1.       Question: From a biological perspective, all of the following neurotransmitters are implicit in the anxiety response except:
2.       Question: Mr. Kendall is a 47-year old male who is presented to care by his younger sister, Megan. Mr. Kendall has spent his entire adult life living in an apartment that was attached to his parents’ home. His mother died a few weeks ago, and the property is listed for sale. Mr. Kendall will have to move, and while discussing this with him, Megan became very concerned. He has apparently been considered odd all his life, has never married or even dated as far as Megan knows, but she had no idea how odd he was. When his mother died, he seemed disconnected from reality and had episodes of talking to people who weren’t present. Megan says that sometimes she does not even understand what he is talking about. He seems to think he has psychic powers, and that he doesn’t need to move because he knows the house will not be sold. When considering a diagnosis of schizotypal disorder, the PMHNP expects which of the following to be present in the history?
3.       Question: Becci is a 31-year-old female who presents to the PMHNP for evaluation after being referred by her friend who is a patient of the practice. She describes a relatively acute, recent onset of panic attacks. Becci says that “out of the blue” her heart starts to race, her mouth gets dry, she gets shaky, and feels like she cannot get her breath. She is afraid because her friend has panic disorder and Becci knows that before her friend got treatment, she basically would not leave the house in case an attack happened. The PMHNP recognizes that the immediate priority in assessment for Becci is:
4.       Question: The PMHNP is working on a graduate program in which he is hoping to develop a new personality assessment tool. After an exhaustive review of the literature and many months of work, he developed a tool to use in a research study and needs to establish its psychometric properties. He distributes the tool to four different professionals in the field and asks that they assess whether the questions appear to measure what they are purported to measure. This is an assessment of:
5.       Question: Among the various psychotherapeutic techniques available for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, which mechanism achieves its effect by having patients work through the traumatic event while in a deep state of relaxation?
6.       Question: Alexa is a 27-year-old female who has come to group therapy while she is in the city jail. She was arrested for vagrancy because she was sleeping in her car in a parking lot at a local shopping center. She could not post bail, so she is sentenced to 14 days in jail.
During group, she contributes that none of this is her fault. Her mother is totally evil because she would not let Alexa stay in the family home. She has some other family. but they are all jerks because they won’t help her. Alexa’s friend Melanie is the absolute best person in the world, but she can’t help because her boss fired her for no reason. Alexa has a history of arrests for buying illegal drugs and prostitution. The last time she was in jail, her sentence was extended for 30 days because she got into a fight with another inmate and beat her up so badly she had to be admitted to the hospital for 6 days. The PMHNP considers which of the following personality disorders?
7.       Question: Janel is a 37-year-old woman who is being interviewed as part of a family assessment. Her 10-year-old son is having some behavioral issues in school and has been referred for evaluation. While interviewing Janel, the PMHNP appreciates that she appears very emotional. She expresses extreme distress at her son’s behavior and says she will do anything to help him; they are “best friends.” She is very demonstrative during the assessment and seems unhappy when she is not the center of attention during the evaluation process. She repeatedly talks about her own medical problems, such as recurrent headache and abdominal pain, which her doctors cannot diagnose. Her appearance is very flamboyant, and her dress is more appropriate to a nightclub than a family assessment. In addition to managing her son’s needs, Janel would likely benefit from:
8.       Question: Danielle is a 31-year-old female who is having a psychiatric evaluation at the insistence of her husband. They have been married for 4 years, and her husband has finally become so frustrated by her jealous behavior that he threatened to leave her if she didn’t “get help.” Her husband insists that he has never been unfaithful, but Danielle repeatedly accuses him of having an affair. If he is even a few minutes late getting home from work, she demands an explanation and then does not believe anything he says. She does not have any real friends—her sister is her closest social contact, but Danielle has been angry with her for several weeks and won’t answer phone calls. Reportedly she does this often, and according to her husband can “hold a grudge forever.” During the interview, Danielle is calm, responsive, but distant. She says she really doesn’t understand why she is there—there is not a problem. The PMHNP considers the most likely diagnosis and discusses with Danielle that the treatment of choice is:
9.       Question: Patients on lithium carbonate for management of bipolar disorder should be subject to routine assessment of:
10.   Question: The PMHNP is asked to evaluate the parent of one of her existing patients, a 49-year-old woman named Sheri. Sheri reports that her father, a 78-year-old man who lives alone, has always been in good health. However, when Sheri went to have breakfast with him this past Sunday, she found her father overtly confused and he did not even seem to recognize her at first. Sheri is concerned that he has Alzheimer’s disease, and she is amazed because two days prior he was “completely fine.” The PMHNP knows that the most likely cause of this presentation is:
11.   Question: The PMHNP is called to the acute care unit to evaluate a patient who is admitted after being brought in by his friends. They were at a party where there were numerous drugs of abuse as well as alcohol. The patient cannot provide a history, and his friends are unclear as to which drugs he used. Physical examination reveals a patient who is diaphoretic, tremulous, has a pulse of 130 bpm, dilated pupils, and cannot perform fine motor tasks. These physical findings are most consistent with which type of intoxication?
