NCLEX RN Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing Test
n n n n n n n n
bank with answers & Rationale n n n n
(Personality and Mood Disorders)
n n n
1. The ncommunitynnursenisnspeakingntonangroupnofnnewnmothersnasnpartnofnanprimarynpreventionnp
rogram.nWhichnself-
measuresnwouldnbenmostnhelpfulnasnanstrategyntondecrease nthenoccurrence nofnmoodndisorders?
A. Keepingnbusy,nsonasnnotntonconfrontnproblemnareas.
B. Medicationnwithnantidepressants.
C. Use nofncrisisninterventionnservices.
D. Verbalizingnrathernthanninternalizingnfeelings.
n CorrectnAnswer:nD.nVerbalizingnrathernthanninternalizingnfeelings
.
Individualsnwhondevelopnmoodndisordersnoftennhavendifficultynexpressingnfeelings,nespeciallynfeelingsnofna
ngerntowardnsignificantnothers.nInternalizingnthose nfeelingsncanncontribute ntonlossnofnself-
esteemnandnguilt,nandntherefore nnegative ncognitionsnandndepression.
OptionnA:nIgnoringnproblemsnisnnotnanhelpfulnstrategy.nRecognizingnproblemsnandnusingnproblem-
n solvingn methods nwilln contributenton mentaln health. nThen nursencann directn theirnneedn fornmovementn int
onsociallynacceptable,nlarge nmotornactivitiesnsuchnasnarrangingnchairsnfornancommunitynmeetingnornwal
king.
OptionnB:nAntidepressantsnarencertainlynnecessaryninnthe ntreatmentnof nthenmoodndisordernof ndepressi
on;nhowever,ntheynare nnotnusedninnprimarynprevention.nDecreasingnenvironmentaln stimulationnmayna
ssistnthe nclientntonrelax;nthennurse nmustnprovidenanquietnenvironmentnwithoutnnoise,ntelevision,nandno
therndistractions;nfingernfoodsnornthingsnthenclientncanneatnwhile nmovingnaroundnarenthe nbestnoptionsn
tonimprove nnutrition.
OptionnC:nCrisisninterventionnwouldnbe nanusefulnstrategyninnhandlingnthenimmediate nneedsnof nsomeo
ne nexperiencingnancrisis;nitnisnnotnantoolnofnprimarynprevention.nAnprimarynnursingnresponsibilitynisntonp
rovide nansafenenvironmentnfornthenclientnandnothers;nfornclientsnwhonfeelnoutnof ncontrol,nthennursenm
ustnestablishnexternalncontrolsnemphaticallynandnnonjudgmentally.
2. AnclientnwithnantisocialnpersonalityndisordernwasnadmittedninnanunitnatnNurseslabsnHospital.nThe
n newly n admitted n clientn stole n money n fromn ann elderly n inn the n unit. n Whichn of n the n followingn is
the nmostnappropriate nfornthe nnurse ntonsayntonthisnclient?
A. "Whyndidnyountake nthe nmoney?"
B. "Let'sntalknaboutnhownyounfeltnwhennyountooknthe nmoney."
C. "The nconsequencesnofnstealingnare nanlossnofnprivileges."
,D. "Thisnclientnisndefenselessnagainstnyou."
,CorrectnAnswer:nC.n“The nconsequencesnofnstealingnare nlossnofnprivileges.”
The nmostnappropriate nresponsenisntonreinforcenthe nconsequencesnofnbehaviornthatndisregardnthenrightsnofn
others.nBe nverynclearnaboutnthe nconsequencesnifnpolicies/limitsnarennotnadherednto.nClientnneedsntonunder
standnthe nconsequencesnof nbreakingnthe nrules.
OptionnA:nThisnclientnisnlikelyntonrationalize nandnexcuse nthe nbehavior.nApproachnthe nclientninnanconsist
entnmannerninnallninteractions.nEnhancesnfeelingsnof nsecuritynandnprovidesnstructure.nExceptionsnenco
urage nmanipulative nbehavior.
OptionnB:nThe nnursenshouldnnotnencourage nthe nclientntonprovide nexcusesnornexplanationsnofnbehaviors
n thatn are n clearly n againstnthen rules. nBen clearnwithnthen clientnasnton the nunit/hospital/clinicn policies. n Given
brief nconcrete nreasonsnfornthe nrules,nifnasked,nandnthennmove non.
OptionnD:nAnclientnwithnantisocialnpersonalityndisordernisnunlikelyntonhave ncompassionnfornothersnand
n typically n lacksn respectnforn the n rightsn of n others. n Whenn limitsn orn policiesn aren notn followed, nenforce n the
n consequences ninn an matter-of-
fact,nnonjudgmentalnmanner.nHelpsnminimizenmanipulationsnandnmightnhelpnencourage ncooperation
.
