Mental State Exam Flashcards
What do you comment on in a mental state exam?
- Appearance and behaviour
- Speech
- Mood and affect
- Thought
- Perception
- Cognition
- Insight
- Judgement
When is a risk assessment carried out?
Following a mental state exam
What is a risk assessment for?
Gives an estimate of the risk of self-harm, suicide and harm to others
What is the appearance and behaviour of a depressed patient?
Poor self-care
Poor hygiene and old clothes
Self-harm scars
Slow movements and speech
Reduced eye contact
Downward gaze
Stooped posture
Can be fidgety and restless
What is the appearance and behaviour of a manic patient?
Dressed in bright colours
Extravagant outfits or inappropriate
Dressed chaotically
Appear disheveled
Hyperactive, energetic talkative behaviour
Overly familiar
What is the appearance and behaviour of a schizophrenic patient?
Unkempt
May be wearing several layers of clothes even in summer
Self-neglect
Agitated, suspicious or aggressive
Catatonia
How do depressed patients speak?
Slow
Quiet
Soft and monotone
May have alogia
How do manic patients speak?
Pressured speech
(fast, unrelenting and impossible to interrupt)
Loud and confident
How do schizophrenic patients speak?
Alogia
Poverty of content (speech without meaning)
May have incoherent speech and impossible to understand
May use invented words (neologisms)
Word salad
What is word salad?
Speech contains random jumble of phrases and words with no meaning
What mnemonic do you use for MSE?
ASEPTIC
Appearance and behaviour
Speech
Emotion and affect
Perception
Thought
Insight
Cognition
Judgement and risk assessment
