PMHNP Comprehensive
Exam Questions with
Complete Answers
User [Date] [Course title]
,AIMS - Correct Answer: Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale for 8 and older
12 item tool to assess symptoms of tardive dyskinesia for patients taking antipsychotics
Rating 0-4, >2 to diagnose TD and reduce dose
BARS - Correct Answer: Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale for 8 and older
4 item tool to assess objective and subjective symptoms of akathisia with antipsychotics and/or SSRIs
CRS-R - Correct Answer: Connors Rating Scales - Revised for 3-17
ADHD Parent (80 items) and Teacher Scales (59 items)
Low T-score of 61= mildly atypical; >70 = markedly atypical
Subscales for Oppositional Behaviors, Cognitive Problems, Hyperactivity, ADHD Index, Anxious-Shy,
Perfectionism, Social Problems, DSM-IV Subscales and Connors' Global Index
Vanderbilt ADHD Parent and Teacher - Correct Answer: 55 parent, 43 teacher items for 6-12
Initial assessment rates symptoms and impairment in academic and behavioral performance
ASRS-1 - Correct Answer: Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, 16 and older
Two-part Screening
Part A: 6 questions, 4 symptoms suggest ADHD
Part B: 12 questions to clarify and quantify
AUDIT-C - Correct Answer: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption, > 13
Documents use and frequency in prior year
0-4, F >3 = positive, M >4 = positive, >8 = hazardous drinking
CAGE-AID - Correct Answer: IDs problem drinking or druging, 13 and older
(C=cut down, A=annoy, G=guilty, E=Eye-opener, AID=altered to include drugs
CRAFFT - Correct Answer: 6-item screen for alcohol or drugs in adolescents, 14-18
,(C=car, R=relax, A=alone, F=forget, F= family or friends, T= trouble)
BAI - Correct Answer: Beck Anxiety Inventory, 17 and older
Assesses 21 symptoms of anxiety, 0-36 scores
HAM-A - Correct Answer: Hamilton Anxiety Scale, most commonly used
14 domains, 14=mild, 18-24= moderate, 25-30=severe
LSAS-CA - Correct Answer: Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale-Child/Adolescent Version, 7 and older
24 items, social and performance
55-65=moderate social phobia, 65-80=marked, 80-95=severe, >95=very severe
MMSE - Correct Answer: Mini Mental Status Exam
30 items, 24-30= no cognitive impairment; 18-23=mild cognitive impairment; 0-17= severe cognitive
impairment
MOCA - Correct Answer: Montreal Cognitive Assessment
>26=normal, add point for <12th grade education
SPMSQ - Correct Answer: Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
10 items, more than 3 incorrect indicates dementia
BDI-2 - Correct Answer: Beck Depression inventory, 13 and older
presence and impact of depressive symptoms
21 items, <10=normal; 11-17=mild depression; 18-23=moderate; 24+=severe
CCSD - Correct Answer: Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia
19 items, <6=no significant depression; 8-17=probable major depression; >18=definite depression
, MDQ - Correct Answer: Mood Disorder Questionnaire
Screen for mania or hypomania
positive if 7 or more of 13 items in question #1 present and #2 is yes and #3 gets moderate or serious
problem response
YMRS - Correct Answer: Young Mania Rating Scale, 11 items (adult)
Range 0-60; adults with 12 or more=mania
CY-BOCS - Correct Answer: ...
