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ABPN CAP practice questions

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Question 1Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

At approximately what age does a social smile typically first appear in a normally developing infant?

  1. Around 9 months
  2. Around 2 months Correct answer.
  3. At birth
  4. Around 12 months

Explanation

The social smile emerges at roughly 6 to 8 weeks of age and is distinguished from the reflexive, sleep-related smiles of the newborn period. It signals the beginning of reciprocal social interaction and precedes selective smiling at familiar faces.

Question 2Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Stranger anxiety in typically developing infants first becomes evident at which age?

  1. Before 2 months
  2. Between 3 and 4 years
  3. Between 18 and 24 months
  4. Between 6 and 9 months Correct answer.

Explanation

Stranger wariness appears between 6 and 9 months as infants begin to discriminate familiar from unfamiliar faces and to form specific attachments. It typically peaks between 9 and 12 months and then gradually declines.

Question 3Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist when out of sight, is first consolidated during which of Piaget's stages?

  1. Formal operational
  2. Concrete operational
  3. Preoperational
  4. Sensorimotor Correct answer.

Explanation

Object permanence develops across the sensorimotor period, with search for hidden objects emerging between roughly 8 and 12 months and full attainment by about 18 to 24 months. Younger infants fail to search because the object is treated as ceasing to exist once out of view.

Question 4Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Most children speak their first meaningful word at approximately which age?

  1. 12 months Correct answer.
  2. 18 months
  3. 4 months
  4. 6 months

Explanation

First true words typically appear around 12 months, followed by a slow accumulation to roughly 50 words by 18 months and two-word combinations near 24 months. Cooing and canonical babbling precede this milestone.

Question 5Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

According to Erikson, the central psychosocial task of the first year of life is:

  1. Trust versus mistrust Correct answer.
  2. Autonomy versus shame and doubt
  3. Identity versus role confusion
  4. Initiative versus guilt

Explanation

Erikson placed trust versus mistrust in the first roughly 18 months of life, with the outcome shaped by the consistency and responsiveness of caregiving. Successful resolution yields a sense that the world is reliable and that needs will be met.

Question 6Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

An infant with irregular feeding and sleep schedules, intense negative reactions to new stimuli, and slow adaptation is best described by which Thomas and Chess temperament category?

  1. Behavioral inhibition
  2. Difficult temperament Correct answer.
  3. Easy temperament
  4. Slow-to-warm-up temperament

Explanation

Thomas and Chess described easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up temperament clusters, with the difficult cluster defined by biological irregularity, intense and predominantly negative responses, and slow adaptation. Their model also emphasizes the 'goodness of fit' between temperament and environment.

Question 7Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

At approximately what age do most children pass a standard false-belief task?

  1. 9 years
  2. 30 months
  3. 4 years Correct answer.
  4. 18 months

Explanation

Most children pass classic false-belief tasks, such as the Sally-Anne paradigm, at around 4 years, indicating an explicit understanding that others can hold beliefs that differ from reality. Earlier precursors include joint attention, pretend play, and desire-based reasoning about others.

Question 8Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 12-month-old alternately looks at a toy and back at her mother to share interest in the toy. This behavior is best described as:

  1. Parallel play
  2. Echolalia
  3. Social referencing
  4. Joint attention Correct answer.

Explanation

Joint attention is the triadic coordination of attention between child, social partner, and object, emerging between roughly 9 and 12 months. It is a key precursor of language and a frequent early social-communication marker in autism spectrum disorder.

Question 9Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 7-year-old has refused school for 5 weeks since a family move, with headaches only on school mornings, shadowing his mother around the house, and inability to sleep alone. Which diagnosis is most likely?

  1. Social anxiety disorder
  2. Oppositional defiant disorder
  3. Generalized anxiety disorder
  4. Separation anxiety disorder Correct answer.

Explanation

Separation anxiety disorder requires at least three symptoms of excessive distress around separation, lasting at least 4 weeks in children and causing significant impairment. School refusal, clinging, and somatic complaints occurring specifically around separation are classic presentations.

Question 10Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

DSM-5 disruptive mood dysregulation disorder requires that the onset of symptoms occur before which birthday?

  1. 7 years
  2. 18 years
  3. 10 years Correct answer.
  4. 21 years

Explanation

DMDD requires symptom onset before age 10, with the diagnosis made between ages 6 and 18, and requires persistent irritability plus frequent temper outbursts for at least 12 months. The age-of-onset rule separates it from adolescent-onset mood and disruptive disorders.

Question 11Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 5-year-old adopted from an institution with severe early neglect rarely seeks comfort when distressed, is wary and minimally positive with caregivers, and does not check back with them. Which diagnosis fits best?

