3.3.3 Mental Status Exam

Question 1

Type of thought process disorder: Abrupt cessation of communication before the idea is finished

Answer 1

Thought blocking

Question 2

Disorders of thoughts: repetitive, intrusive thoughts

Answer 2

Obsession

Question 3

What is true about the mental status exam and the variability of mental status?

Answer 3

Only tells you about the mental status at that exact time. Mental staus can change every hour or every day.

Question 4

What are some of the characteristics of affect?

Answer 4

Question 5

What are the four components of orientation?

Answer 5

person, place, time, and situation (x4)

Question 6

Type of thought process disorder: No logical connection from one thought to another

Answer 6

Loosening of associations

Question 7

Reality testing: evidence of delusional ideations

Answer 7

Judgement of reality (Someone is coming down from Mars to attack you. Better put on your tin foil hat, Miles)

Question 8

Type of thought process disorder: Made up words

Answer 8

Neologisms

Question 9

What are some of the aspects of physical appearance, behavior, and attitude to note during a mental status exam?

Answer 9

Red underline is classic with depression

Green underline is classic with schizophenia

Question 10

Type of thought process disorder: point of conversation never reached due to lack of goal-directed association b/t ideas

Answer 10

Tanentiality

Question 11

Reality testing: there is evidence of hallucinations

Answer 11

Sense of reality (Smoke/steam is going across fire hydrant leading you to think someone is moving off in the distance)

Question 12

Thought content disorder: Fixed, false beliefs that are not shared by the person’s culture and cannot be changed by reasoning

Answer 12

Delusions

Question 13

Patient’s level of awareness and understanding of his or her problem, include denial and blaming.

Answer 13

Insight

Question 14

Name this perceptive disorder: sensory experiences not based in reality (no external stimuli present).

Answer 14

Hallucination

Question 15

Type of thought process disorder: inherent collection of words

Answer 15

word salad

Question 16

Patient’s ability to understand the outcome of his or her actions and use this awareness in decision making.

“What would you do if an enraged Joey Batts entered the room with a baseball bat and began charging at you?”

Answer 16

Judgment

“Nothing. He can’t hit the broad side of a barn.” -> Obviously not good judgment

Question 17

Type of thought process disorder: point of conversation is reached after circuitous path

Answer 17

Circumstantiality

Ex: How many brothers/sisters? “I have a sister in Cali…. I have brother who lives nearby.”

Question 18

Name this perceptive disorder: inaccurate perception of existing sensory stimuli

Answer 18

Illusions

Question 19

Type of thought process disorder: a fast stream of thought and speech

Answer 19

Flight of ideas

Question 20

What are the aspects of an psychiatric mental status exam?

Answer 20

Question 21

What is the difference b/t mood and affect?

Answer 21

Mood: what the patient tells you he or she is feeling

Affect: how the patient’s mood appears to the examiner

Question 22

What some aspects of speech to note during a mental status exam?

Answer 22

Red underline is classic with depression

Green underline is classic with schizophenia

Question 23

Type of thought process disorder: word connections due to phonetics rather than actual meaning

Answer 23

Clang associations