American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnosis

Question 1

What components are included in a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Chief complaint, psychiatric history, medical history, substance use, family history, mental status exam, and risk assessment

Answer

Only the mental status examination

Answer

Just a symptom checklist

Answer

Only medication history

Question 2

What are the key components of the Mental Status Examination (MSE)?

Accepted Answer

Appearance, behavior, speech, mood, affect, thought process, thought content, perception, cognition, insight, and judgment

Answer

Only mood and affect

Answer

Just appearance and speech

Answer

Only cognitive testing

Question 3

What distinguishes a mood disorder from an anxiety disorder in DSM-5?

Accepted Answer

Mood disorders primarily involve disturbances in emotional state (depression, mania); anxiety disorders involve excessive fear and worry about future threats

Answer

They are the same diagnosis

Answer

Mood disorders only affect children

Answer

Anxiety disorders never involve sadness

Question 4

What is the difference between psychosis and delirium?

Accepted Answer

Psychosis involves impaired reality testing (hallucinations, delusions) with clear consciousness; delirium involves fluctuating consciousness and attention

Answer

They are identical conditions

Answer

Delirium only affects elderly patients

Answer

Psychosis always includes violence

Question 5

What is the biopsychosocial model in psychiatry?

Accepted Answer

An integrative approach considering biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding and treating mental illness

Answer

A model focusing only on brain chemistry

Answer

A purely social explanation of mental illness

Answer

A psychoanalytic theory

Question 6

What is a suicide risk assessment and what are its key elements?

Accepted Answer

A structured evaluation of risk and protective factors including ideation, plan, intent, means access, and history of attempts

Answer

Asking a single question about suicidal thoughts

Answer

Only checking for depression symptoms

Answer

A one-time screening at intake only