CMN 552 Exam 3 PREP Exam 300 Questions with 100%
Correct Answers | Latest Version (2026/2027) Expert
Verified
Overview
This part of the exam focuses on trauma-related and dissociative disorders in
a clear, practical way. It helps you understand how to distinguish between
conditions like acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, PTSD, and
dissociative disorders by focusing on key differences such as symptom
duration, triggers, and impact on functioning. You’ll also learn important
features like memory loss, identity disruption, and stress responses, along
with basic treatment approaches. Overall, it’s about applying diagnostic
criteria to real-life scenarios so you can confidently answer exam questions
without mixing up similar conditions.
What happens to symptoms that resolve in less than 3 days after a traumatic event? - correct answer
-They would not meet criteria for acute stress disorder.
What is the significance of marked distress in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -It must be out
of proportion to the severity of the stressor and clinically significant.
What is a key characteristic of adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Emotional or behavioral
symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor.
What is the maximum duration for symptoms of an adjustment disorder after the stressor has
terminated? - correct answer -Symptoms should not persist for more than 6 months.
What are the specifiers for adjustment disorders? - correct answer -With depressed mood, with
anxiety, with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, with disturbance of conduct, with mixed disturbance
of emotions and conduct, unspecified.
What does the specifier 'acute' indicate in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Persistence of
symptoms for less than 6 months.
,What does the specifier 'persistent (chronic)' indicate in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -
Persistence of symptoms for 6 months or longer in response to a chronic stressor.
What is the essential feature of dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -Disruption of identity
characterized by two or more distinct personality states.
What are some symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -Recurrent gaps in recall
of everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic events.
What is a common experience reported by individuals with dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Feeling like a depersonalized observer of their own speech and actions.
What distinguishes dissociative identity disorder from normal cultural practices? - correct answer -The
symptoms are not a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice.
What are the implications of experiencing possession in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer
-The experience may be described as possession in some cultures, affecting the sense of self and agency.
What is the relationship between psychosocial pressures and dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Sustained periods of identity confusion/alteration may occur under severe or prolonged
psychosocial pressures.
How can distinct personality states in dissociative identity disorder be identified? - correct answer -By
sudden alterations in the individual's sense of self and agency or recurrent dissociative amnesias.
What is the significance of emotional symptoms in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -They may
exceed what is normally expected based on cultural, religious, or age-appropriate norms.
What types of stressors can lead to adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Single events, multiple
stressors, recurrent stressors, or continuous stressors.
,What is a common example of a stressor that may lead to an adjustment disorder? - correct answer -
The death of a loved one.
What is the diagnostic criterion for the presence of emotional or behavioral symptoms in adjustment
disorders? - correct answer -Symptoms must occur in response to an identifiable stressor.
What are the possible effects of stressors on individuals and groups? - correct answer -Stressors may
affect a single individual, an entire family, or a larger community.
What is the role of cultural norms in diagnosing adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Grief
reactions must be assessed against cultural, religious, or age-appropriate norms.
What differentiates dissociative identity disorder from other mental disorders? - correct answer -The
symptoms cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition.
What is the relationship between dissociative identity disorder and hallucinations? - correct answer -
Individuals may report hallucinations in various sensory modalities.
What is the impact of emotional and behavioral symptoms on functioning in adjustment disorders? -
correct answer -They cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other
important areas.
What is the significance of the term 'ego-dystonic' in the context of dissociative identity disorder? -
correct answer -Experiences are often reported as puzzling and not in line with the individual's sense of
self.
What is the role of identity confusion in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -It may
manifest as sudden shifts in attitudes, outlooks, and personal preferences.
What is the expected outcome for symptoms of adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Symptoms
should resolve within 6 months of the termination of the stressor.
, What is the significance of the term 'prolonged grief disorder' in relation to adjustment disorders? -
correct answer -Adjustment disorders must not meet the criteria for prolonged grief disorder.
What are common symptoms reported by individuals with dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Individuals may report feeling that their bodies are different, experiencing shifts in identity,
and feeling that their emotions and behaviors are not under their control.
How does state switching manifest in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -State switching
may be subtle, with only minor changes in presentation, but can be more overt in possession forms of
the disorder.
What is dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Dissociative amnesia is characterized by gaps in
autobiographical memory, including important life events and everyday experiences.
What types of memory gaps are associated with dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Types include
localized amnesia (failure to recall events during a specific time), selective amnesia (recalling some but
not all events), and systematized amnesia (failure to recall a specific category of information).
What is generalized dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Generalized dissociative amnesia involves
a complete loss of memory for most or all of an individual's life history.
What is the defining characteristic of dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -An inability to recall
important autobiographical information that should be stored in memory.
What is a common experience for individuals with dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Individuals
may experience 'time loss,' 'blackouts,' or 'coming to' in the midst of an activity.
What is the difference between dissociative amnesia and amnesia due to neurobiological damage? -
correct answer -Dissociative amnesia is a potentially reversible memory retrieval deficit, unlike
neurobiological amnesia which impairs memory storage or retrieval.
What is depersonalization? - correct answer -Depersonalization is the experience of unreality or
detachment from one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, or body.
