A male adolescent is brought to the Emergency Department by his parents who complain that he has been displaying signs of agitation and hyperactivity

Question

The teenager tells the nurse that his "thoughts are racing through his head and he can't concentrate on anything anymore." The parents also state that their son is being treated for depression. What mental disorder would the nurse suspect? A) Bipolar disorder (BPD)
B) Paranoid personality disorder
C) Panic attack
D) Phobia

Answer 1

A
Feedback:
Broad mood variations from mania to major depression are symptoms of bipolar disorder (BPD) or bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). Agitation, elation, hyperactivity, and hyperexcitability characterize mania. The person shows accelerated thinking and speaking, grandiosity (feelings of invincibility and exaggerated self-importance), distractibility (inability to concentrate), and excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful or undesirable consequences. Paranoid personality disorder manifests as pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others with marked hypervigilance (watchfulness). A panic attack is characterized by intense fear and anxiety, with no known cause. A specific phobia is a persistent, excessive, unreasonable, and severe fear of a particular thing or event.