NEET-PG Psychiatry Previous Year Questions (2017–2026)

Correct answer: C. Dhat.

Dhat syndrome is a South Asian culture-bound syndrome of distress attributed to perceived loss of semen (in urine or through emissions). Patients report fatigue, anxiety, weakness and somatic complaints without organic disease. Management is reassurance and cognitive behavioural approaches.

Incorrect Options:

• Koro is an acute anxiety state with the fear that the genitals are retracting into the body and may cause death.
  Koro: fear of genital retraction.
• Latah is an exaggerated startle response with echolalia, echopraxia and automatic obedience.
  Latah: exaggerated startle with echolalia.
• Amok is a sudden dissociative episode of uncontrolled violent behaviour followed by amnesia.
  Amok: sudden dissociative rage with amnesia.

High-Yield Facts:

• Dhat is common in South Asia and centres on perceived semen loss.
• Koro (SE Asia, China) = fear of genital retraction.
• Latah (Malaysia) = startle with echolalia and echopraxia.
• Amok (SE Asia) = sudden homicidal or violent outburst with later amnesia.

Correct answer: B. Schizoid personality.

Schizoid personality is a Cluster A disorder marked by detachment from social relationships, emotional coldness and a preference for solitude. Crucially there is no odd belief, magical thinking or perceptual distortion, which distinguishes it from schizotypal personality.

Incorrect Options:

• Schizotypal personality also has social discomfort but adds odd beliefs, magical thinking and ideas of reference.
  Schizotypal: eccentricity with odd beliefs and magical thinking.
• Avoidant personality patients desire relationships but avoid them because of fear of criticism and rejection.
  Avoidant: wants closeness but fears rejection.
• Antisocial personality shows disregard for the rights of others, deceit and lack of remorse.
  Antisocial: disregard for others, impulsivity and no remorse.

High-Yield Facts:

• Schizoid = social detachment and emotional coldness, prefers solitude.
• Schizoid lacks the odd beliefs and magical thinking of schizotypal personality.
• Avoidant personality wants relationships but fears rejection (unlike schizoid).
• Cluster A (odd or eccentric): paranoid, schizoid and schizotypal.

Correct answer: C. Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).

The acute onset, fluctuating course, inattention and altered consciousness describe delirium. The CAM diagnoses delirium at the bedside when features 1 (acute and fluctuating) AND 2 (inattention) are present, together with either 3 (disorganised thinking) OR 4 (altered level of consciousness).

CAM: feature 1 + 2 and (3 or 4) confirms delirium.

Incorrect Options:

• Mini-Cog: a rapid dementia screen (3-item recall plus clock drawing), not a delirium test.


Mini-Cog screens chronic cognitive decline.

• PHQ-9: a nine-item questionnaire that grades depression severity, not acute confusion.


PHQ-9 measures depression, not delirium.

• Mini-mental state exam: useful for chronic cognitive impairment but does not capture the fluctuation and inattention of delirium.


MMSE grades dementia, not fluctuating delirium.

High-Yield Facts:

• Delirium = acute, fluctuating, inattention, with disorganised thinking or altered consciousness.
• Hypoactive (drowsy) delirium is easily missed but carries a worse prognosis.
• Haloperidol is preferred for dangerous agitation once reversible causes are treated.
• The CAM has high sensitivity and specificity and takes only a few minutes.