A patient recovering from severe depression is due for discharge tomorrow. Which statement should most concern the nurse?

I have been saving up my sleeping tablets, just in case

I am worried about going back to work next month

I still wake up early, but less than before

I'm not sure my brother will visit me often

A patient with psychotic symptoms and his family say his illness is caused by jinn and ask for a religious healer to visit. The best response by the nurse is to:

Respect the belief and arrange the visit alongside his prescribed treatment

Stop the medication while the healer treats him

Explain that jinn do not exist and refuse the visit

Tell the family their beliefs are delaying his recovery

A patient with mania insists, 'I am the owner of this hospital and will fire all of you.' The nurse's best response is to:

Avoid arguing and redirect him to a simple, reality-based task

Agree with him so that he stays calm

Prove him wrong by showing him the hospital director's name

Laugh it off and tell him he is joking

Mental health disorders and therapeutic care

50 Gulf Prometric RN (DHA, DOH, MOH, SCFHS) practice questions on Mental health disorders and therapeutic care, part of Mental Health Nursing. The first 25 are below; the first 5 with answers and explanations (tap Show answer after you have chosen), the rest in Learn with a free account.

Question 1 · Hard
A man was admitted 36 hours ago. He is alert and oriented but has yawning, runny nose, watery eyes, gooseflesh, dilated pupils, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. BP 140/90 mmHg. Which substance is he most likely withdrawing from?
1. AAmphetamines
2. BAlcohol
3. COpioids
4. DBenzodiazepines
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Answer: C · Opioids
Yawning, rhinorrhoea, lacrimation, piloerection, mydriasis, cramps and diarrhoea are characteristic of opioid withdrawal, often starting 8-24 hours after short-acting opioids. His orientation is clear, which fits opioid rather than alcohol or sedative withdrawal. It is distressing but rarely fatal, and is managed with symptom relief or methadone or buprenorphine. A urine drug screen supports the assessment.
- A: Stimulant withdrawal causes fatigue, hypersomnia and depression, not autonomic overactivity.
- B: Alcohol withdrawal shows tremor, sweating and anxiety, with confusion if severe, rather than yawning and gooseflesh.
- D: Benzodiazepine withdrawal resembles alcohol withdrawal with risk of seizures.
Question 2 · Hard
A patient recovering from severe depression is due for discharge tomorrow. Which statement should most concern the nurse?
1. AI am worried about going back to work next month
2. BI still wake up early, but less than before
3. CI'm not sure my brother will visit me often
4. DI have been saving up my sleeping tablets, just in case
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Answer: D · I have been saving up my sleeping tablets, just in case
Stockpiling medication shows preparation of a means for suicide, a strong warning sign of intent. Risk can be high as energy returns during recovery and around discharge. The nurse explores the statement directly, informs the team, and the discharge plan is reviewed, including who holds the medication. Worries about work and family are common and are addressed in planning but do not show intent.
- A: Worry about returning to work is a normal concern to plan for.
- B: Improving early waking shows recovery, not risk.
- C: Concern about family contact is a support issue, not a sign of a plan.
Question 3 · Easy
A man who is attracted to a colleague accuses his wife of wanting to have an affair. The defence mechanism he is using is:
1. AUndoing
2. BIntrojection
3. CProjection
4. DSublimation
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Answer: C · Projection
Projection attributes one's own unacceptable thoughts or impulses to another person. His own attraction is too threatening to admit, so he sees it in his wife instead. Projection is common in paranoid thinking. The nurse responds to the underlying feeling rather than arguing about the accusation.
- A: Undoing is an act that symbolically cancels a previous unacceptable act.
- B: Introjection takes in another person's values or traits as one's own.
- D: Sublimation channels an impulse into a socially valued activity.
Question 4 · Medium
A patient with psychotic symptoms and his family say his illness is caused by jinn and ask for a religious healer to visit. The best response by the nurse is to:
1. ARespect the belief and arrange the visit alongside his prescribed treatment
2. BStop the medication while the healer treats him
3. CExplain that jinn do not exist and refuse the visit
4. DTell the family their beliefs are delaying his recovery
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Answer: A · Respect the belief and arrange the visit alongside his prescribed treatment
Culturally competent care respects patients' religious and spiritual beliefs, and in Gulf hospitals family and faith are often central to how illness is understood. A spiritual visit that does no harm can be supported and may improve trust and adherence. The nurse continues the treatment plan and explains its role with respect. Any practice that could harm the patient is discussed with the team.
- B: Stopping prescribed treatment risks relapse and is not the nurse's decision.
- C: Dismissing the belief damages trust and the therapeutic relationship.
- D: Blaming the family alienates them from the treatment plan.
Question 5 · Medium
A patient with mania insists, 'I am the owner of this hospital and will fire all of you.' The nurse's best response is to:
1. AAgree with him so that he stays calm
2. BProve him wrong by showing him the hospital director's name
3. CAvoid arguing and redirect him to a simple, reality-based task
4. DLaugh it off and tell him he is joking
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Answer: C · Avoid arguing and redirect him to a simple, reality-based task
Grandiose delusions are fixed false beliefs that do not change with logical argument, and arguing can increase agitation. Agreeing reinforces the delusion. The nurse neither challenges nor supports the belief and turns the conversation to the here and now. Treatment of the mania usually reduces the grandiosity.
- A: Agreeing with a delusion reinforces it.
- B: Presenting evidence leads to argument and often more agitation.
- D: Laughing is belittling and damages trust.
Question 6 · Hard
An agitated patient is prescribed lorazepam 2 mg IM. The vial contains lorazepam 4 mg/mL. What volume should the nurse draw up?
1. A2 mL
2. B0.2 mL
3. C8 mL
4. D0.5 mL
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 7 · Medium
A patient with bipolar disorder starts sodium valproate. Which blood tests does the nurse expect to be monitored?
1. ASerum amylase and urine protein
