Personality Disorders Practice Exam
Questions with Complete Solutions
A patient demonstrates perfectionism that interferes with task completion and
excessive devotion to work.
Which diagnosis should the nurse anticipate?
Histrionic personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder - ANSWER-Obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder
Based on the assessment findings, the nurse would anticipate this patient to be
diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Histrionic personality
disorder is characterized by dramatic, attention-seeking behavior. A patient with
avoidant personality disorder would show intense discomfort in social situations,
while a patient with dependent personality disorder would be passive by nature and
seek out others who are dominant and controlling.
The connection between religion, culture, and mental illness has not been integrated
into treatment over the years.
Which contemporary view changes this pattern?
Spiritual elements are woven throughout treatment.
Spirituality is damaging to mental illness.
Culture and treatment are treated as separate but important entities.
Compliance demands cultural change. - ANSWER-Spiritual elements are woven
throughout treatment.
Mental health professionals are more willing today to integrate religious and spiritual
elements into treatment due to a greater awareness of the need for cultural
competence in healthcare. In the past, the medical community viewed religious and
spiritual influences as more likely to be harmful than helpful in patient care. As a
result, individuals with personality disorders who maintained a strong spiritual or
religious practice often chose not to enter the mental health system, either because
of shame or fear of how their beliefs would be perceived or because of their
conviction that only religious and spiritual healing could help them. Today, however,
, many clinicians have realized that, for some patients, religion instills hope, purpose,
and meaning in their lives and also influences treatment compliance and outcomes.
The mental health nurse is reviewing personality disorders (PD) with a group of new
nurses.
Which information should the nurse provide that explains why the etiology of PD
difficult to discern?
Lack of data
Sample sizes being too small
An abundance of samples
Lack of diagnostic uniformity - ANSWER-Lack of diagnostic uniformity
Much about PDs remains unknown, and studies on PDs are hampered by several
factors, such as the lack of diagnostic uniformity, which makes it difficult for
researchers to define samples and replicate previous studies. Another problem is
that most individuals experiencing PDs do not come to the attention of mental health
professionals. Many individuals with PDs fail to recognize themselves as abnormal
and see no need to seek out treatment.
The nurse is describing the process of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with a
patient.
Which statement should indicate to the nurse that the patient understands the goal of
this type of therapy?
"I will learn how to change problematic thoughts and behaviors."
"Exposure therapy will help with identity issues."
"We will discuss skills training and problem solving."
"The therapist will direct how I progress to the next level." - ANSWER-"I will learn
how to change problematic thoughts and behaviors."
The goal of CBT is to alter problematic thoughts and actions. Skills training and
problem solving are approaches to CBT but are not goals of this method. Typically,
the therapist serves as a guide to assist the patient in recognizing harmful ways of
thinking and erroneous beliefs and works with the individual to purge them by
analyzing and reinterpreting both past and current experiences, thus helping the
patient adopt positive behaviors and interactions with others. Exposure therapy helps
patients face thoughts and feelings associated with trauma, not identity issues.
The nurse is attempting to develop a trusting therapeutic relationship with a patient
with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
What should the nurse keep in mind when caring for this patient?
Establishing boundaries
Questions with Complete Solutions
A patient demonstrates perfectionism that interferes with task completion and
excessive devotion to work.
Which diagnosis should the nurse anticipate?
Histrionic personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Dependent personality disorder - ANSWER-Obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder
Based on the assessment findings, the nurse would anticipate this patient to be
diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Histrionic personality
disorder is characterized by dramatic, attention-seeking behavior. A patient with
avoidant personality disorder would show intense discomfort in social situations,
while a patient with dependent personality disorder would be passive by nature and
seek out others who are dominant and controlling.
The connection between religion, culture, and mental illness has not been integrated
into treatment over the years.
Which contemporary view changes this pattern?
Spiritual elements are woven throughout treatment.
Spirituality is damaging to mental illness.
Culture and treatment are treated as separate but important entities.
Compliance demands cultural change. - ANSWER-Spiritual elements are woven
throughout treatment.
Mental health professionals are more willing today to integrate religious and spiritual
elements into treatment due to a greater awareness of the need for cultural
competence in healthcare. In the past, the medical community viewed religious and
spiritual influences as more likely to be harmful than helpful in patient care. As a
result, individuals with personality disorders who maintained a strong spiritual or
religious practice often chose not to enter the mental health system, either because
of shame or fear of how their beliefs would be perceived or because of their
conviction that only religious and spiritual healing could help them. Today, however,
, many clinicians have realized that, for some patients, religion instills hope, purpose,
and meaning in their lives and also influences treatment compliance and outcomes.
The mental health nurse is reviewing personality disorders (PD) with a group of new
nurses.
Which information should the nurse provide that explains why the etiology of PD
difficult to discern?
Lack of data
Sample sizes being too small
An abundance of samples
Lack of diagnostic uniformity - ANSWER-Lack of diagnostic uniformity
Much about PDs remains unknown, and studies on PDs are hampered by several
factors, such as the lack of diagnostic uniformity, which makes it difficult for
researchers to define samples and replicate previous studies. Another problem is
that most individuals experiencing PDs do not come to the attention of mental health
professionals. Many individuals with PDs fail to recognize themselves as abnormal
and see no need to seek out treatment.
The nurse is describing the process of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with a
patient.
Which statement should indicate to the nurse that the patient understands the goal of
this type of therapy?
"I will learn how to change problematic thoughts and behaviors."
"Exposure therapy will help with identity issues."
"We will discuss skills training and problem solving."
"The therapist will direct how I progress to the next level." - ANSWER-"I will learn
how to change problematic thoughts and behaviors."
The goal of CBT is to alter problematic thoughts and actions. Skills training and
problem solving are approaches to CBT but are not goals of this method. Typically,
the therapist serves as a guide to assist the patient in recognizing harmful ways of
thinking and erroneous beliefs and works with the individual to purge them by
analyzing and reinterpreting both past and current experiences, thus helping the
patient adopt positive behaviors and interactions with others. Exposure therapy helps
patients face thoughts and feelings associated with trauma, not identity issues.
The nurse is attempting to develop a trusting therapeutic relationship with a patient
with borderline personality disorder (BPD).
What should the nurse keep in mind when caring for this patient?
Establishing boundaries