Correct Answers | Latest Version (2026/2027) Expert
Verified
Overview
This part of the exam focuses on trauma-related and dissociative disorders in
a clear, practical way. It helps you understand how to distinguish between
conditions like acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, PTSD, and
dissociative disorders by focusing on key differences such as symptom
duration, triggers, and impact on functioning. You’ll also learn important
features like memory loss, identity disruption, and stress responses, along
with basic treatment approaches. Overall, it’s about applying diagnostic
criteria to real-life scenarios so you can confidently answer exam questions
without mixing up similar conditions.
What happens to symptoms that resolve in less than 3 days after a traumatic event? - correct answer
-They would not meet criteria for acute stress disorder.
What is the significance of marked distress in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -It must be out
of proportion to the severity of the stressor and clinically significant.
What is a key characteristic of adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Emotional or behavioral
symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor.
What is the maximum duration for symptoms of an adjustment disorder after the stressor has
terminated? - correct answer -Symptoms should not persist for more than 6 months.
What are the specifiers for adjustment disorders? - correct answer -With depressed mood, with
anxiety, with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, with disturbance of conduct, with mixed disturbance
of emotions and conduct, unspecified.
What does the specifier 'acute' indicate in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Persistence of
symptoms for less than 6 months.
,What does the specifier 'persistent (chronic)' indicate in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -
Persistence of symptoms for 6 months or longer in response to a chronic stressor.
What is the essential feature of dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -Disruption of identity
characterized by two or more distinct personality states.
What are some symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -Recurrent gaps in recall
of everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic events.
What is a common experience reported by individuals with dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Feeling like a depersonalized observer of their own speech and actions.
What distinguishes dissociative identity disorder from normal cultural practices? - correct answer -The
symptoms are not a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice.
What are the implications of experiencing possession in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer
-The experience may be described as possession in some cultures, affecting the sense of self and agency.
What is the relationship between psychosocial pressures and dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Sustained periods of identity confusion/alteration may occur under severe or prolonged
psychosocial pressures.
How can distinct personality states in dissociative identity disorder be identified? - correct answer -By
sudden alterations in the individual's sense of self and agency or recurrent dissociative amnesias.
What is the significance of emotional symptoms in adjustment disorders? - correct answer -They may
exceed what is normally expected based on cultural, religious, or age-appropriate norms.
What types of stressors can lead to adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Single events, multiple
stressors, recurrent stressors, or continuous stressors.
,What is a common example of a stressor that may lead to an adjustment disorder? - correct answer -
The death of a loved one.
What is the diagnostic criterion for the presence of emotional or behavioral symptoms in adjustment
disorders? - correct answer -Symptoms must occur in response to an identifiable stressor.
What are the possible effects of stressors on individuals and groups? - correct answer -Stressors may
affect a single individual, an entire family, or a larger community.
What is the role of cultural norms in diagnosing adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Grief
reactions must be assessed against cultural, religious, or age-appropriate norms.
What differentiates dissociative identity disorder from other mental disorders? - correct answer -The
symptoms cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition.
What is the relationship between dissociative identity disorder and hallucinations? - correct answer -
Individuals may report hallucinations in various sensory modalities.
What is the impact of emotional and behavioral symptoms on functioning in adjustment disorders? -
correct answer -They cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other
important areas.
What is the significance of the term 'ego-dystonic' in the context of dissociative identity disorder? -
correct answer -Experiences are often reported as puzzling and not in line with the individual's sense of
self.
What is the role of identity confusion in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -It may
manifest as sudden shifts in attitudes, outlooks, and personal preferences.
What is the expected outcome for symptoms of adjustment disorders? - correct answer -Symptoms
should resolve within 6 months of the termination of the stressor.
, What is the significance of the term 'prolonged grief disorder' in relation to adjustment disorders? -
correct answer -Adjustment disorders must not meet the criteria for prolonged grief disorder.
What are common symptoms reported by individuals with dissociative identity disorder? - correct
answer -Individuals may report feeling that their bodies are different, experiencing shifts in identity,
and feeling that their emotions and behaviors are not under their control.
How does state switching manifest in dissociative identity disorder? - correct answer -State switching
may be subtle, with only minor changes in presentation, but can be more overt in possession forms of
the disorder.
What is dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Dissociative amnesia is characterized by gaps in
autobiographical memory, including important life events and everyday experiences.
What types of memory gaps are associated with dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Types include
localized amnesia (failure to recall events during a specific time), selective amnesia (recalling some but
not all events), and systematized amnesia (failure to recall a specific category of information).
What is generalized dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Generalized dissociative amnesia involves
a complete loss of memory for most or all of an individual's life history.
What is the defining characteristic of dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -An inability to recall
important autobiographical information that should be stored in memory.
What is a common experience for individuals with dissociative amnesia? - correct answer -Individuals
may experience 'time loss,' 'blackouts,' or 'coming to' in the midst of an activity.
What is the difference between dissociative amnesia and amnesia due to neurobiological damage? -
correct answer -Dissociative amnesia is a potentially reversible memory retrieval deficit, unlike
neurobiological amnesia which impairs memory storage or retrieval.
What is depersonalization? - correct answer -Depersonalization is the experience of unreality or
detachment from one's thoughts, feelings, sensations, or body.
