ABPN Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnosis 4

Question 1

A patient describes recurrent, intrusive thoughts of contamination that they neutralize by repeated handwashing. Which diagnosis is most consistent?

Accepted Answer

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Answer

Intrusive obsessions paired with compensatory compulsions define OCD.

Question 2

For a diagnosis of PTSD, the characteristic symptoms must persist for more than:

Accepted Answer

1 month

Answer

PTSD requires symptom duration greater than 1 month; shorter durations suggest acute stress disorder.

Question 3

A patient repeats the interviewer's questions verbatim instead of answering. This speech abnormality is called:

Accepted Answer

Echolalia

Answer

Echolalia is the pathological repetition of another person's words.

Question 4

Which personality disorder is characterized by unstable relationships, impulsivity, identity disturbance, and fear of abandonment?

Accepted Answer

Borderline

Answer

Borderline personality disorder features affective instability, impulsivity, and frantic efforts to avoid abandonment.

Question 5

A structured tool used specifically to assess obsessive-compulsive symptom severity is the:

Accepted Answer

Y-BOCS

Answer

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) rates OCD symptom severity.

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Practice Test