Anxiety — MCQs

Ten days after the vaginal delivery of a healthy infant girl, a 27-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her husband because of frequent mood changes. She has been tearful and anxious since she went home from the hospital 2 days after delivery. She says that she feels overwhelmed with her new responsibilities and has difficulties taking care of her newborn because she feels constantly tired. She only sleeps for 2 to 3 hours nightly because the baby “is keeping her awake.” Sometimes, the patient checks on her daughter because she thinks she heard her cry but finds her sleeping quietly. Her husband says that she is afraid that something could happen to the baby. She often gets angry at him and has yelled at him when he picks up the baby without using a hand sanitizer beforehand. She breastfeeds the baby without any problems. The patient's mother has bipolar disorder with psychotic features. The patient's vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows an involuting uterus consistent in size with her postpartum date. Mental status examination shows a labile affect with no evidence of homicidal or suicidal ideation. Laboratory studies show a hemoglobin concentration of 13 g/dL and a thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 3.1 μU/mL. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 35-year-old woman presents to clinic in emotional distress. She states she has been unhappy for the past couple of months and is having problems with her sleep and appetite. Additionally, she reports significant anxiety regarding thoughts of dirtiness around the house. She states that she cleans all of the doorknobs 5-10 times per day and that, despite her actions, the stress related to cleaning is becoming worse. What is this patient's diagnosis?

A 39-year-old woman comes to the physician for difficulty sleeping and poor concentration at work. She sleeps with the lights turned on and wakes up frequently during the night with palpitations and profuse sweating. Three weeks ago she was sexually assaulted in her car. Since the assault she has avoided using her car and only uses public transportation. She also has nightmares of her attacker. She has been sent home from work for yelling at her coworkers. She has Hashimoto thyroiditis. Current medications include levothyroxine. She has been treated for pelvic inflammatory disease in the past. She has tried alcohol and melatonin to help her sleep. Mental status examination shows a depressed mood and a negative affect. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 33-year-old woman presents with lethargy and neck pain. She says that, for the past 6 months, she has been feeling tired all the time and has noticed a lot of muscle tension around the base of her neck. She also says she finds herself constantly worrying about everything, such as if her registered mail would reach family and friends in time for the holidays or if the children got their nightly bath while she was away over the weekend. She says that this worrying has prevented her from sleeping at night and has made her more irritable and edgy with her family and friends. Which of the following is the best course of treatment for this patient?

A 24-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 1-year history of intermittent episodes of shortness of breath, chest tightness, palpitation, dizziness, sweaty hands, and a feeling of impending doom. She says that her symptoms occur when she goes for a walk or waits in line for coffee. She reports that she no longer leaves the house by herself because she is afraid of being alone when her symptoms occur. She only goes out when her boyfriend accompanies her. She does not smoke or use illicit drugs. Within a few hours after each episode, physical examination and laboratory studies have shown no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 20-year-old woman presents with chest pain for the last 20 minutes. She describes a ''squeezing'' sensation in the chest and can feel her heart ''racing''. Worried that she might be having a heart attack, she took aspirin before coming to the hospital. Five days ago, she says she had similar symptoms, but they resolved within 10 minutes. Her medical and family history is unremarkable. She denies any drug and alcohol use. Vital signs show a temperature of 37.0°C (98.6°F), a pulse of 110/min, a respiratory rate of 28/min, and blood pressure of 136/80 mm Hg. On physical examination, the patient appears fidgety and restless. An echocardiogram (ECG) shows sinus tachycardia but is otherwise normal. Which of the following is the next best step in treatment of this patient?

A 55-year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction 3 months ago presents with feelings of depression. He says that he has become detached from his friends and family and has daily feelings of hopelessness. He says he has started to avoid strenuous activities and is no longer going to his favorite bar where he used to spend a lot of time drinking with his buddies. The patient says these symptoms have been ongoing for the past 6 weeks, and his wife is starting to worry about his behavior. He notes that he continues to have nightmares that he is having another heart attack. He says he is even more jumpy than he used to be, and he startles very easily. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 29-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician because she has been experiencing episodes of intense fear. Specifically, she says that roughly once per week she will feel an intense fear of dying accompanied by chest pain, lightheadedness, sweating, and palpitations. In addition, she will feel as if she is choking which leads her to hyperventilate. She cannot recall any trigger for these episodes and is afraid that they will occur while she is driving or working. In order to avoid this possibility, she has been getting rides from a friend and has been avoiding interactions with her coworkers. These changes have not stopped the episodes so she came in for evaluation. This patient's disorder is most likely genetically associated with a personality disorder with which of the following features?

A 26-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for a routine physical exam. He is concerned about a burning sensation that he feels in his throat whenever he eats large meals and is concerned he may have esophageal cancer like his uncle. The patient has a past medical history of irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. His current medications include whey protein supplements, fish oil, a multivitamin, and sodium docusate. The patient is concerned about his performance in school and fears he may fail out. He recently did poorly on an exam and it has caused him significant stress. He also is worried that his girlfriend is going to leave him. The patient claims that he thought he was going to be an incredible doctor some day, but now he feels like a terrible person. The patient also states that he feels guilty about his grandfather's death which occurred 1 year ago and he often reexperiences the funeral in his mind. He regularly has trouble sleeping for which he takes melatonin. The patient has been praying every 4 hours with the hopes that this will make things go better for him. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 45-year-old woman repetitively visits the general surgery clinic worried that her inguinal hernia is incarcerated. 2 months ago, she was seen in the emergency department where she presented with a left lower abdominal swelling. The mass was easily reduced and the patient was referred to the general surgery clinic for elective surgical repair. Because her condition was deemed not urgent, she was informed that she was down on the surgical waiting list. Despite this, she continues to visit the clinic and the ED worried that her bowels are ‘trapped and dying.’ Each time she is reassured and any protrusion present is quickly reduced. She has previously frequently visited her primary care physician for complaints of abdominal pain and inconsistent bowel habits, but no etiology could be identified. She continues to intermittently have these symptoms and spends hours every day worrying about what may be going on. She has no other significant past medical history. Which of the following is the most appropriate diagnosis?