Lecture 7b

Question 1

Mental State Examination headings

Answer 1

• Appearance
• Behaviour
• Speech
• Mood
• Affect
• Perception
• Thought form
• Thought content
• Judgement
• Insight
• Cognition

Question 2

Appearance details

Answer 2

• Grooming/clothing
• Weight/size/unique physical features (tattoos, wounds)
• Facial features
• Gender
• Age
• Hair/beard
• Ethnicity

Question 3

Behaviour details

Answer 3

• Agitation
• Repetition (e.g. tremor, pacing, fidgeting)
• Gait
• Eye contact and facial expression
• Gestures
• Posture
• Attitude to examiner and situation
• Body movements

Question 4

Speech details

Answer 4

• Not what is said but HOW it was said
• Rate
• Volume
• Tone
• Mumbling/stuttering

Question 5

Mood details

Answer 5

• Reported from the individual - how they say they are feeling
• Consider:
  >intensity and significant of mood
  >how long they have felt this way
  >how changeable their mood has been
• Appetite
• Sleep
• Libido
• Motivation

Question 6

Affect details

Answer 6

• MOOD IS WHAT THEY SAY, AFFECT IS WHAT YOU SEE
• Is their range of emotion restricted or are they able to show full emotion?
• Does their intensity of emotional expression match what they are saying?
• Do they change their emotional expression in response to changing topic?

Question 7

Perception details

Answer 7

• Hallucinations: perceptual experiences that occur in the absence of actual stimuli
  >auditory
  >visual
  >tactile
  >olfactory
  >gustatory
• Illusions: exaggerations, distortions or misinterpretations of actual stimuli

Question 8

Thought form vs content

Answer 8

Form 
- the logical process and pattern of thought 
- how are thoughts occurring/presenting?
Content
- what you are thinking about

Question 9

Insight details

Answer 9

• Awareness of current situation

>talking about whether they are well or not

Question 10

Cognition details

Answer 10

• Alertness
• Orientation
• Memory
• Concentration
• Capacity to make informed decisions