Mental health nursing worksheet with answers

What is agoraphobia?

1. AFear of being judged or embarrassed while speaking or eating in front of others
2. BFear of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, such as crowds or public transport
3. CFear of one specific object or animal, such as spiders, dogs or snakes
4. DFear of having a serious, undiagnosed illness despite many normal medical test results and reassurance

Which defence mechanism is considered healthy and mature?

1. ASplitting: seeing people as all good or all bad
2. BDenial: refusing to accept a diagnosis for months
3. CProjection: blaming others for one's own feelings
4. DSublimation: channelling aggressive feelings into a sport

In a mental status examination, what is the difference between mood and affect?

1. AMood is what the patient reports feeling; affect is the emotion the nurse observes
2. BMood and affect mean exactly the same thing
3. CMood is what the nurse observes in the patient; affect is what the patient reports feeling
4. DMood describes thinking; affect describes memory

Which communication approach is best for a patient with moderate dementia?

1. AAsk several questions together to save time
2. BUse abstract language and long explanations so the patient feels respected
3. CUse short, simple sentences and give one instruction at a time
4. DSpeak loudly and quickly so that the patient stays alert

Which group of signs suggests drug-induced pseudoparkinsonism in a patient taking haloperidol?

1. AShuffling gait, mask-like face, rigidity and a resting tremor
2. BLip smacking, tongue thrusting and grimacing after years of treatment
3. CRestless pacing and an inability to sit still
4. DSudden muscle spasm of the neck with the eyes rolled upwards

A patient from a culture in which communication with ancestors is common says she sometimes hears her late grandmother giving advice. What is the most appropriate nursing approach?

1. ARecord it immediately as a command hallucination
2. BExplore the experience in her cultural context before calling it a symptom
3. CTell her that her beliefs are not real
4. DAvoid asking about it, because culture is not relevant to mental health

A patient with borderline personality disorder says, "If you don't make Anna my nurse again tomorrow, I'll cut myself." What is the most appropriate response?

1. ATell her that if she cuts herself again, she will be discharged from the ward at once without any follow-up
2. BIgnore the threat, because she is only trying to manipulate staff
3. CAgree to assign Anna to her every day so that she stays safe
4. DTake the statement seriously, assess her risk and explain that nursing assignments are decided by the team

A voluntary patient asks to leave the ward now. While talking, he says he plans to jump from a bridge on the way home. What should the nurse do?

1. ALet him leave, because voluntary patients can always go when they want
2. BAsk him to promise that he will not jump, and then let him go home on his own
3. CStay with him and inform the team at once, so he can be urgently assessed under mental health law
4. DTell him to go home now and come back tomorrow morning when he feels calmer and safer