Psychotic Disorders — MCQs

A 20-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her mother because she has been worried about her daughter's strange behavior for the past 2 years. She does not have any friends and spends most of her time alone in her room. She usually wears a long, black, hooded cloak. She is anxious at college because she is uncomfortable around other people, and her academic performance is poor. She collects rare crystals and says that they support her “sixth sense.” Mental status examination shows slow, hesitant speech, and she avoids eye contact. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 20-year-old male is involuntarily admitted to the county psychiatric unit for psychotic behavior over the past three months. The patient's mother explained to the psychiatrist that her son had withdrawn from family and friends, appeared to have no emotions, and had delusions that he was working for the CIA. When he spoke, his sentences did not always seem to have any connection with each other. The mother finally decided to admit her son after he began stating that he "revealed too much information to her and was going to be eliminated by the CIA." Which of the following diagnoses best fits this patient's presentation?

A 14-year-old boy is brought to the office by his step-parents because he was recently caught beating a stray cat in an alley near his home. He has a police record which includes vandalism, shoplifting, and running away on two occasions. He has also received several detentions and threats of expulsion from school due to bullying and being too aggressive with the younger students. Past medical history is significant for a history of ADHD previously treated with methylphenidate, but now he does not take anything. His biological family placed him and his sister into the foster care system. His step-parents try to provide support and nurturing home life but the patient is very resistant and often acts out. What is the most likely diagnosis for this patient?

At a counseling session, a 15-year-old boy recounts his childhood. He explained that his father was an angry, violent man who physically abused him and his younger brother every time he was drunk - which was almost every night. The boy said that the only way he could escape the situation was to believe that he himself was a superhero that would fight crime. Which of the following best describes the ego defense of this male?

A 27-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after he was found locked in a bathroom at a local gas station. The patient states that he was being followed. The patient is unable to reveal additional medical history due to his condition. The patient’s sister is contacted and states that he has trouble taking care of himself and has observed him maintaining a dialogue with what appears to be no one on several occasions. The patient’s temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), pulse is 90/min, blood pressure is 120/70 mmHg, respirations are 14/min, oxygen saturation is 98% on room air, and BMI is 22 kg/m^2. The patient is medicated and transferred to the inpatient psychiatric unit. The patient is kept there for three weeks and maintained on his medication regimen. Towards the end of his hospitalization, the patient is grooming himself properly, denies hearing voices, and no longer believes he is being followed. The patient’s temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), pulse is 80/min, blood pressure is 130/75 mmHg, respirations are 15/min, oxygen saturation is 98% on room air, and BMI is 24 kg/m^2. Which of the following medications was this patient most likely started on?

A 31-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by EMS, activated by a bystander who found her wandering in the street. She provides short, vague answers to interview questions and frequently stops mid-sentence and stares at an empty corner of the room, appearing distracted. Her affect is odd but euthymic. Past medical history is notable for obesity and pre-diabetes. Collateral information from her brother reveals that she left home 3 days ago because she thought her family was poisoning her and has since been listed as a missing person. He also describes a progressive 2-year decline in her social interactions and self-care. The patient has no history of substance use and has never been prescribed psychiatric medications before but is amenable to starting a medication now. Which of the following would be the most appropriate as a first line medication for her?

An 8-year-old boy is brought in by his mother who is concerned about her child’s behavior. She says his teachers have complained about him bullying other students at school, starting fights, and stealing other children’s lunch money. She also says that a neighbor down the street called her 6 months ago and reported that the patient had entered her yard and started viciously kicking her dog. He has no significant past medical history. He is in the 90th percentile for height and weight and has been meeting all developmental milestones. The patient is afebrile and his vital signs are within normal limits. Which of the following adult personality disorders does this patient’s diagnosis most likely predict?

A 57-year-old man is brought to the physician for worsening mental status over the past 2 months. His wife reports he was initially experiencing lapses in memory and over the past 3 weeks he has begun having difficulties performing activities of daily living. Yesterday, he became lost heading to the post office down the street. He has hypertension treated with lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide. Vital signs are within normal limits. He is alert but verbally uncommunicative. Muscle strength is normal. Reflexes are 2+ in bilateral upper and lower extremities. He has diffuse involuntary muscle jerking that can be provoked by loud noises. Mental status examination shows a blunt affect. A complete blood count and serum concentrations of glucose, creatinine, and electrolytes are within the reference range. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 10-year-old boy is brought to the physician by his parents because they are concerned about his “strange behavior”. The parents state that he has always been a lonely kid without many friends, but recently he has been having behavioral problems that seem to be unprovoked and are occurring more frequently. The child throws tantrums for no reason and does not respond to punishment or reward. He also has a “strange obsession” with collecting rocks that he finds on his way to and from school to the point where his room is filled with rocks. He plays alone in his room, lining the rocks up, organizing them by size, shape, or color, and he will randomly bark or make high-pitched noises without provocation. His teachers say he daydreams a lot and is very good at art, being able to recreate his favorite cartoon characters in great detail. On physical assessment, the patient does not make eye contact with the physician but talks incessantly about his rock collection. The child’s grammar and vocabulary seem normal but his speech is slightly labored, and he can’t seem to tell that the physician is not really interested in hearing about his rock collection. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 21-year-old man presents to an outpatient psychiatrist with chief complaints of fatigue and “hearing voices.” He describes multiple voices which sometimes call his name or say nonsensical things to him before he falls asleep at night. He occasionally awakes to see “strange people” in his room, which frighten him but then disappear. The patient is particularly worried by this because his uncle developed schizophrenia when he was in his 20s. The patient also thinks he had a seizure a few days ago, saying he suddenly fell to the ground without warning, though he remembers the episode and denied any abnormal movements during it. He is in his 3rd year of college and used to be a top student, but has been getting C and D grades over the last year, as he has had trouble concentrating and fallen asleep during exams numerous times. He denies changes in mood and has continued to sleep 8 hours per night and eat 3 meals per day recently. Which of the following medications will be most beneficial for this patient?