Mental Health Study Guide

Elevate your confidence and clinical readiness with the NursingAce Mental Health Study Guide – the ultimate resource for mastering psychiatric nursing. This comprehensive digital guide is tailored for visual learners and nursing students preparing for the NCLEX®, HESI®, ATI®, or any mental health clinical rotation. Whether you’re just starting your psych nursing course or need a quick reference before exams, this study guide simplifies complex mental health topics into clear, digestible visuals.

What’s Covered in This Study Guide?

• Foundations of Mental Health: Mental health continuum, factors affecting mental well-being, cultural competency, and differences between mental health and mental illness.

• Mental State Examination (MSE): A breakdown of appearance, behavior, mood, cognition, insight, and more – with examples to guide clinical judgment.

• Therapeutic Approaches & Psychotherapy: Includes CBT, DBT, psychoanalytic therapy, rational emotive therapy, group therapy, and more.

• Psychiatric Conditions Covered:

  • Anxiety Disorders: GAD, panic, phobias, OCD, PTSD, separation anxiety, agoraphobia, and social anxiety.

  • Mood Disorders: Depression, Bipolar Type I & II, Seasonal Affective Disorder, PMDD, Persistent Depressive Disorder.

  • Developmental & Behavioral: ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating).

  • Personality Disorders: All clusters A, B, and C, including borderline, narcissistic, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive.

  • Psychotic Disorders: Schizophrenia – including phases, symptoms, medications, and nursing priorities.

  • Abuse, Trauma, and Crisis: Cycle of abuse, de-escalation techniques, crisis nursing interventions.

  • Somatoform Disorders: Hypochondriasis, conversion disorder, body dysmorphic disorder.

  • Substance Use Disorders: Addiction criteria, withdrawal symptoms, intoxication signs, and nursing care.

• DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria

• Pharmacology for psych meds (SSRIs, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, etc.)

• Nursing interventions, safety priorities, therapeutic communication techniques

• Tips for patient education, de-escalation, suicide prevention, and support

• Nursing students in RN, BSN, LPN/LVN, and ADN programs

• NCLEX®, HESI®, or ATI prep students

• Mental health nursing educators

• New grads entering psych or med-surg

• Visual learners who thrive on organized charts and examples

• Visual & Engaging: Infographic-style layouts and real-world examples make learning faster and easier.

• Straight to the Point: Skip the fluff — focus on what matters in exams and clinicals.

• Instant Access: Download it right after purchase and study from anywhere.

• Built for Success: Designed to help you master tricky topics and feel confident in your psych nursing skills.