2. BSerum potassium and magnesium
3. CThyroid function and serum calcium
4. DLiver function tests and platelet count
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 8 · Easy
A patient with schizophrenia believes that the television newsreader is sending messages meant only for him. This symptom is called:
1. AFlight of ideas
2. BLoosening of associations
3. CIdeas of reference
4. DThought blocking
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 9 · Hard
A 79-year-old man with known Alzheimer disease has become much more confused over 2 days, sleeps in the day, has new urinary incontinence and a temperature of 37.9 °C. What is the nurse's best action?
1. AIncrease his donepezil dose as dementia has worsened
2. BRecord the change as expected progression of his Alzheimer disease
3. CGive a sedative at night to restore his sleep
4. DReport a possible delirium and obtain a urine sample for testing
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 10 · Medium
A 40-year-old man admitted to hospital begins to wet the bed, sulk and demand that his mother feed him. This behaviour is an example of:
1. ADenial
2. BRepression
3. CRegression
4. DConversion
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 11 · Easy
A patient says, 'I am a burden to everyone.' The nurse replies, 'Don't worry, everything will be fine.' This response is an example of:
1. AReflecting feelings
2. BFalse reassurance
3. COffering self
4. DExploring
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 12 · Easy
A patient with generalised anxiety disorder is prescribed buspirone. The nurse teaches that buspirone:
1. AWorks within an hour when taken as needed
2. BTakes several weeks to reduce anxiety
3. CMust be taken with alcohol avoided only at night
4. DCauses marked sedation and dependence
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 13 · Hard
Three weeks after starting haloperidol, a 58-year-old man walks with small shuffling steps, has a fixed facial expression, a resting hand tremor and cogwheel stiffness at the wrist. Which order does the nurse anticipate?
1. AAn increase in the haloperidol dose
2. BDantrolene and active cooling
3. CA dopamine-blocking antiemetic for nausea
4. DAn anticholinergic such as benztropine
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 14 · Medium
A patient in acute mania is loud, pacing, and becomes more excited in the busy day room. The most appropriate nursing action is to:
1. ALeave him in the day room to tire himself out
2. BMove him to a quiet area with low stimulation
3. CInvolve him in a competitive group game
4. DAsk him to lead the ward's morning meeting
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 15 · Easy
For a reliable serum lithium level, the blood sample should be taken:
1. AWithin 1 hour after the morning dose
2. BImmediately before the evening dose
3. CAt any time, as levels stay constant
4. DAbout 12 hours after the last dose
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 16 · Hard
A 22-year-old woman says she took 30 paracetamol 500 mg tablets 4 hours ago after an argument. She is alert, has no symptoms and wants to go home. What is the priority?
1. ADischarge her with a mental health clinic appointment
2. BTake a paracetamol level now and anticipate acetylcysteine
3. CGive activated charcoal and discharge if she stays well
4. DObserve her for 24 hours before any blood tests
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 17 · Medium
A patient shouts, 'You people keep forcing these tablets on me!' Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
1. AYou sound angry about the medication. Tell me what worries you about it.
2. BEveryone on this ward takes their medicines, so you must take yours too.
3. CPlease calm down or I will have to call security.
4. DWhy are you being so difficult this morning?
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 18 · Medium
A man with schizophrenia has been readmitted three times because he stops his tablets once he is home. Which option is most likely to prevent relapse?
1. AStopping the antipsychotic once he is well
2. BA higher dose of the same oral tablets
3. CA long-acting injectable (depot) antipsychotic
4. DDaily tablets that he keeps and takes himself at home
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 19 · Easy
A patient started on sertraline asks when he will feel better. The nurse explains that the full antidepressant effect usually takes:
1. A6 to 12 months
2. B1 to 2 days
3. C2 to 6 weeks
4. D3 to 5 hours
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 20 · Medium
A patient brought in after a heroin overdose wakes and breathes normally after naloxone. Why must the nurse keep monitoring closely?
1. ANaloxone wears off sooner than many opioids, so sedation can return
2. BNaloxone makes the opioid act more strongly later on
3. CNaloxone often causes severe hypoglycaemia an hour later
4. DNaloxone itself causes delayed respiratory depression
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 21 · Medium
A patient with generalised anxiety disorder is discharged on lorazepam. Which statement shows she understood the teaching?
1. AI must not stop the tablets suddenly on my own
2. BA glass of wine with them will help me relax
3. CThese tablets are safe to take for years
4. DI can take extra tablets if I feel anxious
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 22 · Easy
A patient in acute mania will not sit for meals and is losing weight. The best dietary approach is to offer:
1. AThree large meals served to him at the nursing station
2. BMeals only when he agrees to sit at the table
3. CHigh-calorie finger foods and drinks he can carry
4. DA low-salt diet to protect his lithium level
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 23 · Medium
A patient with schizophrenia started on olanzapine has a family history of type 2 diabetes. Which monitoring is most important?
1. AWeight, fasting glucose and lipids
2. BWhite cell count every week for 6 months
3. CSerum drug level every week
4. DThyroid function every month
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 24 · Medium
A woman with bipolar disorder who takes lithium plans to become pregnant. Lithium in the first trimester is most associated with which fetal problem?
1. ANeural tube defects such as spina bifida
2. BEbstein anomaly of the heart
3. CLimb reduction defects
4. DCleft lip and palate
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account
Question 25 · Medium
A patient is pacing, clenching his fists and raising his voice at another patient. What should the nurse do first?
1. ASpeak calmly to him from a safe distance, offering a quiet space
2. BTell him firmly to go to his room or he will lose all of his privileges
3. CGive a PRN intramuscular sedative at once
4. DCall the team to place him in restraints
Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

