ABPS Psychiatry case studies
ABPS Psychiatry · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Psychiatry Certification Examination is the board exam physicians take to demonstrate competence in general psychiatry after completing residency training. It is intended for psychiatrists seeking initial certification, and the same content blueprint also frames the continuing-certification pathway. The exam samples broadly across the field rather than testing subspecialty depth: clinical psychiatry and diagnostic assessment carry the most weight, followed by psychopharmacology and somatic treatments, psychotherapy, and the neuroscience foundations underlying them. Consultation-liaison and emergency work, child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatrics, forensic and systems issues, and addiction psychiatry each appear in smaller proportions. The ABPS Psychiatry case studies are 5 cases and about 2,798 words.
1Agitated Delirium Versus Worsening Psychosis on an Inpatient Unit
A 58-year-old man with schizoaffective disorder, stable on clozapine 300 mg/day for 3 years (last level 410 ng/mL, ANC 4.1), is admitted for a depressive episode with suicidal ideation. On hospital day 4 he becomes acutely confused, diaphoretic, and tremulous.
621 words, about 3 min2First-Episode Psychosis in a 17-Year-Old: Antipsychotic Choice and Metabolic Risk
A 17-year-old girl is brought by her parents after 5 months of social withdrawal, declining grades, and 3 weeks of the belief that her neighbors are transmitting thoughts through the walls. She is otherwise healthy.
566 words, about 3 min3Serotonin Syndrome Versus NMS in a Patient on an MAOI
A 44-year-old woman with treatment-resistant depression is on tranylcypromine 40 mg/day . She develops a severe migraine and is given sumatriptan by urgent care.
523 words, about 3 min4Capacity, Refusal, and Involuntary Hold in an Older Adult with Delirium
An 81-year-old man with mild cognitive impairment (MMSE 24/30) and hypertension is admitted for a hip fracture. On postoperative day 2 he is awake at night, pulling at his IV and Foley, and trying to climb out of bed.
547 words, about 3 min5Buprenorphine Induction in a Patient on Full Agonist Therapy
A 34-year-old man with severe opioid use disorder (fentanyl, ~1 g/day, intranasal) presents requesting treatment. He last used fentanyl 10 hours ago.
541 words, about 3 min