skip to main content

Relapse Prevention Components — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

EasyRehabilitationRelapse Prevention ComponentsMRCPsych Paper B

A man with schizophrenia receiving community rehabilitation has experienced two previous relapses. He and his care coordinator are jointly updating his crisis plan to reduce the impact of any future relapse. Which set of contents best accords with NICE guidance?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C — Early warning signs and coping strategies; support to avoid admission; advance statements or decisions; agreed carer involvement; 24-hour access and named contacts

Option C is correct. NICE recommends that a crisis plan is developed collaboratively by the service user and care coordinator and incorporated into the wider care plan. It should identify possible early warning signs and coping strategies, support that may prevent hospitalisation, relevant advance statements or decisions, the agreed involvement of family or carers, 24-hour access to services and named contacts. Admission preferences and practical needs should also be considered. Option D concerns medicines and physical-health monitoring, while option E contains broader rehabilitation goals rather than crisis planning. Option B is overly medication-focused: automatic dose changes or sedative regimens are not substitutes for an individualised collaborative plan. Option A includes potentially relevant admission preferences but incorrectly treats compulsory admission and restrictive interventions as predetermined routine components.

Reference: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Service user experience in adult mental health: improving the experience of care for people using adult NHS mental health services (CG136), recommendation 1.4.5, 2011. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg136/chapter/Recommendations