12.   Question: The psychological sciences have contributed theoretical foundations to the etiology and management of anxiety disorders from both conceptual and practical perspectives. The concept that anxiety develops in persons who feel as though they are living in a world devoid of meaning is an example of which theoretical foundation?
13.   Question: Among the various types of therapeutic intervention for patients with borderline personality disorder, which of the following is characterized as polymodal, including group skills training, individual therapy, telephone consultation, and a consultation team with a goal of improving interpersonal skills and decreasing self-destructive behavior?
14.   Question: A variety of pharmacologic agents have demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Which of the following does not have any evidenced-based support in the literature?
15.   Question: Laura T. is a 27-year-old female who has been referred for psychiatric evaluation. She has no significant psychiatric or medical history and denies any history of substance abuse, but she is here because she is persistently having olfactory hallucinations. For the last 3 months, she has been having this progressive sense of smelling particularly foul odors—feces, rotting food, trash— with no obvious cause. She made the appointment because she had an uncle who had schizophrenia and he used to have hallucinations too, although he was mostly hearing voices. The PMHNP knows that a priority of assessment includes a:
16.   Question: The PMHNP is on call at the local county correctional facility. He is asked to evaluate M.S., a 21-year-old male who was just arrested following an altercation at a local bar. M.S. has never been incarcerated before and apparently has no psychiatric or medical history available. His toxicology screen was negative for alcohol or any drugs of abuse. His mother says that he has in the past had some occasions when he got kind of agitated, but this is the first time it’s been a problem. Reportedly some people from his office were at the bar celebrating a birthday, and before anyone knew what happened an argument escalated into M.S. getting very loud, yelling, and acting “crazy” before he punched a coworker and started breaking bottles. When considering a manic or hypomanic episode, the PMHNP expects that his speech would most likely be:
17.   Question: The PMHNP is conducting an initial interview with a patient whose history is consistent with avoidant personality disorder. The PMHNP understands that one of the most striking features of this interview is likely to be centered upon the patient’s:
18.   Question: Cory is a 23-year-old male recently incarcerated in the county correction facility for a 9-month sentence following his third conviction for battery. As part of an early release program, he is required to participate in the therapy program. During his initial interview, he is very pleasant and engaged, expressing no anxiety or distress with his current circumstances. His psychiatric history is significant for numerous adolescent episodes of running away, truancy, and substance abuse. As a young adult, he reportedly has not held a steady job but rather is constantly coming up with money-making schemes. According to family reports is a personality disorder are very likely to:
19.   Question: Which of the following is a true statement with respect to the treatment of narcissistic personality disorder?
