Nur350 Exam 2 Questions And Accurate Answers
Describe the therapeutic milieu for a patient with schizophrenia in a hospital setting. A.
A therapeutic milieu is specifically designed and implemented to ensure a physical and
social environment that will allow the patient to experience maximum amounts of safety,
learning and practicing such needed skills as conflict resolution, stress reduction, and
symptom management skills, and engaging in therapeutic activities - games that provide
socialization, for example. (Halter 211-212)
Affect - Answer The external manifestation of a feeling or emotion that is manifested in
facial expression, tone of voice, and body language. For example, a patient may be said
to have a flat affect, meaning that there is an absence or a near absence of facial
expression. The term may be used loosely to describe a feeling, emotion, or mood.
(Halter 672)
Anergia - Answer Lack of energy; passivity. (Halter 672)
Anhedonia - Answer The inability to experience pleasure. (Halter 672)
Dysthymic Disorder (DD) - Answer A mild to moderate mood disturbance characterized
by a chronic depressive syndrome that is usually present for many years. The
depressive mood disturbance is hard to distinguish from the person's usual pattern of
functioning, and the person has minimal social or occupational impairment. (Halter 675)
Because the onset of dysthymic disorder is typically in the teens, patients will often say
that they have "always felt this way" and being depressed seems like a normal way of
functioning (NIMH, 2012b). It is not uncommon for people with this low-level depression
to also have periods of fullblown major depressive episodes. (Halter 251)
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) - Answer A form of treatment for depression in which a
grand mal seizure is elicited by the passage of an electric current through electrodes
applied to the temples. The use of a muscle relaxant limits seizure activity and prevents
the fracture of long bones and cervical vertebrae. (Halter 675)
,Hypersomnia - Answer The spending of increased time in sleep, perhaps to escape from
painful feelings; however, the increased sleep is not experienced as restful or
refreshing. (Halter 676)
Major Depressive Disorder - Answer A mood disorder in which a patient presents with a
history of one or more major depressive episodes and no history of manic or hypomanic
episodes. (Halter 677)
Psychomotor Agitation - Answer Constant involvement in tension-relieving activities,
such as pacing, biting one's nails, smoking, or tapping one's fingers on a tabletop.
(Halter 679)
Psychomotor Retardation - Answer Extreme slowness of and difficulty in physical and
emotional reactions that in the extreme can entail complete inactivity and incontinence.
(Halter 679)
SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. First-line antidepressants that
block the reuptake of serotonin, allowing serotonin to act for a longer period at the
synaptic binding sites in the brain. (Halter 680)
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) Drugs which block the reuptake of norepinephrine and
serotonin into the presynaptic neurons of the central nervous system, prolonging the
availability of the neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic receptors. The muscarinic
blockade gives rise to anticholinergic effects: blurred vision, dry mouth, tachycardia,
urinary retention, and constipation.
Vegetative Signs of Depression - Answer Significant changes from normal functioning in
those activities necessary to support life and growth (such as eating, sleeping,
elimination, and sex), occurring during a depressive episode. (Halter 682)
According to the National Institute of Mental Health what is one of the most common
mental disorders, affecting approximately 1.3 million adults in US? - Answer According
to the National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH, 2012b], major depressive disorder is
one of the most common mental disorders, affecting approximately 13 million adults
, annually in the United States.KeyDown [Halter 250]
What are the characteristics of Major Depressive Disorder? Major depressive disorder
(MDD) or major depression - A condition of being in a depressed mood for at most two
weeks. Children are more often irritable than depressed. It can be a single episode or
recurrent-more than one episode. This major depressive mood is also accompanied by a
lack of interest in previously pleasurable activity, referred to as anhedonia-an "without"
+ hedone "pleasure"; fatigue; sleep disturbances; changes in appetite; feelings of
hopelessness or worthlessness; persistent thoughts of death or suicide; an inability to
concentrate or make decisions; and a change in physical activity (Wasserman, 2011).
(Halter 250)
Premenstrual dysphoric disorderA set of symptoms appears during the last week of the
menstrual cycle before the start of menstruation. The physical discomfort and emotional
symptoms may be so extreme that they interfere with daily life. The symptoms subside
shortly after menstruation begins. The prevalence for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
is 2.5% to 5.5 % from Wasserman, 2011. (Halter 251)
Substance-induced depressive disorder - Answer applies when symptoms of a major
depressive episode arise as a result of long drug or alcohol intoxication or as the result
of withdrawal from drugs and alcohol. The person having this diagnosis would not
develop depressive symptoms in the absence of drug or alcohol use or withdrawal
(Niciu et al, 2009). (Halter 251)
Depressive disorder associated with another medical condition-Answer can be the
result of changes that are directly related to certain illnesses such as kidney failure,
Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease however, the symptoms that result from
medical diagnoses or that result from the use of certain medications are not considered
major depressive disorder. (Halter 251)
What is the leading cause of disability in the US? - Answer Depression is the leading
cause of disability in the United States. (Halter 251)
Depression frequently accompanies other psychiatric disorders such as what? - Answer
A depressive syndrome frequently accompanies other psychiatric disorders, such as
anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, eating disorders, and
schizoaffective disorder. Comorbid conditions include anxiety disorders like panic