NR 326 Mental Health Nursing Week 3 Study Guide 2026
|Chamberlain College
1. Which neurotransmitter is most commonly associated with the inhibition of
anxiety?
A. Dopamine
B. Glutamate
C. Acetylcholine
D. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Answer: D
Rationale: GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain; its modulation is
the focus of most anti-anxiety medications like benzodiazepines.
2. A patient experiencing a panic attack is hyperventilating. What is the priority
nursing action?
A. Stay with the patient and use short, simple sentences
B. Provide a paper bag for the patient to breathe into
C. Teach the patient deep breathing exercises immediately
D. Administer an immediate dose of an SSRI
Answer: A
Rationale: During a panic attack, the patient cannot process complex information. Staying
with them provides safety, and short sentences are easier to understand.
,3. Which medication is considered first-line for long-term treatment of
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
A. Alprazolam
B. Diphenhydramine
C. Escitalopram
D. Lorazepam
Answer: C
Rationale: SSRIs like escitalopram are first-line for long-term management of anxiety due
to their lower side effect profile and lack of dependency compared to benzodiazepines.
4. A patient is prescribed Buspirone for anxiety. Which statement by the patient
indicates understanding of the medication?
A. “It may take 2 to 4 weeks for this medicine to fully work.”
B. “I can drink alcohol safely while taking this medication.”
C. “I should feel relief within 15 minutes of taking this.”
D. “I need to stop taking this if I feel addicted.”
Answer: A
Rationale: Buspirone is not a PRN medication and requires several weeks of consistent use
to achieve therapeutic effects.
5. What is a hallmark symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
A. Flashbacks to a traumatic event
B. Fear of being in open spaces
C. Excessive worry about everyday activities
D. Recurrent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors
Answer: D
Rationale: OCD is characterized by obsessions (thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors)
used to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts.
, 6. Which defense mechanism involves shifting feelings from a threatening target
to a less threatening one?
A. Projection
B. Reaction Formation
C. Displacement
D. Sublimation
Answer: C
Rationale: Displacement is the transfer of feelings to another person or object that is less
threatening.
7. In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), what is the term for the re-
experiencing of a traumatic event?
A. Flashback
B. Hypervigilance
C. Dissociation
D. Avoidance
Answer: A
Rationale: Flashbacks are vivid, intrusive memories where the individual feels as though
they are reliving the trauma.
8. A patient with OCD spends 2 hours washing their hands every morning. What
is the initial nursing intervention?
A. Allow the behavior but gradually set limits on the time spent
B. Force the patient to stop washing their hands immediately
C. Lock the bathroom so the patient cannot access the sink
D. Tell the patient their hands are already clean
Answer: A
Rationale: In the initial phase, allowing the compulsion prevents extreme anxiety; limits
are set gradually as coping mechanisms improve.
|Chamberlain College
1. Which neurotransmitter is most commonly associated with the inhibition of
anxiety?
A. Dopamine
B. Glutamate
C. Acetylcholine
D. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Answer: D
Rationale: GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain; its modulation is
the focus of most anti-anxiety medications like benzodiazepines.
2. A patient experiencing a panic attack is hyperventilating. What is the priority
nursing action?
A. Stay with the patient and use short, simple sentences
B. Provide a paper bag for the patient to breathe into
C. Teach the patient deep breathing exercises immediately
D. Administer an immediate dose of an SSRI
Answer: A
Rationale: During a panic attack, the patient cannot process complex information. Staying
with them provides safety, and short sentences are easier to understand.
,3. Which medication is considered first-line for long-term treatment of
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
A. Alprazolam
B. Diphenhydramine
C. Escitalopram
D. Lorazepam
Answer: C
Rationale: SSRIs like escitalopram are first-line for long-term management of anxiety due
to their lower side effect profile and lack of dependency compared to benzodiazepines.
4. A patient is prescribed Buspirone for anxiety. Which statement by the patient
indicates understanding of the medication?
A. “It may take 2 to 4 weeks for this medicine to fully work.”
B. “I can drink alcohol safely while taking this medication.”
C. “I should feel relief within 15 minutes of taking this.”
D. “I need to stop taking this if I feel addicted.”
Answer: A
Rationale: Buspirone is not a PRN medication and requires several weeks of consistent use
to achieve therapeutic effects.
5. What is a hallmark symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
A. Flashbacks to a traumatic event
B. Fear of being in open spaces
C. Excessive worry about everyday activities
D. Recurrent, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors
Answer: D
Rationale: OCD is characterized by obsessions (thoughts) and compulsions (behaviors)
used to reduce the anxiety caused by those thoughts.
, 6. Which defense mechanism involves shifting feelings from a threatening target
to a less threatening one?
A. Projection
B. Reaction Formation
C. Displacement
D. Sublimation
Answer: C
Rationale: Displacement is the transfer of feelings to another person or object that is less
threatening.
7. In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), what is the term for the re-
experiencing of a traumatic event?
A. Flashback
B. Hypervigilance
C. Dissociation
D. Avoidance
Answer: A
Rationale: Flashbacks are vivid, intrusive memories where the individual feels as though
they are reliving the trauma.
8. A patient with OCD spends 2 hours washing their hands every morning. What
is the initial nursing intervention?
A. Allow the behavior but gradually set limits on the time spent
B. Force the patient to stop washing their hands immediately
C. Lock the bathroom so the patient cannot access the sink
D. Tell the patient their hands are already clean
Answer: A
Rationale: In the initial phase, allowing the compulsion prevents extreme anxiety; limits
are set gradually as coping mechanisms improve.
