10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The PMH-C exam has 125 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free PMH-C questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Perinatal Mental Health Certification blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
Domain 1: Perinatal Mental Health Disorders 14% of exam
Question 1
"I picture myself hurting my baby, and then I spend hours trying to prove I would never do it." A parent five weeks postpartum describes unwanted images, repeated mental review, and avoidance of being alone with the infant. The parent is horrified by the images, recognizes them as thoughts rather than messages, and denies any wish, plan, or intent to act. There are no hallucinations or fixed false beliefs. Which formulation best explains both the images and the response to them?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C - Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, with mental review functioning as a ritual
Question 2
On postpartum day 11, a patient calmly explains that television presenters are sending instructions intended specifically for her baby. Her partner reports almost no sleep for three nights and several episodes of confused behavior. She denies wanting to harm herself or the infant and agrees to whatever the clinician recommends. How should the team act on this presentation?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B - Arrange emergency psychiatric and medical evaluation, with supervision and safe infant care
Domain 2: Perinatal Mental Health Risks, Protective Factors, and Interactions 11% of exam
Question 3
A postpartum history reveals two distinct phases: at two months, palpitations, irritability, and unintentional weight loss; at seven months, constipation, cold intolerance, weight gain, and low mood. The infant now sleeps for long stretches, and the parent has adequate opportunities to rest. Which laboratory pair most directly investigates a medical explanation for this sequence?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D - Thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine
Domain 4: Screening and Assessment 9% of exam
Question 4
At a six-week postpartum visit, a patient's Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale total is 8. Her response to the self-harm item is scored 2, corresponding to "sometimes." She is calm and asks to leave for another appointment. Before she leaves, the clinician should:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A - Assess suicidal thoughts, intent, plan, means, and safety now to determine disposition
Domain 5: Social Support Interventions 8% of exam
Question 5
A licensed clinical social worker volunteers to facilitate a weekly new-parent group at a community center. Participants exchange experiences and local resources. The group does not assess psychiatric disorders, establish individualized treatment goals, or deliver a psychotherapy protocol. A referring clinician asks how the service differs from group therapy. The defining distinction is that this group:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A - Provides social support rather than clinical treatment, regardless of the facilitator's license
Domain 6: Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Approaches 9% of exam
Question 6
During interpersonal therapy (IPT), a parent who recently adopted a newborn says, "I wanted this child, but I miss knowing who I was at work. I don't know how to be myself in this new life." The parent describes the partner relationship as close and supportive and remains connected to longstanding friends. Which IPT problem area best organizes the work described?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A - Role transition
Domain 8: Psychopharmacology and Other Somatic Interventions 7% of exam
Question 7
A patient at nine weeks' gestation has remained well on sertraline after three disabling depressive episodes. A previous supervised taper was followed by relapse. There is no history of mania or hypomania. She asks whether stopping treatment for the rest of the first trimester would be safest for the fetus. Which recommendation best reflects her history and the available evidence?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D - Favor continuing effective treatment after discussing medication risks and her substantial relapse risk
Question 8
An observational pregnancy study reports persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn in 18 of 3,000 births with late-pregnancy SSRI exposure and 12 of 4,000 births without exposure. Depression severity and smoking also differ between the groups. Which interpretation accurately combines the absolute difference with the study's limitations?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C - An excess of 3 cases per 1,000 births was observed; medication causation remains uncertain
Domain 10: Lactation & Feeding 6% of exam
Question 9
A lactating father describes a brief wave of dread immediately before milk let-down. A clinician suspects dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER). Which additional finding would make D-MER alone an inadequate explanation for his symptoms?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B - Hopelessness and loss of pleasure persist between feeds for weeks
Domain 11: Perinatal Complications and Loss 8% of exam
Question 10
Seven weeks after a life-threatening obstetric hemorrhage, a patient continues to have nightmares and involuntary memories of resuscitation. She avoids the hospital, blames herself for the emergency, feels detached from loved ones, startles easily, and remains constantly watchful for danger. These symptoms began after the birth and interfere with follow-up care. Her infant is healthy, and no ongoing medical illness, substance, or medication effect explains her symptoms. The most likely diagnosis is:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A - Post-traumatic stress disorder