Anxiety — MCQs

A 36-year-old woman complains of difficulty falling asleep over the past 4 months. On detailed history taking, she says that she drinks her last cup of tea at 8:30 p.m. before retiring at 10:30 p.m. She then watches the time on her cell phone on and off for an hour before falling asleep. In the morning, she is tired and makes mistakes at work. Her husband has not noticed excessive snoring or abnormal breathing during sleep. Medical history is unremarkable. She has smoked 5–7 cigarettes daily for 7 years and denies excess alcohol consumption. Her physical examination is normal. Which of the following is the best initial step in the management of this patient’s condition?

An 11-year-old girl is brought to her primary care physician by her mother with complaints of constant lower abdominal pain and foul-smelling urine for the past 2 days. The patient has had several previous episodes of simple urinary tract infections in the past. Her vitals signs show mild tachycardia without fever. Physical examination reveals suprapubic tenderness without costovertebral angle tenderness on percussion. Urinalysis reveals positive leukocyte esterase and nitrite. Further questioning reveals that the patient does not use the school toilets and holds her urine all day until she gets home. When pressed further, she gets teary-eyed and starts to cry and complains that other girls will make fun of her if she uses the bathroom and will spread rumors to the teachers and her friends. She reports that though this has never happened in the past it concerns her a great deal. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis for this patient?

A 19-year-old male college student is admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit with a chief complaint of “thoughts about killing my girlfriend.” The patient explains that throughout the day he becomes suddenly overwhelmed by thoughts about strangling his girlfriend and hears a voice saying “kill her.” He recognizes the voice as his own, though it is very distressing to him. After having such thoughts, he feels anxious and guilty and feels compelled to tell his girlfriend about them in detail, which temporarily relieves his anxiety. He also worries about his girlfriend dying in various ways but believes that he can prevent all of this from happening and “keep her safe” by repeating prayers out loud several times in a row. The patient has no personal history of violence but has a family history of psychotic disorders. He has been on haloperidol and fluoxetine for his symptoms in the past but neither was helpful. In addition to psychotherapy, which of the following medications is the most appropriate treatment for this patient?

A 32-year-old woman comes in to see her physician because she has had undiagnosed abdominal pain for the past 3 and a half years. Her pain is not related to meals and does not correspond to a particular time of day, although she does report nausea and bloating. In the past two years she has had two endoscopies, a colonoscopy, and an exploratory laparoscopy - without any results. She is very concerned because her mother has a history of colon cancer. The patient has been unable to work or maintain a social life because she's constantly worrying about her condition. What is this patient's most likely diagnosis?

A 35-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with chest pain. She describes the chest pain as severe, 9/10, sharp in character, and diffusely localized to anterior chest wall. She also says she is sweating profusely and feels like “she is about to die”. She has presented to at least 4 different emergency rooms over the past month with similar episodes which resolve after 10–15 minutes with no sequelae or evidence of cardiac pathology. However, she says she is fearful every day of another episode. No significant past medical history. Vital signs are within normal limits, and physical examination is unremarkable. Laboratory findings, including cardiac troponins, are normal. Which of the following is the best pharmacological treatment for long-term management of this patient?

A 25-year-old female is brought to the physician by her mother who is concerned about her recent behaviors. The mother states that her daughter has been collecting “useless items” in her apartment over the last year. When she tried to persuade her daughter to throw away several years’ worth of old newspapers, her daughter had an angry outburst and refused to speak to her for two weeks. The patient reluctantly admits that she keeps “most things just in case they become useful later on.” She also states that she has felt less interested in seeing friends because she does not want them to come over to her apartment. She has also not been sleeping well, as her bed has become an additional storage space and she must sleep on her futon instead. The patient states that she is sometimes bothered by the messiness of her apartment, but otherwise doesn't think anything is wrong with her behavior. Physical exam is unremarkable. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 52-year-old man visits his primary care provider for a routine check-up. He reports he has always had trouble sleeping, but falling asleep and staying asleep have become more difficult over the past few months. He experiences daytime fatigue and sleepiness but does not have time to nap. He drinks one cup of coffee in the morning and drinks 3 alcoholic beverages nightly. His medical history is positive for essential hypertension for which he takes lisinopril. Vital signs include a temperature of 36.9°C (98.4°F), blood pressure of 132/83 mm Hg, and heart rate of 82/min. Physical examination is unremarkable. Which of the following best describes the effect of alcohol use at night on the sleep cycle?

A 26-year-old man presents to the behavioral health clinic for assistance overcoming his fear of public speaking. He has always hated public speaking. Two weeks ago, he was supposed to present a research project at school but had to leave the podium before the presentation. He recalled that his heart was racing, his palms were sweating, and that he could not breathe. These symptoms resolved on their own after several minutes, but he felt too embarrassed to return to college the next day. This had also happened in high school where, before a presentation, he started sweating and felt palpitations and nausea that also resolved on their own. He is scheduled for another presentation next month and is terrified. He states that this only happens in front of large groups and that he has no problems communicating at small gatherings. Other than his fear of public speaking, he has a normal social life and many friends. He enjoys his classes and a part-time job. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 7-year-old girl is brought to the physician by her mother because she has been increasingly reluctant to speak at school over the past 4 months. Her teachers complain that she does not answer their questions and it is affecting her academic performance. She was born at 35 weeks' gestation and pregnancy was complicated by preeclampsia. Previous well-child examinations have been normal. Her older brother was diagnosed with a learning disability 4 years ago. She is at 65th percentile for height and weight. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. She follows commands. She avoids answering questions directly and whispers her answers to her mother instead who then mediates between the doctor and her daughter. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A previously healthy 30-year-old woman comes to the physician because of nervousness and difficulty sleeping over the past 4 weeks. She has difficulty falling asleep at night because she cannot stop worrying about her relationship and her future. Three months ago, her new boyfriend moved in with her. Before this relationship, she had been single for 13 years. She reports that her boyfriend does not keep things in order in the way she was used to. Sometimes, he puts his dirty dishes in the kitchen sink instead of putting them in the dishwasher directly. He refuses to add any groceries to the shopping list when they are used up. He has also suggested several times that they have dinner at a restaurant instead of eating at home, which enrages her because she likes to plan each dinner of the week and buy the required groceries beforehand. The patient says that she really loves her boyfriend but that she will never be able to tolerate his “flaws.” Vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. On mental status examination, she is cooperative but appears distressed. Her affect has little intensity or range. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?