20.   Question: Darius is a 26-year-old male who presents for care as part of couple therapy with his wife, who is being seen for dependency issues. Darius himself seems very anxious to “do the right thing” and appears to want to please the therapist. During the evaluation, Darius is impeccably dressed, very formal in his presentation and interaction, and is watchful of time because he has an appointment after the interview and states several times that he cannot be late. The PMHNP considers that Darius may have obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). In differentiating this from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), she explores his history further for:
21.   Question: Sarah is a 23-year-old patient who presents for a follow-up of her major depressive episode. She was titrated up to maximal dose fluoxetine 6 weeks ago after demonstrating tolerance without side effects at lower doses. Today in follow-up, she reports that she still has no sides effects but no therapeutic effect either. There does not appear to be any measurable improvement of her initial presenting symptoms. The PMHNP knows that the most appropriate approach at this point is to:
22.   Question: Anthony is a 41-year-old male patient who presents for evaluation. His wife made the appointment because she is worried about him and he would not seek care on his own. Anthony has become progressively withdrawn over the last few months and is in danger of losing his job because he misses so many days. He has been evaluated by his primary care provider and has no apparent medical conditions. His wife reports that he has been diagnosed with depression in the past, and has even taken medication that seemed to help. This time he just refused to pursue care. After a comprehensive assessment, the PMHNP diagnoses the patient with major depressive episode with psychotic features. Consistent with the Texas Algorithm Medication Project (TAMP), the appropriate choice of initial medication therapy would be:
23.   Question: In documenting a mental status exam (MSE) for Janet, a 54-year-old female, the PMHNP notes that she is bradykinesic, has poverty of speech, is depressed, and appears flat. This includes all the following elements of physical examination except:
24.   Question: Which of the following personality disorders is associated with females with fragile X syndrome?
25.   Question: When developing a pharmacologic treatment plan for the management of major depressive disorder, the PMHNP counsels the patient that the medication will be titrated up to the appropriate dose and then continued for a minimum of 3 months; medication must not be stopped abruptly or without provider supervision. This is because the physiologic consequence of abrupt cessation is likely to result in:
26.   Question: The PMHNP is considering pharmacotherapeutic options for Ana, a 28-year-old female with generalized anxiety disorder. Ana is very concerned about becoming “addicted” to medication, but she is open to pharmacotherapy because there are a lot of things going on in her life and she worries all the time. Her husband is deployed overseas, she has just started a new job, and her only child has just started kindergarten. Ana denies any panic-type symptoms; her primary concern is that she is worried about everything and it is making it hard to sleep and concentrate on learning the skills for her new job. Ana may best benefit from
27.   Question: John is a 41-year-old male who presents for management of heroin addiction. He has a long history of opiate abuse spanning decades and has had several unsuccessful attempts at recovery. Because of his lifestyle, he has developed a variety of chronic health problems, including cardiomyopathy and stage 2 chronic kidney disease. He currently takes several psychiatric medications for mood disorder. When considering methadone maintenance as a mechanism of treating his opiate addiction, the PMHNP knows that if he requires more than 100 mg of methadone at the start of therapy he should have a baseline:
28.   Question: The professional relationship between therapist and patient with schizoid personality disorder is a challenge because these patients do not typically seek care independently. However, once a trusting relationship develops, this type of patient may:
29.   Question: Jeffrey T. is a 27-year-old man who has presented for care after being required to do so by the county court. He was involved in a car accident, and while he was not at fault for the accident, routine blood alcohol screening revealed that he was driving while intoxicated. He is a bit resentful at being required to attend therapy; he is very vocal that his driving was not impaired and that he is able to function normally even after drinking what others might consider excess amounts of alcohol. His wife confirms this; they both admit that what began as one or two beers after work a few years ago has evolved to where he now drinks at least a 12 pack of beer nightly. Regardless, they both confirm that he never “seems drunk,” and this does not interfere with his job or fulfilling his family functions. Jeffrey’s ability to function normally despite high blood alcohol is likely a result of:
30.   Question: Which among the following neurotransmitters is decreased in depression and increased in mania?
31.   Question: Maurice is a 22-year-old male who is being treated for major depressive episode. He presents today for a follow up visit. He was started on sertraline 50 mg daily 4 weeks ago, and 2 weeks ago, his dose was increased to 150 mg daily. Today he is concerned because he doesn’t really feel much symptom improvement, and he thinks he needs something else. The best response to Maurice is to tell him that:
32.   Question: The PMHNP is evaluating Jared, a 47-year-old male who is brought to care by his wife because “he’s not the man I married 20 years ago.” According to his wife, she and Jared have been married for 20 years, have two children, and have lived a “normal” life. Jared owns a local construction company and their marriage has been a solid one, characterized by the typical day-to-day issues that occur in most marriages, but otherwise happy. For the last 2–3 months, she says Jared has completely changed. He will get angry for no apparent reason and even broke a lamp once. He tells stupid and offensive jokes that no one else thinks are funny, and even had someone call the police when he continued to make inappropriate remarks to a woman in a restaurant. Jared seems unsure what to say, but his wife is adamant that this is a totally different man from the one she has known. The PMHNP knows that Jared should be evaluated for:
33.   Question: The PMHNP is considering a diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder in a new patient. When reviewing the history and physical examination, which of the following findings would be most consistent with this diagnosis?