  1. Autism spectrum disorder
  2. Reactive attachment disorder Correct answer.
  3. Disinhibited social engagement disorder
  4. Posttraumatic stress disorder

Explanation

Reactive attachment disorder is the inhibited pattern, marked by withdrawn, emotionally unresponsive behavior toward caregivers and reduced seeking of comfort, in a child with a history of gross neglect. The disinhibited pattern with indiscriminate approach to unfamiliar adults is classified separately as disinhibited social engagement disorder.

Question 12Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 6-year-old speaks normally at home but has never spoken at school over 8 months, although she understands instructions and participates nonverbally. Which diagnosis is most likely?

  1. Social anxiety disorder
  2. Expressive language disorder
  3. Selective mutism Correct answer.
  4. Oppositional defiant disorder

Explanation

Selective mutism is a consistent failure to speak in specific settings where speaking is expected, lasting at least 1 month and not attributable to lack of knowledge or comfort with the language. Speech is normal in other settings, and the failure to speak is anxiety-driven rather than defiant.

Question 13Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which history feature most supports attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder rather than age-typical behavior?

  1. Difficulties confined entirely to math class
  2. Difficulties appear only at home in a preschooler
  3. Onset following a head injury at age fourteen
  4. Onset before age 12 across two settings Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5 requires several symptoms present before age 12, persisting at least 6 months, and evident in two or more settings with clear impairment. Difficulties restricted to one setting or emerging after a brain insult suggest an alternative or secondary explanation.

Question 14Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which finding in an 18-month-old most specifically suggests autism spectrum disorder rather than isolated language delay?

  1. Uses ten single words but no two-word phrases
  2. Frequent bedtime tantrums that began only last month
  3. Occasional toe-walking when barefoot at home
  4. No pointing to share interest or response to name Correct answer.

Explanation

Absent protodeclarative pointing and failure to respond to name are early social-communication red flags for autism spectrum disorder. Isolated expressive language delay, recent tantrums, and intermittent toe-walking are nonspecific findings that occur in many typically developing toddlers.

Question 15Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which statement about Tourette disorder is correct?

  1. Onset before age 18 with waxing and waning course Correct answer.
  2. Tics must persist continuously for at least 4 weeks
  3. Coprolalia is present in most affected children
  4. Vocal tics always precede the first motor tic

Explanation

Tourette disorder requires multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic present for more than 1 year, with onset before age 18 and a fluctuating, waxing and waning course. Motor tics usually precede vocal tics, and coprolalia occurs in only a minority of patients.

Question 16Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 9-year-old of normal intelligence reads slowly and inaccurately and shows poor phonological awareness despite adequate instruction. Which diagnosis is most likely?

  1. Nonverbal learning disability
  2. Specific learning disorder, reading Correct answer.
  3. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  4. Intellectual disability

Explanation

Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder affecting word reading accuracy or fluency and phonological processing, occurring despite adequate instruction and general intellectual ability. Identification can rely on response-to-intervention data rather than an ability-achievement discrepancy.

Question 17Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 7-year-old follows classroom rules mainly to avoid punishment and to earn a sticker. This reasoning reflects which of Kohlberg's levels?

  1. Preconventional Correct answer.
  2. Universal ethical
  3. Conventional
  4. Postconventional

Explanation

Preconventional reasoning, typical through about age 9, is organized around avoiding punishment and serving one's own instrumental interests. Conventional reasoning shifts to social approval and maintaining the social order, and postconventional reasoning invokes abstract principles.

Question 18Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

In the Strange Situation, a toddler who approaches her mother, then freezes and turns away in contradictory behavior on reunion is classified as:

  1. Disorganized Correct answer.
  2. Secure
  3. Resistant
  4. Avoidant

Explanation

The disorganized/disoriented pattern, described by Main and Solomon, is marked by contradictory, freezing, or stereotyped behaviors on reunion and is overrepresented among maltreated children and those whose caregivers are themselves frightening or frightened. It is considered a breakdown of an organized attachment strategy.

Question 19Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 10-year-old argues with adults, loses his temper, and deliberately annoys others, but has never been physically aggressive or violated others' rights. The most likely diagnosis is:

  1. Oppositional defiant disorder Correct answer.
  2. Conduct disorder, childhood onset
  3. Intermittent explosive disorder
  4. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

Explanation

Oppositional defiant disorder involves a persistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative or defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months without violations of others' basic rights. Conduct disorder requires aggression to people or animals, property destruction, deceit or theft, or serious rule violations.

Question 20Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Nocturnal enuresis can first be diagnosed in a typically developing child at which age?