3. The nclientnonnHaldolnhasnpillnrollingntremorsnandnmuscle nrigidity.nHe nisnlikelynmanifesting:
A. Tardive ndyskinesia
B. Pseudoparkinsonism
C. Akinesia
D. Dystonia
CorrectnAnswer:nB.nPseudoparkinsonism
Pseudoparkinsonismnisnanside neffectnofnantipsychoticndrugsncharacterizednbynmask-like nfaces,npill-
rollingntremors,nmuscle nrigidity.nPatientsnwithnthisndisordernhavenapraxicnslowness,nparatonicnrigidity,nfron
talngaitndisorder,nandnelementsnofnakinesianthat,ntakenntogether,nmaynbenmistakennforntrue nparkinsonism.
Pseudoparkinsonismnappearsntonbe ncommonnandnisnmostnoftenndue ntonAlzheimer’sndisease nornvascularnde
mentia.
OptionnA:nTardive ndyskinesianisnmanifestednbynlip-
smacking,nwormlike nmovementnofnthentongue.nTardivendyskinesian(TD) nisnansyndromenthatnincludesnan
groupnofniatrogenicnmovementndisordersncausednduentonanblockadenof ndopaminenreceptors.nThe nmov
ementndisordersninclude nakathisia,ndystonia,nbuccolingualnstereotypy,nmyoclonus,nchorea,ntics,nandno
thernabnormalninvoluntarynmovementsnwhichnare ncommonlyncausednbynthe nlong-
termnuse nofntypicalnantipsychotics.
OptionnC:nAkinesianisncharacterizednbynanfeelingnofnweaknessnandnmuscle nfatigue.nThentermnakinesianr
efersntonthe ninabilityntonperformnanclinicallynperceivable nmovement.nItncannpresentnasnandelayednresp
onse,nfreezingnmid-
action,nornevenntotalnabolitionnofnmovement.nAkinesianoccursnwhennmovementnisnnotnperceivedneith
ernbecause nthenamplitudenof nthenmovementnisnsmallnornbecause nthentime ntakenntoninitiate nthenreactio
, nnisnsignificantlynincreased.
n n n n n n n n
bank with answers & Rationale n n n n
(Personality and Mood Disorders)
n n n
1. The ncommunitynnursenisnspeakingntonangroupnofnnewnmothersnasnpartnofnanprimarynpreventionnp
rogram.nWhichnself-
measuresnwouldnbenmostnhelpfulnasnanstrategyntondecrease nthenoccurrence nofnmoodndisorders?
A. Keepingnbusy,nsonasnnotntonconfrontnproblemnareas.
B. Medicationnwithnantidepressants.
C. Use nofncrisisninterventionnservices.
D. Verbalizingnrathernthanninternalizingnfeelings.
n CorrectnAnswer:nD.nVerbalizingnrathernthanninternalizingnfeelings
.
Individualsnwhondevelopnmoodndisordersnoftennhavendifficultynexpressingnfeelings,nespeciallynfeelingsnofna
ngerntowardnsignificantnothers.nInternalizingnthose nfeelingsncanncontribute ntonlossnofnself-
esteemnandnguilt,nandntherefore nnegative ncognitionsnandndepression.
OptionnA:nIgnoringnproblemsnisnnotnanhelpfulnstrategy.nRecognizingnproblemsnandnusingnproblem-
n solvingn methods nwilln contributenton mentaln health. nThen nursencann directn theirnneedn fornmovementn int
onsociallynacceptable,nlarge nmotornactivitiesnsuchnasnarrangingnchairsnfornancommunitynmeetingnornwal
king.
OptionnB:nAntidepressantsnarencertainlynnecessaryninnthe ntreatmentnof nthenmoodndisordernof ndepressi
on;nhowever,ntheynare nnotnusedninnprimarynprevention.nDecreasingnenvironmentaln stimulationnmayna
ssistnthe nclientntonrelax;nthennurse nmustnprovidenanquietnenvironmentnwithoutnnoise,ntelevision,nandno
therndistractions;nfingernfoodsnornthingsnthenclientncanneatnwhile nmovingnaroundnarenthe nbestnoptionsn
tonimprove nnutrition.