YBOCS - Correct Answer: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
10 items; age 14 and older
gold standard for OC symptoms
score indicates level of severity
BPRS - Correct Answer: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, 18 and older
Assesses psychopathology (+, - and affective) with schizophrenia, not for screening or DX
PANSS - Correct Answer: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, 18 and older
measures changes in symptom intensity in psychosis and schizophrenia
Gold standard in studies of treatment efficacy
SPS - Correct Answer: Suicide Probability Scale, 13 and older
Rapid measure of suicide risk
higher score indicates greater risk
CIWA-Ar - Correct Answer: Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised
9 item symptom rating scale, max score 67; <10 does not warrant intervention
Exam Questions with
Complete Answers
User [Date] [Course title]
,AIMS - Correct Answer: Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale for 8 and older
12 item tool to assess symptoms of tardive dyskinesia for patients taking antipsychotics
Rating 0-4, >2 to diagnose TD and reduce dose
BARS - Correct Answer: Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale for 8 and older
4 item tool to assess objective and subjective symptoms of akathisia with antipsychotics and/or SSRIs
CRS-R - Correct Answer: Connors Rating Scales - Revised for 3-17
ADHD Parent (80 items) and Teacher Scales (59 items)
Low T-score of 61= mildly atypical; >70 = markedly atypical
Subscales for Oppositional Behaviors, Cognitive Problems, Hyperactivity, ADHD Index, Anxious-Shy,
Perfectionism, Social Problems, DSM-IV Subscales and Connors' Global Index
Vanderbilt ADHD Parent and Teacher - Correct Answer: 55 parent, 43 teacher items for 6-12
Initial assessment rates symptoms and impairment in academic and behavioral performance
ASRS-1 - Correct Answer: Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, 16 and older
Two-part Screening
Part A: 6 questions, 4 symptoms suggest ADHD
Part B: 12 questions to clarify and quantify
AUDIT-C - Correct Answer: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption, > 13
Documents use and frequency in prior year
0-4, F >3 = positive, M >4 = positive, >8 = hazardous drinking
CAGE-AID - Correct Answer: IDs problem drinking or druging, 13 and older
(C=cut down, A=annoy, G=guilty, E=Eye-opener, AID=altered to include drugs
CRAFFT - Correct Answer: 6-item screen for alcohol or drugs in adolescents, 14-18
,(C=car, R=relax, A=alone, F=forget, F= family or friends, T= trouble)
BAI - Correct Answer: Beck Anxiety Inventory, 17 and older
Assesses 21 symptoms of anxiety, 0-36 scores
HAM-A - Correct Answer: Hamilton Anxiety Scale, most commonly used
14 domains, 14=mild, 18-24= moderate, 25-30=severe
LSAS-CA - Correct Answer: Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale-Child/Adolescent Version, 7 and older
24 items, social and performance
55-65=moderate social phobia, 65-80=marked, 80-95=severe, >95=very severe
MMSE - Correct Answer: Mini Mental Status Exam
30 items, 24-30= no cognitive impairment; 18-23=mild cognitive impairment; 0-17= severe cognitive
impairment
MOCA - Correct Answer: Montreal Cognitive Assessment
>26=normal, add point for <12th grade education
SPMSQ - Correct Answer: Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
10 items, more than 3 incorrect indicates dementia
BDI-2 - Correct Answer: Beck Depression inventory, 13 and older
presence and impact of depressive symptoms
21 items, <10=normal; 11-17=mild depression; 18-23=moderate; 24+=severe
CCSD - Correct Answer: Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia
19 items, <6=no significant depression; 8-17=probable major depression; >18=definite depression
, MDQ - Correct Answer: Mood Disorder Questionnaire
Screen for mania or hypomania
positive if 7 or more of 13 items in question #1 present and #2 is yes and #3 gets moderate or serious
problem response
YMRS - Correct Answer: Young Mania Rating Scale, 11 items (adult)
Range 0-60; adults with 12 or more=mania
CY-BOCS - Correct Answer: ...
YBOCS - Correct Answer: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
10 items; age 14 and older
gold standard for OC symptoms
score indicates level of severity
BPRS - Correct Answer: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, 18 and older
Assesses psychopathology (+, - and affective) with schizophrenia, not for screening or DX
PANSS - Correct Answer: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, 18 and older
measures changes in symptom intensity in psychosis and schizophrenia
Gold standard in studies of treatment efficacy
SPS - Correct Answer: Suicide Probability Scale, 13 and older
Rapid measure of suicide risk
higher score indicates greater risk
CIWA-Ar - Correct Answer: Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised
9 item symptom rating scale, max score 67; <10 does not warrant intervention