  1. 5 years Correct answer.
  2. 4 years
  3. 3 years
  4. 7 years

Explanation

DSM-5 requires a chronological age of at least 5 years, or an equivalent developmental level, for the diagnosis of enuresis. Before that age, wetting is considered within the range of normal bladder development.

Question 21Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 2-year-old girl developed normally until 14 months, then lost spoken words and hand skills, developed repetitive hand-wringing, and showed decelerating head growth. The most likely diagnosis is:

  1. Childhood disintegrative disorder
  2. Landau-Kleffner syndrome
  3. Autism spectrum disorder
  4. Rett syndrome Correct answer.

Explanation

Rett syndrome, usually caused by MECP2 mutations and seen mostly in girls, follows a period of 6 to 18 months of normal development and then features regression of hand and language skills, midline hand stereotypies, and deceleration of head growth. These motor and growth features are not part of autism spectrum disorder.

Question 22Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which feature is most characteristic of childhood-onset schizophrenia and is not a core feature of autism spectrum disorder?

  1. Hallucinations Correct answer.
  2. Impaired eye contact
  3. Restricted interests
  4. Insistence on sameness

Explanation

Childhood-onset schizophrenia, with onset before age 13, is defined by hallucinations and delusions accompanied by deteriorating function, often after a period of subtle premorbid language and social difficulties. Restricted interests, impaired eye contact, and insistence on sameness are core autism spectrum features.

Question 23Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Major depression in preschoolers is frequently underrecognized because:

  1. It presents with irritability and somatic complaints Correct answer.
  2. It requires delusions for the diagnosis
  3. It cannot be diagnosed before age six
  4. It appears to be protective against later anxiety disorders

Explanation

Young children more often express depression through irritability, somatic complaints, and behavioral regression than through verbally stated sadness, guilt, or worthlessness. DSM criteria apply with developmental adaptation, and parent and teacher reports are essential.

Question 24Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which history finding most strongly supports a diagnosis of PANDAS?

  1. Abrupt OCD and tic onset after strep pharyngitis Correct answer.
  2. A strong family history of Tourette disorder in both parents
  3. Onset of tics during adolescence
  4. Gradual tic onset over several years

Explanation

PANDAS describes the sudden, dramatic onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and/or tics with a temporal relationship to group A streptococcal infection, typically with an episodic relapsing course and accompanying emotional or behavioral changes. It is a clinical construct distinguished from typical tic disorders by abrupt onset and infection linkage.

Question 25Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Why is bipolar I disorder diagnosed less often in preschool children than in adolescents?

  1. Psychosis must be present before age six
  2. Irritable outbursts overlap with normative preschool behavior Correct answer.
  3. Mania in preschoolers requires a four-day minimum duration
  4. Preschoolers rarely show changes in sleep

Explanation

Severe irritability and tantrums are common in preschoolers and overlap heavily with mania criteria, so diagnosis requires clear episodic mood elevation accompanied by changes in sleep, energy, and goal-directed activity. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder was introduced partly to capture chronic, nonepisodic irritability that had been mislabeled as pediatric mania.

Question 26Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

At what age does a typically developing infant first show a social smile in response to a human face?

  1. 6 months
  2. 9 months
  3. 4 months
  4. 6 weeks Correct answer.

Explanation

The social smile normally emerges between 6 and 8 weeks of age and is elicited by a face or voice. It is distinct from the reflexive neonatal smile, which is not socially responsive. By 3 months, smiling becomes more selective and reciprocal.

Question 27Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 13-month-old says "mama," "dada," and "ba" for bottle. Which expressive language milestone is most appropriate to expect by 24 months?

  1. About 500 words plus short narratives
  2. About 50 words plus two-word combinations Correct answer.
  3. About 200 words plus three-word sentences
  4. Two to three words

Explanation

Most toddlers use about 50 words and begin combining two words by 24 months. A 200-word vocabulary with three-word utterances is typical of about 30 months, and narrative speech develops during the preschool years.

Question 28Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

At approximately what age does an infant first search for a hidden object, demonstrating object permanence?

  1. 8 to 9 months Correct answer.
  2. 18 months
  3. 2 months
  4. 4 months

Explanation

Intentional search for a hidden object emerges at about 8 to 9 months, marking early object permanence. Before this, infants behave as if an out-of-sight object no longer exists. Search improves further during the second year.

Question 29Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Stranger anxiety in a typically developing infant first appears at which age?

  1. 18 to 24 months
  2. 2 to 3 months
  3. 7 to 9 months Correct answer.
  4. 3 to 4 years

Explanation

Stranger anxiety typically emerges around 7 to 9 months, peaks near the end of the first year, and gradually declines. It reflects normal attachment and memory development.

