NSG 552 Psychopharmacology Exam 2 (Wilkes University) Comprehensive
Practice Questions / Study Guide Newest Actual Questions & Answers (A+ Guide
Solution)
Question 1
A patient presents to the emergency department with a severe panic attack. Which class of
medication would be most appropriate for immediate, short-term relief?
A) SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)
B) SNRI (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor)
C) A short-acting benzodiazepine
D) A long-acting benzodiazepine
Correct Answer: C) A short-acting benzodiazepine
Rationale: For acute anxiety or panic, a rapid-onset medication is needed. Short-acting
benzodiazepines like alprazolam or lorazepam provide fast relief, though they carry a risk of
rebound anxiety and abuse and are not intended for long-term use.
Question 2
A patient who has been taking a benzodiazepine for several months for an anxiety disorder
decides to stop taking it abruptly. The nurse should warn the patient about which potential and
dangerous withdrawal symptoms?
A) Drowsiness and fatigue
B) Increased appetite and weight gain
C) Agitation, irritability, and seizures
D) Dry mouth and constipation
Correct Answer: C) Agitation, irritability, and seizures
Rationale: Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be medically dangerous and potentially fatal.
Abrupt cessation can lead to severe central nervous system hyperexcitability, manifesting as
agitation, tension, and, in severe cases, seizures.
Question 3
What is considered the first-line psychopharmacological treatment for Generalized Anxiety
Disorder (GAD)?
A) Benzodiazepines
,B) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
C) SSRIs
D) Atypical antipsychotics
Correct Answer: C) SSRIs
Rationale: SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, are the recommended first-
line agents for the long-term management of most anxiety disorders due to their favorable
efficacy and side-effect profile compared to older agents.
Question 4
Which medication has been shown to potentially interfere with the effectiveness of
psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy, in the treatment of anxiety disorders?
A) SSRIs
B) Buspirone
C) Benzodiazepines
D) Beta-blockers
Correct Answer: C) Benzodiazepines
Rationale: By reducing the acute experience of anxiety, benzodiazepines can blunt the
patient's ability to engage with and habituate to feared stimuli during exposure therapy,
thereby hindering the therapeutic process.
Question 5
An 80-year-old patient is prescribed diazepam (Valium) for anxiety. Why might this be an
inappropriate choice according to the BEERS criteria?
A) Diazepam is not effective for anxiety in the elderly.
B) Diazepam has a very short half-life.
C) Diazepam has a long half-life and active metabolites, increasing the risk of falls and cognitive
impairment.
D) Diazepam can cause hypertension in elderly patients.
Correct Answer: C) Diazepam has a long half-life and active metabolites, increasing the risk of
falls and cognitive impairment.
Rationale: The BEERS criteria identify potentially inappropriate medications for older adults.
,Long-acting benzodiazepines like diazepam are on this list because their prolonged sedative
effects and accumulation in the body significantly increase the risk of adverse events like falls,
confusion, and memory problems in the elderly.
Question 6
For a patient with a specific phobia of spiders (arachnophobia), what is the most effective and
recommended first-line treatment?
A) Long-term benzodiazepine therapy
B) An SSRI such as sertraline
C) Psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy
D) An atypical antipsychotic
Correct Answer: C) Psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy
Rationale: Medications are generally not very effective for specific phobias. The treatment of
choice is psychotherapy, specifically a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) called
exposure therapy, where the patient is gradually and safely exposed to the feared object or
situation.
Question 7
What is the first-line pharmacological treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
A) Benzodiazepines
B) High-dose SSRIs
C) Atypical antipsychotics
D) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
Correct Answer: B) High-dose SSRIs
Rationale: SSRIs are the first-line medication for OCD. Effective treatment often requires
higher doses than those used for depression and should be combined with a specific form of
CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
Question 8
In treating a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) who experiences hyperarousal and
nightmares, which class of medication can be particularly useful for reducing sympathetic
, nervous system activation?
A) Benzodiazepines
B) SSRIs
C) Alpha and beta-blockers
D) Anticonvulsants
Correct Answer: C) Alpha and beta-blockers
Rationale: Medications like prazosin (an alpha-blocker) and propranolol (a beta-blocker) can
help manage the physical symptoms of anxiety and hyperarousal (e.g., tachycardia, tremors)
and have been found to be particularly helpful for reducing trauma-related nightmares.
Question 9
A patient with PTSD reports distressing nightmares and flashbacks. Which medication, an alpha-
1 blocker, is specifically indicated to help with these symptoms?
A) Propranolol
B) Prazosin
C) Clonidine
D) Sertraline
Correct Answer: B) Prazosin
Rationale: Prazosin has been shown in multiple studies to be effective in reducing the
frequency and intensity of trauma-related nightmares and sleep disturbances in patients with
PTSD.
Question 10
In treating a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), why is the use of benzodiazepines
generally discouraged?
A) They can increase the risk of seizures.
B) They have no effect on anxiety.
C) They can increase feelings of dissociation and have a high potential for abuse.
D) They are known to cause weight gain.
Correct Answer: C) They can increase feelings of dissociation and have a high potential for
abuse.
