Mental State Examination

Question 1

What aspects are included in Appearance?

Answer 1

Gender; ethnicity; apparent age; cleanliness and grooming; hair/clothing style; cosmetics and jewellery.

Question 2

What is an example of a person’s appearance?

Answer 2

47-year-old female looking stated age, slim build, loose fitting clothes, large earring in left ear, hair appears greasy.

Question 3

What aspects are included in Behaviour?

Answer 3

Attitude towards the clinician; motor function; facial expression; eye contact; non-verbal communication; presence of hallucinatory behaviours.

Question 4

What is the range of speech from spontaneous to mute?

Answer 4

Speech can range from spontaneous and talkative to mute.

Question 5

What are the key components of speech?

Answer 5

The key components of speech include fluency, rate, volume, and tone.

Question 6

What are some characteristics of abnormal speech?

Answer 6

Abnormal speech can be rapid, slurred, monotonous, pressured, or incoherent.

Example: ‘The patient’s speech was rapid, slurred, monotonous, pressured, and incoherent.’

Question 7

What are examples of mood states mentioned?

Answer 7

• Euthymic (normal) * Dysthymic * Elevated

Question 8

What does the term ‘blunted’ refer to in emotional assessment?

Answer 8

Reduced emotional expression

Question 9

True or False: A subjectively reported mood of ‘euthymic’ indicates a low mood.

Answer 9

False

Question 10

What is Thought Stream?

Answer 10

Thought Stream refers to the speed of thoughts.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of slow thought stream?

Answer 11

Slow thought stream can include thought blocking and slow delivery.

Question 12

What are the characteristics of fast thought stream?

Answer 12

Fast thought stream can include racing thoughts and flight of ideas.

Question 13

What does ‘Form’ refer to in thought processes?

Answer 13

Form refers to how the thoughts are put together.

Question 14

What are the characteristics of logical and linear thought?

Answer 14

Logical and linear thought is organized and coherent.

Question 15

What are the characteristics of disordered thought?

Answer 15

Disordered thought can include irrelevant comments, made-up words, excessively vague statements, and topic changes.

Example: Disordered thought may involve jumping from one topic to another without clear connections.

Question 16

What does ‘Content’ refer to in thought processes?

Answer 16

Content refers to what individuals are thinking about.

Question 17

What are some examples of thought content?

Answer 17

Examples of thought content include obsessions, delusions, phobias, magical thinking, and thoughts of harm to self or others.

Example: Rumination and catastrophizing are forms of thought content.

Question 18

What are obsessions?

Answer 18

Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted thoughts.

Question 19

What are delusions?

Answer 19

Delusions are false beliefs, such as persecutory or grandiose delusions.

Question 20

What are phobias?

Answer 20

Phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations.

Question 21

What is magical thinking?

Answer 21

Magical thinking is the belief that one’s thoughts can influence reality.

Question 22

What does ‘thoughts of harm’ refer to?

Answer 22

Thoughts of harm refer to considerations of self-harm or harm to others.

Question 23

What is an example of rumination?

Answer 23

Rumination involves continuously thinking about distressing situations or problems.

Question 24

What is an example of catastrophizing?

Answer 24

Catastrophizing is the tendency to expect the worst possible outcome.

Question 25

What are altered bodily experiences?

Answer 25

Altered bodily experiences include depersonalisation and derealisation

Depersonalisation refers to feeling detached from oneself, while derealisation involves a sense of detachment from the environment.

Question 26

What types of hallucinations can occur?

Answer 26

Hallucinations can be:
* Auditory
* Visual
* Olfactory
* Tactile

Hallucinations are perceptions in the absence of external stimuli.

Question 27

What does cognition refer to in this context?

Answer 27

Oriented to person/time/place, though not formally assessed.

Question 28

What are the levels of insight?

Answer 28

Intact, partial, or poor insight.

Question 29

What abilities are associated with insight?

Answer 29

Ability to identify potentially pathological events (e.g., hallucinations, suicidal impulses); acknowledgment of a possible mental health problem; locus of control (internal vs. external).

E.g. good insight into symptoms and need for treatment.

Question 30

What does judgment refer to?

Answer 30

Intact to impaired judgment, assessing how the person is problem solving/making decisions while in this state.

E.g. low intake of food impacted by belief that she is being poisoned.