Mental state exam

Question 1

List all the opponents of a mental state exam
(clue- there are 9)

Answer 1

A- appearance
B- Behaviour

S- speech
M- Mood

T- thoughts
P- perception

C- cognition
I- insight
R- risk assessment

Question 2

What would you consider when assessing appearance in a MSE? (5 things)

Answer 2

1. Weight (under or over?)
2. Stigmata of disease (e.g jaundice?)
3. Personal hygiene
4. Clothing
5. Marks on skin?

Question 3

What would you consider when assessing behaviour in a MSE? (6 things)

Answer 3

1. Engagement (distracted?)
2. Eye contact (reduced or excessive?)
3. Facial expression
4. Body language (standing, hunched over, covering face?)
5. Psychomotor activity (restlessness or delayed responses)
6. Abnormal movements (involuntary, tremor, rocking etc)

Question 4

What would you consider when assessing Speech in a MSE? (5 things)

Answer 4

1. Rate
2. Quantity (excessive or minimal)
3. Tone (monotonous, tremulous = anxiety)
4. Volume of speech
5. Fluency (stuttering, slurred? )

Question 5

What is the difference between mood and affect and what would you consider when assessing affect in a MSE? (4things)

Answer 5

RELATES TO EMOTION

• Mood is described by the patient
• Affect is what you observe
  1.*is it Heightened or blunted/ flat affect

2.*FIXED AFFECT: remains the same throughout the interview

3.*RESTRICTED AFFECT: changes slightly throughout

4.*LABILE AFFECT: exaggerated changes in emotion

Question 6

What would you consider when assessing thoughts in a MSE?

Answer 6

1. Speed of thoughts
2. Flow and coherence of thoughts
3. Content of thoughts
4. Possession of thoughts

Question 7

What is perception and what would you consider when assessing perception in a MSE? (5 things)

Answer 7

The organisation, identification and interpretation of sensory information

1. Hallucinations
2. Pseudo- hallucinations
3. Illusions
4. Depersonalisation
5. Derealisation

Question 8

What is meant by cognition and what would you consider when assessing cognition in a MSE? (3 things)

Answer 8

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding thought

1. Orientated to time, place and person
2. Attention span - what is their concentration like
3. What is their short term memory like?

Question 9

What is insight and what would questions would you ask when assessing insight in a MSE? (3 things)

Answer 9

The patients ability to understand that they have a mental health problem

1. What do you think the cause of the problem is?
2. Do you think that you have a problem?
3. Do you feel you need help with your problem?

Question 10

What would you consider when assessing risk assessment in a MSE? (4 things)

Answer 10

1. Suicide risk
2. Self harm risk
3. Risk to themselves
4. Risk to others