100+ Free ABPS Psychiatry Practice Questions

Mood Disorders

DSM-5-TR criteria for MDD, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia; mixed features specifier; melancholic, atypical, and seasonal patterns; postpartum depression and peripartum onset; suicide risk assessment (Columbia C-SSRS, SAD PERSONS); first-line pharmacotherapy (SSRIs, SNRIs, lithium, valproate, lamotrigine titration to avoid SJS, atypical antipsychotics); ECT, rTMS, ketamine/esketamine (Spravato) REMS; brexanolone (Zulresso) IV and zuranolone (Zurzuvae) oral for postpartum depression.

Anxiety, OCD & Trauma/Stressor Disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, separation anxiety, selective mutism; OCD and related disorders (body dysmorphic, hoarding, trichotillomania, excoriation); PTSD and acute stress disorder; adjustment disorders; first-line SSRIs/SNRIs; CBT with exposure and response prevention (ERP), prolonged exposure (PE), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), EMDR; benzodiazepine cautions (dependence, falls, MOUD interaction); prazosin for PTSD nightmares; buspirone for GAD.

Schizophrenia & Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective, brief psychotic, delusional disorder, shared psychotic disorder; positive/negative/cognitive symptoms; first-episode psychosis and coordinated specialty care (NAVIGATE/RAISE); first-generation vs second-generation antipsychotics; clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia and REMS monitoring (ANC weekly x6 months); long-acting injectables (paliperidone, aripiprazole, risperidone); metabolic monitoring; tardive dyskinesia and VMAT2 inhibitors (valbenazine, deutetrabenazine); KarXT (xanomeline-trospium, Cobenfy) M1/M4 muscarinic agonist FDA-approved Sept 2024 for schizophrenia.

Substance Use Disorders

DSM-5-TR SUD criteria (mild/moderate/severe by symptom count); alcohol use disorder (CIWA-Ar protocol, naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, gabapentin, topiramate); opioid use disorder and MOUD (buprenorphine, methadone, extended-release naltrexone); 2023 elimination of DATA-2000 X-waiver requirement under the MAT Act of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023; stimulant use disorder; cannabis use disorder; tobacco (varenicline, bupropion, NRT); benzodiazepine and sedative withdrawal; CAGE/AUDIT/ASSIST screening; motivational interviewing; harm reduction; overdose reversal with intranasal/IM naloxone.

Personality Disorders

DSM-5-TR Cluster A (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal), Cluster B (antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic), Cluster C (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive); alternative model in Section III; borderline personality disorder and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — Linehan; mentalization-based therapy (MBT); transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP); schema therapy; pharmacotherapy as adjunct only; comorbidities (mood, anxiety, SUD); chronic suicidality and self-injurious behavior; antisocial personality vs psychopathy (PCL-R).

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

ADHD (DSM-5-TR criteria, stimulants methylphenidate/amphetamine, non-stimulants atomoxetine, guanfacine ER, clonidine ER); autism spectrum disorder; oppositional defiant and conduct disorder; tic disorders and Tourette (alpha-2 agonists, antipsychotics); pediatric OCD and anxiety; pediatric mood disorders and FDA black-box warning on antidepressants/suicidality (boxed warning expanded to age 24); school refusal; child abuse mandatory reporting; parent management training; first-episode pediatric psychosis; adolescent eating disorders and family-based therapy (Maudsley).

Geriatric Psychiatry & Neurocognitive Disorders

Delirium (Confusion Assessment Method, hypoactive vs hyperactive), late-life depression and anxiety, Alzheimer disease (cholinesterase inhibitors donepezil/rivastigmine/galantamine, NMDA antagonist memantine, anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies lecanemab and donanemab with ARIA-E/H MRI monitoring), vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (antipsychotic sensitivity, pimavanserin for PD psychosis), frontotemporal dementia (behavioral variant), Parkinson disease dementia, mild neurocognitive disorder; behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD); Beers Criteria; STOPP/START; falls and polypharmacy.

Somatic Symptom, Eating & Sleep Disorders

Somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, conversion (functional neurological symptom) disorder, factitious disorder imposed on self/another, malingering; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder (lisdexamfetamine FDA-approved), ARFID, refeeding syndrome (hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia); insomnia disorder (CBT-I first-line, dual orexin receptor antagonists suvorexant/lemborexant/daridorexant), narcolepsy (modafinil, sodium oxybate, pitolisant), restless legs syndrome, REM sleep behavior disorder, OSA; circadian rhythm disorders; nightmare disorder and prazosin; sexual dysfunctions and gender dysphoria.

Psychopharmacology & Somatic Therapies

SSRIs/SNRIs (serotonin syndrome, discontinuation syndrome, hyponatremia/SIADH, sexual dysfunction, QTc with citalopram >40 mg), TCAs and MAOIs (tyramine crisis, washout periods including 5-week fluoxetine), bupropion (seizure risk, contraindicated in eating disorders), mirtazapine; antipsychotic EPS (akathisia, dystonia, parkinsonism), neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), metabolic syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, QTc prolongation; lithium (level monitoring 0.6-1.2 mEq/L, toxicity, nephrogenic DI, hypothyroidism), valproate (teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity), lamotrigine slow titration to avoid Stevens-Johnson; ECT, rTMS, VNS, DBS; ketamine/esketamine REMS; CYP450 interactions.

Psychotherapies

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — Beck cognitive triad, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring; dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — Linehan four modules (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness); interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) — four problem areas (grief, role transitions, role disputes, interpersonal deficits); motivational interviewing OARS and stages of change (Prochaska/DiClemente); psychodynamic and supportive therapy; family therapy and Maudsley FBT; group therapy (Yalom therapeutic factors); trauma-focused therapies (PE, CPT, EMDR, TF-CBT); mentalization-based therapy.

Consultation-Liaison & Emergency Psychiatry

Delirium evaluation and management on medical wards (haloperidol, atypicals; avoid benzos except in alcohol/benzo withdrawal); decisional capacity assessment (appreciation, reasoning, understanding, expressing a choice); psycho-oncology; transplant psychiatry; perinatal psychiatry and lactation considerations; pain and psychiatric comorbidity; agitation management (verbal de-escalation first; IM olanzapine, haloperidol + lorazepam, droperidol, ketamine); excited delirium; NMS vs serotonin syndrome differentiation; suicide risk assessment and Stanley-Brown safety planning; civil commitment; restraint and seclusion debriefing.

Ethics, Forensics & Professionalism

Tarasoff duty to warn/protect identifiable third parties; informed consent and decisional capacity (four abilities); competency to stand trial — Dusky standard (factual and rational understanding, ability to assist counsel); criminal responsibility — M'Naghten rule, irresistible impulse, ALI/Model Penal Code, NGRI, GBMI; civil commitment criteria (danger to self/others, grave disability); Goldwater Rule (APA); boundary violations and dual relationships; HIPAA Privacy Rule and 42 CFR Part 2 (SUD records, 2024 HHS alignment with HIPAA); mandatory reporting (child/elder abuse); expert witness vs treating physician role.