25 more Mental health disorders and therapeutic care questions

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Mental health disorders and therapeutic care

A man was admitted 36 hours ago. He is alert and oriented but has yawning, runny nose, watery eyes, gooseflesh, dilated pupils, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. BP 140/90 mmHg. Which substance is he most likely withdrawing from?

A patient recovering from severe depression is due for discharge tomorrow. Which statement should most concern the nurse?

A man who is attracted to a colleague accuses his wife of wanting to have an affair. The defence mechanism he is using is:

A patient with psychotic symptoms and his family say his illness is caused by jinn and ask for a religious healer to visit. The best response by the nurse is to:

A patient with mania insists, 'I am the owner of this hospital and will fire all of you.' The nurse's best response is to:

An agitated patient is prescribed lorazepam 2 mg IM. The vial contains lorazepam 4 mg/mL. What volume should the nurse draw up?

A patient with bipolar disorder starts sodium valproate. Which blood tests does the nurse expect to be monitored?

A patient with schizophrenia believes that the television newsreader is sending messages meant only for him. This symptom is called:

A 79-year-old man with known Alzheimer disease has become much more confused over 2 days, sleeps in the day, has new urinary incontinence and a temperature of 37.9 °C. What is the nurse's best action?

A 40-year-old man admitted to hospital begins to wet the bed, sulk and demand that his mother feed him. This behaviour is an example of:

A patient says, 'I am a burden to everyone.' The nurse replies, 'Don't worry, everything will be fine.' This response is an example of:

A patient with generalised anxiety disorder is prescribed buspirone. The nurse teaches that buspirone:

Three weeks after starting haloperidol, a 58-year-old man walks with small shuffling steps, has a fixed facial expression, a resting hand tremor and cogwheel stiffness at the wrist. Which order does the nurse anticipate?

A patient in acute mania is loud, pacing, and becomes more excited in the busy day room. The most appropriate nursing action is to:

For a reliable serum lithium level, the blood sample should be taken:

A 22-year-old woman says she took 30 paracetamol 500 mg tablets 4 hours ago after an argument. She is alert, has no symptoms and wants to go home. What is the priority?

A patient shouts, 'You people keep forcing these tablets on me!' Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?

A man with schizophrenia has been readmitted three times because he stops his tablets once he is home. Which option is most likely to prevent relapse?

A patient started on sertraline asks when he will feel better. The nurse explains that the full antidepressant effect usually takes:

A patient brought in after a heroin overdose wakes and breathes normally after naloxone. Why must the nurse keep monitoring closely?

A patient with generalised anxiety disorder is discharged on lorazepam. Which statement shows she understood the teaching?

A patient in acute mania will not sit for meals and is losing weight. The best dietary approach is to offer:

A patient with schizophrenia started on olanzapine has a family history of type 2 diabetes. Which monitoring is most important?

A woman with bipolar disorder who takes lithium plans to become pregnant. Lithium in the first trimester is most associated with which fetal problem?

A patient is pacing, clenching his fists and raising his voice at another patient. What should the nurse do first?