Personality Disorders Practice Questions
20 free Personality Disorders practice questions for the NCLEX Exam. Tap an option to answer — you get instant feedback, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation for every question.
Which characteristic behavior is most likely to be displayed by a client with borderline personality disorder?
- A Grandiose sense of self-importance
- B Persistent disregard for others’ rights
- C Unstable relationships and impulsivity
- D Rigid adherence to rules and order
Correct answer: Unstable relationships and impulsivity
Borderline personality disorder is characterized by instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions, along with impulsivity and fear of abandonment.
What is the most appropriate intervention when caring for a client with antisocial personality disorder?
- A Provide frequent reassurance of worth
- B Encourage expression of dependency needs
- C Enforce consistent limits on behavior
- D Focus on exploring early childhood trauma
Correct answer: Enforce consistent limits on behavior
Clients with antisocial personality disorder benefit from firm, consistent limit-setting to manage manipulative and rule-breaking behaviors.
Which statement best describes a client with narcissistic personality disorder?
- A Has difficulty making decisions without reassurance
- B Shows excessive concern about criticism
- C Lacks empathy and expects admiration
- D Avoids interpersonal relationships due to fear of rejection
Correct answer: Lacks empathy and expects admiration
Narcissistic personality disorder involves grandiosity, a need for admiration, and lack of empathy for others.
What is the most appropriate goal for a client with borderline personality disorder?
- A Demonstrate consistent impulse control
- B Increase social isolation
- C Accept responsibility for others’ behaviors
- D Express dependence on authority figures
Correct answer: Demonstrate consistent impulse control
A major goal for borderline clients is to gain control over impulsive and self-destructive behaviors.
A nurse observes that a client frequently violates rules without remorse. This behavior is typical of:
- A Histrionic personality disorder
- B Antisocial personality disorder
- C Avoidant personality disorder
- D Paranoid personality disorder
Correct answer: Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is marked by disregard for social norms, deceitfulness, and lack of guilt or remorse.
When a client with borderline personality disorder says, “You are the only nurse who understands me,” the best response is:
- A I’m glad you feel comfortable with me
- B You must not trust the other nurses
- C Let’s talk about what makes you feel understood
- D I’m sure the other nurses care about you too
Correct answer: Let’s talk about what makes you feel understood
The nurse should explore the client’s feelings without reinforcing splitting behaviors that idealize one staff member over others.
Which characteristic is most typical of dependent personality disorder?
- A Manipulative, exploitative behavior
- B Difficulty being alone or deciding
- C Hostile and distrustful attitude
- D Overly dramatic emotional displays
Correct answer: Difficulty being alone or deciding
Dependent personality disorder is marked by submissive behavior, difficulty making decisions independently, and reliance on others.
What is the priority nursing diagnosis for a client with borderline personality disorder who engages in self-mutilation?
- A Ineffective coping with stress and conflict
- B Risk for self-directed violence
- C Disturbed thought processes and judgment
- D Impaired social interaction with peers
Correct answer: Risk for self-directed violence
Self-harming behavior poses an immediate safety threat; therefore, preventing self-injury is the top priority.
A client with histrionic personality disorder is most likely to:
- A Seek attention and exaggerate emotions
- B Show detachment from social relationships
- C Exhibit suspicion toward others’ motives
- D Avoid expressing emotions
Correct answer: Seek attention and exaggerate emotions
Histrionic personality disorder involves excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behaviors.
Which behavior is characteristic of avoidant personality disorder?
- A Wants closeness but fears rejection
- B Repeated violation of others’ rights
- C Overconfidence in social situations
- D Manipulates others to achieve personal goals
Correct answer: Wants closeness but fears rejection
Avoidant personality disorder features social inhibition and feelings of inadequacy, causing fear of rejection despite wanting relationships.
The nurse recognizes splitting behavior when a client with borderline personality disorder:
- A Alternates between idealizing and devaluing others
- B Suddenly forgets significant past events
- C Imitates others’ behaviors to gain approval
- D Avoids any emotional expression with staff
Correct answer: Alternates between idealizing and devaluing others
Splitting is a defense mechanism common in borderline personality disorder, where individuals see others as all good or all bad.
Which intervention best supports safety for a client with antisocial personality disorder?
- A Offering flexible, negotiable unit rules
- B Confronting manipulative acts directly
- C Assigning the same nurse each shift
- D Allowing the client to negotiate limits
Correct answer: Confronting manipulative acts directly
Consistently confronting manipulative or deceitful acts helps establish accountability and structure.
Which statement by a client suggests narcissistic personality disorder?
- A I deserve special treatment because I’m better
- B I get anxious when I have to meet new people
- C I always depend on others to make decisions for me
- D I feel empty and don’t know who I really am
Correct answer: I deserve special treatment because I’m better
Grandiosity and entitlement are hallmark features of narcissistic personality disorder.
When a client with borderline personality disorder self-injures, the nurse’s best initial action is to:
- A Discuss the reasons behind the behavior
- B Clean the wound and ensure safety
- C Ignore the act to avoid reinforcement
- D Restrict privileges immediately
Correct answer: Clean the wound and ensure safety
The first priority is to ensure physical safety before exploring emotional triggers or consequences.
Which personality disorder is most associated with criminal activity and lack of guilt?
- A Schizoid
- B Paranoid
- C Antisocial
- D Dependent
Correct answer: Antisocial
Antisocial personality disorder is linked with deceitful, aggressive, or criminal behavior without remorse.
Which nursing approach is most effective for clients with personality disorders?
- A Flexible boundaries to foster trust
- B Firm, consistent limit-setting and structure
- C Ignoring manipulative behaviors
- D Emphasizing dependency to build rapport
Correct answer: Firm, consistent limit-setting and structure
Consistent boundaries and clear expectations are essential to prevent manipulation and maintain therapeutic control.
A client with borderline personality disorder says, “If you don’t come back, I’ll kill myself!” The nurse should:
- A Leave immediately and inform the psychiatrist
- B Calmly tell the client such talk is inappropriate
- C Stay with the client and assess suicide risk
- D Ignore the threat to avoid reinforcing attention-seeking
Correct answer: Stay with the client and assess suicide risk
All suicidal statements must be taken seriously; immediate safety assessment is critical.
Which feature best distinguishes schizoid personality disorder from avoidant personality disorder?
- A Schizoid clients lack desire for relationships; avoidant clients desire them but fear rejection
- B Both types crave closeness but fear rejection
- C Schizoid clients are manipulative; avoidant clients are aggressive
- D Schizoid clients exaggerate emotions; avoidant clients suppress them
Correct answer: Schizoid clients lack desire for relationships; avoidant clients desire them but fear rejection
Schizoid individuals are detached and prefer solitude, while avoidant individuals long for relationships but avoid them due to fear.
Which statement reflects the primary characteristic of paranoid personality disorder?
- A People are always trying to deceive me
- B I often exaggerate my feelings for attention
- C I can’t be alone; I need someone with me
- D I don’t care about what others think of me
Correct answer: People are always trying to deceive me
Paranoid personality disorder involves pervasive distrust and suspicion of others’ motives.
A nurse can evaluate progress in a client with borderline personality disorder when the client:
- A Accepts responsibility for own actions
- B Continues to idealize one staff member
- C Engages in frequent impulsive behavior
- D Expresses intense anger toward staff
Correct answer: Accepts responsibility for own actions
Accepting responsibility shows improvement in self-awareness and emotional regulation, key goals in managing borderline traits.