Mental State Exam Flashcards
What is a mental state exam?
An assessment of a person’s current state of mind, describing a snapshot of their presentation during your interaction with them
What factors are assessed in a mental state exam?
Appearance Behaviour Speech Mood Affect Thought form and content Perception Cognition Insight
When is a mental state exam used?
To assess and diagnose psychiatric patients
To monitor psychiatric patients during or after treatment
Describe the assessment of appearance in the mental state exam?
Describe how the person looks - ethnicity, build, hair colour, clothing well kempt? evidence of self-neglect? appear physically unwell or intoxicated? description of distinguishing features
Describe the assessment of behaviour in the mental state exam?
Describe how the person acts including: level of motor activity eye contact rapport and engagement in interview body language and posture any unusual or socially inappropriate behaviour
Describe the assessment of speech in the mental state exam?
rate and quantity of speech rhythm volume tone spontaneity
In a mental state exam what is meant by a reactive affect?
Appropriate action to the situation or topic
In a mental state exam what is meant by a flattened affect?
Limited emotional reaction
In a mental state exam what is meant by a blunted affect?
No observed emotional reactions (psychosis)
In a mental state exam what is meant by a labile affect?
Excessive emotional fluctuations
In a mental state exam you should report subjectively and objectively on the patient’s mood. What does this mean?
Subjectively - how they tell you they fell (use quotes)
objectively - your overall impression of their mood
In a mental state exam what is thought form?
The pattern of the person’s thoughts
In a mental state exam what I meant by ‘flight of ideas’?
Rapid flow of speech from topic to topic with logical connections
Flight of ideas is associated with mania. What is knight’s move thinking associated with?
Schizophrenia
In a mental state exam what is meant by knight’s move thinking?
Little or no logical connections between thoughts, associated with schizophrenia
What is meant by a paranoid delusion?
Perceived threat from others
What is meant by a grandiose delusion?
Considerable overestimation of abilities or belief of possession of special powers
What is meant by a nihilistic delusion?
Belief that they are dead or do not exist
What is meant by a delusion of reference?
Belief that external events or objects are directly related to them
What is the definition of an over valued idea?
a false belief which is not completed fixed but which causes great disability
What is the definition of an obsession?
Recurrent, intrusive, distressing ideas, impulses of images that the patient recognises as their own
It should always be documented whether or not a patient has thoughts of harming themselves or others. T/F?
True - and if they do an additional risk assessment should be carried out
What type of hallucination points towards a likely psychiatric rather than organic cause?
Auditory hallucination
What factors should be assessed as part of cognition in a mental state exam?
Alertness
Orientation
Concentration
Memory
In a mental state exam, if you observe abnormality sin concentration and memory what test can be carried out?
Mini mental state exam
In a mental state exam, what is meant by insight?
The patient’s understanding of their presentation and their need for treatment