Question 30Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 6-year-old says a tall, narrow glass contains more water than a short, wide glass holding the same amount. According to Piaget, this best illustrates which feature of preoperational thought?

  1. Reversibility
  2. Centration Correct answer.
  3. Seriation
  4. Conservation

Explanation

Centration is the tendency to focus on one perceptual dimension, such as height, while ignoring width. The child lacks conservation, but centration is the process producing the error. Reversibility and seriation are later concrete-operational abilities.

Question 31Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 10-year-old says people should obey laws because society would break down without rules. This reasoning best reflects which Kohlberg level?

  1. Preconventional
  2. Premoral
  3. Conventional Correct answer.
  4. Postconventional

Explanation

Conventional reasoning emphasizes maintaining social order, laws, and the expectations of others. Preconventional reasoning is based on punishment and self-interest, whereas postconventional reasoning appeals to abstract principles.

Question 32Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

DSM-5 requires that several symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder be present before which age?

  1. 16 years
  2. 10 years
  3. 7 years
  4. 12 years Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5 requires several ADHD symptoms before age 12, a change from the earlier DSM-IV threshold of 7 years. Symptoms must also be present in two or more settings and cause impairment.

Question 33Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A family has one child with autism spectrum disorder. What is the approximate recurrence risk for a later sibling?

  1. 5%
  2. 50%
  3. 10% Correct answer.
  4. 1%

Explanation

Sibling recurrence risk in autism spectrum disorder is approximately 10% to 20%, far above the general population risk. This reflects strong genetic contributions, although the cause is multifactorial.

Question 34Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 9-year-old with average reading and intelligence has persistent difficulty with number facts, place value, and counting on fingers despite adequate instruction. This is most consistent with which specific learning disorder?

  1. Mathematics anxiety
  2. Dyscalculia Correct answer.
  3. Dysgraphia
  4. Dyslexia

Explanation

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder affecting number sense, fact retrieval, and calculation. It occurs despite adequate instruction and is not explained by low intelligence or poor reading.

Question 35Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 12-year-old has broken into houses, stolen a car, and repeatedly initiated physical fights. Which diagnosis is most appropriate?

  1. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
  2. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  3. Oppositional defiant disorder
  4. Conduct disorder Correct answer.

Explanation

Conduct disorder requires a repetitive pattern of violating the rights of others or major age-appropriate norms, such as theft, breaking and entering, and aggression. ODD involves defiance and irritability without serious rights violations, and DMDD centers on chronic irritability.

Question 36Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

For separation anxiety disorder in a child, symptoms must persist for at least how long?

  1. 4 weeks Correct answer.
  2. 2 weeks
  3. 6 months
  4. 1 week

Explanation

DSM-5 requires at least 4 weeks of symptoms in children and adolescents; adults must show symptoms for 6 months. The fear must concern separation from attachment figures and cause impairment.

Question 37Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 6-year-old has repeated passage of stool into underwear at least monthly for 3 months after being toilet trained. Which is the most likely explanation?

  1. Overflow from constipation Correct answer.
  2. An oppositional behavioral pattern
  3. Celiac disease
  4. Sexual abuse

Explanation

Encopresis is most often functional and results from chronic constipation with overflow incontinence. The child may have a large fecal mass, reduced rectal sensation, and soiling. Behavioral or abuse-related causes are much less common.

Question 38Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 4-year-old adopted at age 2 from a severely neglectful institution is overly familiar with strangers, climbs into laps, and leaves with anyone without checking back. Which diagnosis best fits?

  1. Reactive attachment disorder, inhibited type
  2. Autism spectrum disorder with language delay
  3. Disinhibited social engagement disorder Correct answer.
  4. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined type

Explanation

Disinhibited social engagement disorder is characterized by indiscriminate familiarity and failure to check back with caregivers after neglect. Reactive attachment disorder is the inhibited pattern with withdrawal and minimal comfort-seeking. Autism and ADHD do not specifically explain the lack of social reticence after deprivation.

Question 39Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

Which pattern best describes the typical course of ADHD symptoms from preschool to adolescence?

  1. Both hyperactivity and inattention worsen
  2. Inattention declines while hyperactivity persists
  3. Hyperactivity declines while inattention persists Correct answer.
  4. Both hyperactivity and inattention remit by adolescence

Explanation

Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms often decrease with age, whereas inattention and organizational difficulties frequently persist into adolescence and adulthood. Many individuals continue to meet criteria or have functional impairment.