34.   Question: Karen is a 19-year-old female who has been referred to care after being seen in the emergency department following a violent sexual assault. She was working late one evening at the shopping mall and walked alone to her car after dark. She was assaulted, beaten, and thankfully a passerby saw her lying in some bushes and called 911. Initially she was resistant to mental health care, but now, 2 months later, she feels as though she needs help because she is experiencing a collection of symptoms including flashbacks, dreams of the assault, palpitations, anxiety, and a sense that she is watching the assault happen to her This sense of watching the assault as if she was an observer is characteristic of which diagnostic domain of PTSD?
35.   Question: Chantel is a 19-year-old female who presents for care because she thinks she is bipolar. During her initial interview, she admits that she has a long history of feeling like she was the person in the family of whom there were always high expectations, and she was never able to express concerns or feelings of inadequacy. When asked why she thinks she is bipolar, she says she gets very moody. She was at the grocery store last week and slipped and fell. While waiting for help, she could not control her anger and reached up to swipe all the food off of the shelves. She has been fired from jobs because of her uncontrollable temper; she sometimes “just can’t be around certain people.” Chantel also reports that at times she will go two full days and nights being unable to sleep, and that her mind keeps racing and she can’t “shut it down.” When this happens, she just gets up and does things around the house. Finally, Chantel reports that she cannot hold onto money at all. Whenever she gets a paycheck, she immediately spends it on things that she acknowledges she doesn’t even need. When considering a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, the PMHNP specifically assesses for:
36.   Question: A PMHNP student is reviewing his notes from his clinical experience over the past week to prepare his first required case presentation on a patient suffering a major depressive episode. Which of the following patients best represents the DSM-5 criteria for major depressive episode?
37.   Question: Mrs. Maxwell is a 75-year-old patient with moderate Alzheimer’s dementia. She lives with her son and his wife and generally does very well with her day to day activities. The family understands the importance of routine and Mrs. Maxwell maintains a regular schedule of activities including her meals, timed toileting, and recreational activities. Which of the following behaviors should prompt and immediate depression screening for Mrs. Maxwell?
38.   Question: Marlene is a 35-year-old female who is in therapy primarily to develop coping mechanisms for living with her husband, who has narcissistic personality disorder. She is committed to the marriage and loves her husband, but finds his inflated sense of self- importance and complete lack of empathy to be especially difficult. She believes he has a good side, but most of her friends have only ever seen extreme arrogance, and she is embarrassed by that. While counseling Marlene, the PMHNP advises her that patients with narcissistic personality disorder have extremely fragile:
39.   Question: Which of the following is a true statement with regard to the etiology of substance abuse?
40.   Question: Hugo is a 39-year-old male who has encouraged his wife to come to counseling because he is worried about her wine drinking. Hugo says that he and his wife have shared a bottle of wine with dinner most nights for the last couple of years, but in the last few months he has become worried that she drinks too much. They both agree that she never really becomes intoxicated, but he does not like the fact that evening wine has become the most important part of her meal. If he wants to go out, she will only go to a place that has a wine she likes. Last month they went on a week-long vacation, and she insisted on packing enough of her wine to last the whole time. If they go to a restaurant that does not have a wine she likes, she will take her own in a disposable coffee cup. It seems like for the last few months, she has been drinking more and more, occasionally finishing the bottle alone when he doesn’t want any. Both partners agree that there is no interference with work or any activities or responsibilities, but it is causing some tension in their marriage. When considering a diagnosis of substance use disorder, the PMHNP considers that:
41.   Question: Clare’s history of personal relationships is characterized by complete intolerance of being alone. Whether it is an intimate-partner relationship or a close friend, Clare appears to always need someone in her life. She had a live-in boyfriend of 3 years, and while they were together, he took care of everything. The PMHNP expects all of the following to be additional features of Clare’s history except:
