RN Exam Practice
Health Promotion and MaintenanceQuestion 982 of 2368

A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder says, "I have taken my SSRI for four weeks and I am not better." What is the nurse's best response?

  1. "This medicine should work completely within one week of starting it."
  2. "You should stop taking it now, since it has clearly failed to help you."
  3. "It may take up to 8 to 12 weeks and high doses to show effectiveness."
  4. "SSRIs are never effective for this condition, so a new drug is needed."
Show answer

Correct answer: "It may take up to 8 to 12 weeks and high doses to show effectiveness."

For OCD, SSRIs can take up to 8 to 12 weeks, and high doses, to be effective.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Mental Health Conditions: Treatment of OCD. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Health Promotion and Maintenance"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026