Mental Health Assessment Flashcards
what is mental status
A person’s emotional (feeling) and cognitive (knowing) function.
What does optimal functioning aim towards?
Simultaneous life satisfaction in work, caring relationships, and with self.
What is a mental disorder?
A situation is when a person has a response to a traumatic life event that is much greater than expected.
What are mental disorders characterized as?
Organic disorders (caused by a disease in the brain ex. Dementia)
Psychiatric disorders ( anxiety, schizophrenia)
What does a mental status assessment do?
Documents dysfunction; determines how the dysfunction affects self-care in everyday life.
Can mental disorders be directly assessed?
No. It’s functioning is inferred through assessment.
When do we complete a mental status exam?
Recent trauma resulting in a change in memory
Report of decline in cognitive ability
When a patient requires a thorough exam of emotional and cognitive functioning
What are the 4 major components of a Mental Status exam?
ABCT
- Appearance
- Behavior
- Cognition
- Thought processes and Perceptions
what are we looking at when assessing appearance?
Posture
Body Movements
Dress
Grooming & Hygiene
Pupils (drugs)
What are we looking at when assessing behavior?
Level of consciousness (LOC)
facial expression (appropriate for the situation)
Speech (fluent, slurred)
Mood and affect (appropriateness)
What are we looking at when assessing cognitive functioning?
Orientation
Attention span
Recent memory
Remote memory
New learning (4 unrelated words)
What are we looking at when assessing thought processes and perceptions?
Thought content (what they say is consistent and logical)
Perceptions (person should be consistently aware of reality)
Screen for anxiety
Screen for Depression
Screen for suicidal thoughts
What is dementia?
Chronic disturbance of consciousness and cognition. Gradual and progressive.
Long and short-term memory loss (short -term more pronounced)
Not a normal part of aging and not reversible.
What is delirium?
Acute (fast onset) disturbances of consciousness and cognition (develops over a short period of time.
Impaired memory (short-term)
Usually resolved when underlying cause is treated (UTI, dialysis, esp. older patients)
What are the levels of consciousness?
Alert
Lethargic (still responsive)
Obtunded (similar to lethargy, but more out)
Stupor/semi-coma (in and out)
Coma (completely out)