
• her work is foundational to the development of the PMHNP role in
psychotherapy
-emphasized the need for self-awareness in the nurse-client
relationship
• critical to ensure that the therapist will act in the client's interests
-nurse-client relationship has four sequential phases:
• orientation
• identification
• exploitation