Practice Questions / Study Guide Newest Actual Questions & Answers (A+ Guide
Solution)
Question 1
A patient presents to the emergency department with a severe panic attack. Which class of
medication would be most appropriate for immediate, short-term relief?
A) SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)
B) SNRI (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor)
C) A short-acting benzodiazepine
D) A long-acting benzodiazepine
Correct Answer: C) A short-acting benzodiazepine
Rationale: For acute anxiety or panic, a rapid-onset medication is needed. Short-acting
benzodiazepines like alprazolam or lorazepam provide fast relief, though they carry a risk of
rebound anxiety and abuse and are not intended for long-term use.
Question 2
A patient who has been taking a benzodiazepine for several months for an anxiety disorder
decides to stop taking it abruptly. The nurse should warn the patient about which potential and
dangerous withdrawal symptoms?
A) Drowsiness and fatigue
B) Increased appetite and weight gain
C) Agitation, irritability, and seizures
D) Dry mouth and constipation
Correct Answer: C) Agitation, irritability, and seizures
Rationale: Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be medically dangerous and potentially fatal.
Abrupt cessation can lead to severe central nervous system hyperexcitability, manifesting as
agitation, tension, and, in severe cases, seizures.
Question 3
What is considered the first-line psychopharmacological treatment for Generalized Anxiety
Disorder (GAD)?
A) Benzodiazepines
,B) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
C) SSRIs
D) Atypical antipsychotics
Correct Answer: C) SSRIs
Rationale: SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, are the recommended first-
line agents for the long-term management of most anxiety disorders due to their favorable
efficacy and side-effect profile compared to older agents.
Question 4
Which medication has been shown to potentially interfere with the effectiveness of
psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy, in the treatment of anxiety disorders?
A) SSRIs
B) Buspirone
C) Benzodiazepines
D) Beta-blockers
Correct Answer: C) Benzodiazepines
Rationale: By reducing the acute experience of anxiety, benzodiazepines can blunt the
patient's ability to engage with and habituate to feared stimuli during exposure therapy,
thereby hindering the therapeutic process.
Question 5
An 80-year-old patient is prescribed diazepam (Valium) for anxiety. Why might this be an
inappropriate choice according to the BEERS criteria?
A) Diazepam is not effective for anxiety in the elderly.
B) Diazepam has a very short half-life.
C) Diazepam has a long half-life and active metabolites, increasing the risk of falls and cognitive
impairment.
D) Diazepam can cause hypertension in elderly patients.
Correct Answer: C) Diazepam has a long half-life and active metabolites, increasing the risk of
falls and cognitive impairment.
Rationale: The BEERS criteria identify potentially inappropriate medications for older adults.
,Long-acting benzodiazepines like diazepam are on this list because their prolonged sedative
effects and accumulation in the body significantly increase the risk of adverse events like falls,
confusion, and memory problems in the elderly.
Question 6
For a patient with a specific phobia of spiders (arachnophobia), what is the most effective and
recommended first-line treatment?
A) Long-term benzodiazepine therapy
B) An SSRI such as sertraline
C) Psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy
D) An atypical antipsychotic
Correct Answer: C) Psychotherapy, particularly exposure therapy
Rationale: Medications are generally not very effective for specific phobias. The treatment of
choice is psychotherapy, specifically a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) called
exposure therapy, where the patient is gradually and safely exposed to the feared object or
situation.
Question 7
What is the first-line pharmacological treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
A) Benzodiazepines
B) High-dose SSRIs
C) Atypical antipsychotics
D) Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
Correct Answer: B) High-dose SSRIs
Rationale: SSRIs are the first-line medication for OCD. Effective treatment often requires
higher doses than those used for depression and should be combined with a specific form of
CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
Question 8
In treating a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) who experiences hyperarousal and
nightmares, which class of medication can be particularly useful for reducing sympathetic
, nervous system activation?
A) Benzodiazepines
B) SSRIs
C) Alpha and beta-blockers
D) Anticonvulsants
Correct Answer: C) Alpha and beta-blockers
Rationale: Medications like prazosin (an alpha-blocker) and propranolol (a beta-blocker) can
help manage the physical symptoms of anxiety and hyperarousal (e.g., tachycardia, tremors)
and have been found to be particularly helpful for reducing trauma-related nightmares.
Question 9
A patient with PTSD reports distressing nightmares and flashbacks. Which medication, an alpha-
1 blocker, is specifically indicated to help with these symptoms?
A) Propranolol
B) Prazosin
C) Clonidine
D) Sertraline
Correct Answer: B) Prazosin
Rationale: Prazosin has been shown in multiple studies to be effective in reducing the
frequency and intensity of trauma-related nightmares and sleep disturbances in patients with
PTSD.
Question 10
In treating a patient with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), why is the use of benzodiazepines
generally discouraged?
A) They can increase the risk of seizures.
B) They have no effect on anxiety.
C) They can increase feelings of dissociation and have a high potential for abuse.
D) They are known to cause weight gain.
Correct Answer: C) They can increase feelings of dissociation and have a high potential for
abuse.
