Mental State Exam

Question 1

What do you comment on in a mental state exam?

Answer 1

1. Appearance and behaviour
2. Speech
3. Mood
4. Thought
5. Perception
6. Cognition
7. Insight
8. Judgement

Question 2

When is a risk assessment carried out?

Answer 2

Following a mental state exam

Question 3

What is a risk assessment for?

Answer 3

Gives an estimate of the risk of self-harm, suicide and harm to others

Question 4

What is the appearance and behaviour of a depressed patient?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the appearance and behaviour of a manic patient?

Answer 5

Dressed in bright colours
Extravagant outfits or inappropriate
Dressed chaotically
Appear disheveled

Hyperactive, energetic talkative behaviour
Overly familiar

Question 6

What is the appearance and behaviour of a schizophrenic patient?

Answer 6

Unkempt
May be wearing several layers of clothes even in summer
Self-neglect
Agitated, suspicious or aggressive

Catatonia

Question 7

How do depressed patients speak?

Answer 7

Slow
Quiet
Soft and monotone

May have alogia

Question 8

How do manic patients speak?

Answer 8

Pressured speech
(fast, unrelenting and impossible to interrupt)
Loud and confident

Question 9

How do schizophrenic patients speak?

Answer 9

Alogia
Poverty of content (speech without meaning)

May have incoherent speech and impossible to understand

May use invented words (neologisms)
Word salad

Question 10

What is word salad?

Answer 10

Speech contains random jumble of phrases and words with no meaning