Question 40Normal Development and Developmental Psychopathology

A 7-year-old spends 45 minutes each night arranging toys symmetrically and becomes tearful if interrupted, interfering with sleep. Which feature most strongly supports obsessive-compulsive disorder rather than a normal developmental ritual?

  1. Age at onset before 8 years
  2. Presence of a family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder
  3. Insistence on sameness
  4. Marked interference and distress Correct answer.

Explanation

Normal preschool rituals are brief, comforting, and do not substantially impair function; OCD rituals are time-consuming, distressing, and interfere with daily activities. Family history and age at onset are less discriminating than impairment.

Question 41Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

Which information source is most useful for establishing a child's early developmental milestones and the timeline of symptom onset?

  1. Child's current teacher
  2. Child's self-report alone
  3. Caregiver's developmental history Correct answer.
  4. School report card grades

Explanation

Caregivers usually provide the most reliable account of early milestones, symptom onset, and changes over time because they have observed the child across settings and years. Teacher reports and grades describe current functioning but not early development.

Question 42Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

In DSM-5, several symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder must be present before which age?

  1. Age 12 Correct answer.
  2. Age 7
  3. Age 16
  4. Age 10

Explanation

DSM-5 requires that several ADHD symptoms be present before age 12. This change from earlier criteria allows recognition of cases with later overt impairment while still requiring childhood onset.

Question 43Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

Which instrument is a broad-band caregiver-report checklist commonly used to screen for emotional and behavioral problems in children?

  1. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
  2. Conners Continuous Performance Test
  3. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Correct answer.
  4. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V)

Explanation

The CBCL is a broad-band rating scale that samples internalizing and externalizing problems across multiple domains. It is completed by caregivers and is widely used as part of a multi-method assessment.

Question 44Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

Which of the following is a semi-structured diagnostic interview designed for children and adolescents?

  1. BASC-3
  2. Conners 3
  3. MMPI-A
  4. K-SADS Correct answer.

Explanation

The K-SADS is a semi-structured clinician-administered interview that assesses DSM symptoms in children and adolescents. Semi-structured interviews combine standardized symptom probes with clinical judgment.

Question 45Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

Which domain is required for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in DSM-5?

  1. Intellectual disability
  2. Hyperactivity and impulsivity
  3. Presence of stereotyped motor tics only
  4. Social communication and interaction deficits Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5 requires persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, plus restricted or repetitive behaviors. Intellectual disability and motor stereotypies may co-occur but are not required.

Question 46Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

A major depressive episode in a child or adolescent requires at least how many depressive symptoms for at least two weeks?

  1. 7
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 5 Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5 requires at least five of nine depressive symptoms during the same two-week period, with depressed mood or anhedonia as one of them. The symptoms must cause clinically significant distress or impairment.

Question 47Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

A 9-year-old's parent reports no problems at home, but the teacher reports marked inattention and incomplete work. What is the most appropriate next step?

  1. Diagnose ADHD based on the teacher report alone
  2. Dismiss the teacher's concerns because the parent sees no problems
  3. Order a brain MRI
  4. Obtain teacher rating scales and collateral information Correct answer.

Explanation

ADHD symptoms must be assessed across settings, so information from teachers and other informants is essential when home and school reports differ. Rating scales and collateral information help clarify symptom frequency, impairment, and setting specificity.

Question 48Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

Which manual is the current primary diagnostic classification system used in U.S. child and adolescent psychiatry?

  1. DSM-IV-TR
  2. Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)
  3. ICD-10
  4. DSM-5-TR Correct answer.

Explanation

DSM-5-TR is the current text revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used for clinical diagnosis in the United States. RDoC is a research framework rather than a diagnostic manual.

Question 49Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

A 10-year-old has five weeks of depressed mood, anhedonia, insomnia, fatigue, and worthlessness after a parental divorce. Which diagnosis is most appropriate?

  1. Major depressive disorder Correct answer.
  2. Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
  3. Bipolar I disorder
  4. Persistent depressive disorder

Explanation

When full criteria for major depressive disorder are met, that diagnosis takes precedence over adjustment disorder even when a stressor is present. Persistent depressive disorder requires a longer chronic course, and bipolar I disorder requires mania.

Question 50Psychiatric Assessment, Diagnosis, and Classification in Children and Adolescents

A 4-year-old has no phrase speech, avoids eye contact, lines up toys repeatedly, and flaps his hands. Which diagnosis is most likely?

  1. Specific language impairment
  2. Reactive attachment disorder
  3. Social anxiety disorder
  4. Autism spectrum disorder Correct answer.

Explanation

The combination of social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive behaviors supports autism spectrum disorder. Language delay alone would not explain the repetitive play and hand flapping.