42.   Question: Sally is a 54-year-old female who presents for care at the urging of her employer. She says that she doesn’t think she needs to be there, but the manager of her division at work strongly suggested that she make an appointment. She is the evening shift manager in the accounting department of a major online sales organization. Her role requires meticulous accountability of a complex system of production statistics, and she has done this exceedingly well for years. She has been a valued employee, and her work is above reproach. A few months ago, the company adopted a new software program that required a complete revamping of Sally’s department. She has not adapted well, and her resulting anxiety is almost prohibitive of functioning in her role. During her interview, Sally is very somber and serious, and is clearly having difficulty with this change. She is distraught over the potential of not being able to do her job well and meet her immediate supervisor’s expectations. Recognizing the likely diagnosis, the PMHNP knows that Sally is likely to respond best to:
43.   Question: Assessment of the manic state in a patient with bipolar disorder is likely to include all the following except:
44.   Question: A 22-year-old male patient is started on sertraline 50 mg p.o. daily after presenting with a major depressive episode. After tolerating without difficulty for 2 weeks, his dose is increased to 100 mg p.o. daily. Approximately 4 weeks later he reports an unusual set of new symptoms for the last week and a half. He says he feels “amped up” and just very generally agitated and nervous. He was short-tempered at work and home and was snapping at people for no good reason. He also reports difficulty concentrating at work. Last week he expressed disproportionate anger at his work and his boss told him that he was bipolar and should be put on medication. The PMHNP discusses with the patient that:
45.   Question: Differentiating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder can be challenging. Which of the following provides the strongest support for PTSD vs the other two differential diagnoses?
46.   Question: M.T. is a 39-year-old female being seen by the PMHNP for a major depressive episode. She is being managed with SNRI therapy in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy. She is having difficulty achieving remission, and her husband comes with her to this office visit because he is becoming very frustrated. He wants to be supportive, but he is finding it very difficult to understand why she is so depressed. M.T. had an episode of depression approximately 2 years ago, but that was when her sister died in an accident. After 6 months of treatment, she seemed to return to normal. This time, her husband points out that she “has nothing to be depressed about,” but she has become so depressed that she has essentially withdrawn from the family. In trying to help M.T.’s husband understand the disease process, the PMHNP discusses with him that:
47.   Question: Cory J. is a 23-year-old male being seen by the PMHNP today for an initial evaluation. He says that he does not think anything is wrong, but his family, including his mother, grandmother, and aunt, have all told him that he must be “mentally ill.” He has been unable to hold a job and has worked as a cook at more than five chain restaurants in the last 6 months. He has no real friends—he says his “friends” only call him when they need something but never help him. He is currently staying with his grandmother but reportedly will soon be homeless “unless things change.” While he is telling his story, the PMHNP appreciates that Cory repeatedly includes details that make it hard to understand his point. When asked why he thinks he will be homeless, he responds by talking about how many hours he has worked and how everything was going well but then his car broke down and he couldn’t afford to fix it because his tax return was held by the IRS. The PMHNP recognizes that this represents an abnormal:
48.   Question: The difference between a manic and hypomanic episode is best characterized by all the following except:
49.   Question: The major defensive mechanisms employed by patients with histrionic personality disorder include:
50.   Question: Mrs. Bowen is a 33-year-old female who presents as a new patient requesting medication for depression. She reports a long history of mood disorders on and off going back to adolescence. She is very articulate in describing her history and reports that neither sertraline nor fluoxetine “worked for her.” She was unable to remember the dose or how long she took the medication. With respect to considering Mrs. Bowen’s medication history, the PMHNP knows that:
51.   Question: During the interview of Kevin, a 42-year-old male who presents for treatment because of marital problems, the PMHNP responds to his tears by gently moving a box of tissues toward him. This is a facilitating intervention of interview known as:
52.   Question: Validated and reliable instruments are an important part of assessment for both clinical practice and research in psychiatrics. Which of the following tools is currently considered the standard for assessing clinical outcomes in treatment studies of schizophrenia
53.   Question: Fletcher is a 29-year-old male referred for court-ordered counseling. He has a long history of repeated offenses including DUI, domestic violence, battery, and other violent acts that fortunately have not yet caused any serious injury or death to the recipients. An interview with his wife reveals that he has lied about almost everything for the last few years; he is able to get hired for jobs because he is very engaging and likeable, and t