DHA DHA Mental Health & Psychiatry 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes the 'positive symptoms' of schizophrenia?
- Flat affect and social withdrawal
- Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking (Correct answer)
- Avolition, alogia, and anhedonia
- Cognitive impairment only
Correct answer: Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking
Positive symptoms represent excesses added to normal behaviour, including hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised speech or thought.
Question 2: According to DSM-5, a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) requires symptoms to be present for at least:
- 1 week
- 2 weeks (Correct answer)
- 1 month
- 6 months
Correct answer: 2 weeks
DSM-5 requires at least five depressive symptoms, including depressed mood or anhedonia, persisting for a minimum of 2 consecutive weeks.
Question 3: A patient presents with CNS and respiratory depression after benzodiazepine overdose. The correct antidote is:
- Naloxone
- Flumazenil (Correct answer)
- N-acetylcysteine
- Activated charcoal alone
Correct answer: Flumazenil
Flumazenil is a competitive benzodiazepine antagonist that reverses CNS and respiratory depression caused by benzodiazepine overdose.
Question 4: A patient states, 'I feel like nobody cares about me.' Which therapeutic communication response is MOST appropriate?
- 'That's not true — we all care about you here.'
- 'Tell me more about that feeling.' (Correct answer)
- 'Have you tried reaching out to make new friends?'
- 'You just need to try to think more positively.'
Correct answer: 'Tell me more about that feeling.'
Open-ended encouragement demonstrates empathy and invites elaboration without dismissing or redirecting the patient's experience.
Question 5: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is primarily used to:
- Measure depression severity
- Identify personality disorders
- Screen for cognitive impairment and track dementia progression (Correct answer)
- Assess suicidal ideation
Correct answer: Screen for cognitive impairment and track dementia progression
The MMSE is a 30-point validated tool that screens for cognitive impairment across domains including orientation, memory, attention, and language.
Question 6: Which medication class is considered first-line pharmacological treatment for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?
- Benzodiazepines
- First-generation antipsychotics
- SSRIs/SNRIs (Correct answer)
- Mood stabilisers
Correct answer: SSRIs/SNRIs
SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line treatments for GAD due to their proven efficacy and favourable long-term safety profile.
DHA DHA Mental Health & Psychiatry 1
Which of the following BEST describes the 'positive symptoms' of schizophrenia?