SSRIs & Antidepressants: ABFM practice questions

17 board-style questions on ssris & antidepressants in the PulseMD family medicine question bank, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

A 42-year-old woman presents with 4 weeks of persistent sadness, anhedonia, fatigue, poor concentration, insomnia, and a 10-pound weight loss. She reports feeling worthless and has passive thoughts of death but denies a specific plan or intent. Her PHQ-9 score is 18 (moderately severe). She has no prior psychiatric history and takes no medications. What is the most appropriate initial treatment plan?

  1. Refer to psychiatry before initiating any treatment
  2. Prescribe alprazolam for anxiety and insomnia and reassess in 1 month
  3. Start fluoxetine 60 mg daily for faster response
  4. Start sertraline 50 mg daily, provide safety planning, and schedule follow-up in 2 weeks

Sample question 2

A 34-year-old woman presents with excessive worry about multiple life domains (work, health, finances) for the past 8 months. She reports muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, and irritability. She has tried relaxation techniques with minimal benefit. Her PHQ-9 is 6 (mild) and GAD-7 is 14 (moderate). She has no substance use history. What is the most appropriate first-line pharmacotherapy?

  1. Lorazepam 0.5 mg three times daily
  2. Sertraline 50 mg daily
  3. Propranolol 20 mg three times daily
  4. Hydroxyzine 25 mg three times daily

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

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