Name It
This class of antidepressants increases serotonin by blocking its reuptake, but requires 4–6 weeks for full therapeutic effect.
What is SSRIs?
This component of the mental status exam assesses how well a patient understands their current situation, such as knowing they are in the hospital and why.
What is insight?
This level of anxiety is characterized by increased alertness and focus, and can actually enhance learning and performance.
What is mild anxiety?
This acronym is used to remember the key diagnostic symptoms of major depressive disorder, including sleep changes, anhedonia, and psychomotor changes.
What is SIGECAPS?
These types of false sensory experiences can involve hearing voices, seeing things, or feeling sensations that are not actually present.
What are hallucinations?
Patients taking this classic mood stabilizer need regular kidney and thyroid function monitoring due to risks of nephrotoxicity and hypothyroidism.
What is lithium?
When a patient endorses suicidal ideation, nurses must immediately assess these three key areas: intent, plan, and this final component that evaluates the means to carry it out.
What is access to lethal means?
Symptoms such as chest pain, fear of dying, derealization, and palpitations that peak within minutes describe this type of acute episode.
What is a panic attack?
This type of bipolar disorder requires at least one manic episode lasting at least one week and may include depressive episodes.
What is Bipolar I disorder?
This negative symptom involves a lack of emotional expression, often described as a blank or immobile facial expression.
What is flat affect?
This second-generation antipsychotic carries a high risk for agranulocytosis, requiring routine ANC monitoring.
What is clozapine?
A patient who reports feeling “empty,” but displays laughter and smiles inconsistent with their report demonstrates this type of incongruent affect.
What is inappropriate affect?
Repetitive behaviors like checking or cleaning are performed in response to distressing intrusive thoughts and are known by this term.
What are compulsions?
A patient with depression who can no longer enjoy previously pleasurable activities is demonstrating this hallmark symptom.
What is anhedonia?
A patient who becomes unable to stay on topic and shifts from one unrelated idea to another demonstrates this disorganized thought pattern.
What is loose associations?
This group of symptoms—including shuffling gait, rigidity, bradykinesia, and tremor—can occur as extrapyramidal side effects of antipsychotic medications.
What is drug-induced parkinsonism?
This disorganized thought pattern is characterized by rapid shifts from one idea to another with only superficial associations between topics.
What is flight of ideas?
This type of anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry occurring more days than not for at least six months.
What is generalized anxiety disorder?
Symptoms such as pressured speech, decreased need for sleep, impulsive spending, and inflated self-esteem characterize this elevated mood state.
What is mania?
According to diagnostic criteria, symptoms must persist for at least this duration to meet the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
What is six months?
This potentially life-threatening condition can occur when serotonergic medications are combined, leading to symptoms such as agitation, hyperreflexia, clonus, fever, and diaphoresis.
What is serotonin syndrome?
Nurses often assess this cognitive domain by asking patients to recall three words after five minutes, testing short-term memory and immediate learning ability.
What is recent memory?
This specific type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, often used for OCD, gradually exposes patients to feared stimuli while preventing ritualistic responses.
What is exposure and response prevention (ERP)?
Patients with this depressive symptom often feel like a burden and believe loved ones would be better off without them—significantly increasing suicide risk.
What are feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness?
This severe catatonic symptom is characterized by a complete lack of movement or response to the environment, even when stimulated.
What is stupor?