BARKLEY PMHNP Exam Questions and
Correct Answers|Latest Update
What is the first step in the assessment process?
Gather the chief complaint and history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for?
C - Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S -
Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history?
Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history?
Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health assessment?
,It helps identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during assessment?
Hobbies and coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about schizophrenia risk?
Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the evaluation?
To avoid bias and ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric evaluations?
To rule out medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of?
Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
,What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)?
Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and
cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam?
To assess cognitive function through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess?
Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE?
Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and following
commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale?
0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
What does the PHQ-9 assess?
, Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool?
To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder?
Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and
impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for?
Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis?
Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess?
Psychotic symptoms, including those in children.
Correct Answers|Latest Update
What is the first step in the assessment process?
Gather the chief complaint and history information before treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for?
C - Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D - Duration, S -
Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history?
Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history?
Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority figures.
What is the significance of family history in mental health assessment?
,It helps identify genetic predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during assessment?
Hobbies and coping strategies, particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about schizophrenia risk?
Having two parents with schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the evaluation?
To avoid bias and ensure a comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric evaluations?
To rule out medical conditions that could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of?
Non-REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
,What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)?
Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought process, thought content, and
cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam?
To assess cognitive function through memory recall and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess?
Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE?
Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and following
commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale?
0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23 indicating severe depression.
What does the PHQ-9 assess?
, Depression symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool?
To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder?
Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity, irritability, grandiosity, and
impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for?
Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis?
Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
What does the Brief Psych Rating Scale (BPRS) assess?
Psychotic symptoms, including those in children.