OptionnC:nCrisisninterventionnwouldnbe nanusefulnstrategyninnhandlingnthenimmediate nneedsnof nsomeo
ne nexperiencingnancrisis;nitnisnnotnantoolnofnprimarynprevention.nAnprimarynnursingnresponsibilitynisntonp
rovide nansafenenvironmentnfornthenclientnandnothers;nfornclientsnwhonfeelnoutnof ncontrol,nthennursenm
ustnestablishnexternalncontrolsnemphaticallynandnnonjudgmentally.
2. AnclientnwithnantisocialnpersonalityndisordernwasnadmittedninnanunitnatnNurseslabsnHospital.nThe
n newly n admitted n clientn stole n money n fromn ann elderly n inn the n unit. n Whichn of n the n followingn is
the nmostnappropriate nfornthe nnurse ntonsayntonthisnclient?
A. "Whyndidnyountake nthe nmoney?"
B. "Let'sntalknaboutnhownyounfeltnwhennyountooknthe nmoney."
C. "The nconsequencesnofnstealingnare nanlossnofnprivileges."
,D. "Thisnclientnisndefenselessnagainstnyou."
,CorrectnAnswer:nC.n“The nconsequencesnofnstealingnare nlossnofnprivileges.”
The nmostnappropriate nresponsenisntonreinforcenthe nconsequencesnofnbehaviornthatndisregardnthenrightsnofn
others.nBe nverynclearnaboutnthe nconsequencesnifnpolicies/limitsnarennotnadherednto.nClientnneedsntonunder
standnthe nconsequencesnof nbreakingnthe nrules.
OptionnA:nThisnclientnisnlikelyntonrationalize nandnexcuse nthe nbehavior.nApproachnthe nclientninnanconsist
entnmannerninnallninteractions.nEnhancesnfeelingsnof nsecuritynandnprovidesnstructure.nExceptionsnenco
urage nmanipulative nbehavior.
OptionnB:nThe nnursenshouldnnotnencourage nthe nclientntonprovide nexcusesnornexplanationsnofnbehaviors
n thatn are n clearly n againstnthen rules. nBen clearnwithnthen clientnasnton the nunit/hospital/clinicn policies. n Given
brief nconcrete nreasonsnfornthe nrules,nifnasked,nandnthennmove non.
OptionnD:nAnclientnwithnantisocialnpersonalityndisordernisnunlikelyntonhave ncompassionnfornothersnand
n typically n lacksn respectnforn the n rightsn of n others. n Whenn limitsn orn policiesn aren notn followed, nenforce n the
n consequences ninn an matter-of-
fact,nnonjudgmentalnmanner.nHelpsnminimizenmanipulationsnandnmightnhelpnencourage ncooperation
.
3. The nclientnonnHaldolnhasnpillnrollingntremorsnandnmuscle nrigidity.nHe nisnlikelynmanifesting:
A. Tardive ndyskinesia
B. Pseudoparkinsonism
C. Akinesia
D. Dystonia
CorrectnAnswer:nB.nPseudoparkinsonism
Pseudoparkinsonismnisnanside neffectnofnantipsychoticndrugsncharacterizednbynmask-like nfaces,npill-
rollingntremors,nmuscle nrigidity.nPatientsnwithnthisndisordernhavenapraxicnslowness,nparatonicnrigidity,nfron
talngaitndisorder,nandnelementsnofnakinesianthat,ntakenntogether,nmaynbenmistakennforntrue nparkinsonism.
Pseudoparkinsonismnappearsntonbe ncommonnandnisnmostnoftenndue ntonAlzheimer’sndisease nornvascularnde
mentia.
OptionnA:nTardive ndyskinesianisnmanifestednbynlip-
smacking,nwormlike nmovementnofnthentongue.nTardivendyskinesian(TD) nisnansyndromenthatnincludesnan
groupnofniatrogenicnmovementndisordersncausednduentonanblockadenof ndopaminenreceptors.nThe nmov
ementndisordersninclude nakathisia,ndystonia,nbuccolingualnstereotypy,nmyoclonus,nchorea,ntics,nandno
thernabnormalninvoluntarynmovementsnwhichnare ncommonlyncausednbynthe nlong-
termnuse nofntypicalnantipsychotics.
OptionnC:nAkinesianisncharacterizednbynanfeelingnofnweaknessnandnmuscle nfatigue.nThentermnakinesianr
efersntonthe ninabilityntonperformnanclinicallynperceivable nmovement.nItncannpresentnasnandelayednresp
onse,nfreezingnmid-
action,nornevenntotalnabolitionnofnmovement.nAkinesianoccursnwhennmovementnisnnotnperceivedneith
ernbecause nthenamplitudenof nthenmovementnisnsmallnornbecause nthentime ntakenntoninitiate nthenreactio
, nnisnsignificantlynincreased.
