Mental State Examination Flashcards

1
Q

Mental State Examination headings

A
  • Appearance
  • Behaviour
  • Speech
  • Mood/thought form and content (including any other thoughts of self harm)
  • Suicidal or homicidal ideation
  • Insight
  • Cognitive Functioning (MSQ)
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2
Q

Mental State Examination

Appearance

A
  • Height/Build
  • Clothing - appropriate/inappropriate, kempt, bizarre
  • Personal hygiene - clean/unshaven
  • Make up, jewellery, accessories
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3
Q

Mental State Examination

Behaviour

A
  • Greeting
  • Non-verbal cues
  • Gesturing - normal, expansive, bizarre
  • Abnormal movements - tremor, choreoathetoid movements, posturing, akathisia
  • Co-operative, rapport
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4
Q

Mental State Examination

Mood

A
  • Eye contact
  • Affect - objective manifestation of mood at i/v
  • Mood rating - subjective and objective; rate out of 10
  • Psychomotor function - regarded, agitated
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5
Q

Mental State Examination

Speech

A
  • Spontaneity
  • Volume - loud, quiet, poverty
  • Rate - pressured, slowed
  • Rhythm - rhyming and punning
  • Tone - monotonous, lilting
  • Dysarthria
  • Dysphasia - expressive/receptive
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6
Q

Mental State Examination

Abnormal Thoughts

A
  • Phobias
  • Obsessions
  • Flight of ideas
  • Formal thought disorder - broadcast, echo, insertion, block, withdrawal
  • Knight’s move, derailment, loosening
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7
Q

Mental State Examination

Abnormal Beliefs

A
  • Preoccupations
  • Over valued ideas
  • Delusional beleifs - fixed, false belief out of cultural context
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8
Q

Mental State Examination

Abnormal percepts

A
  • Illusions
  • Hallucinations - pseudo, true
  • Many domains - auditory, visual, somatic/tactile, olfactory & gustatory
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9
Q

Mental State Examination

Suicide/Homicide

A
  • Must always ask about suicidal thoughts
  • Ideation
  • Intent
  • Plans - vague, detailed, specific, already in motion
  • Also homicidal risk
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10
Q

Mental State Examination

Insight

A

Refers to the ability of a patient to understand that they have a mental health problem

“What do you think the cause of the problem is”

“Do you think you have a problem at the moment”

“Do you feel you need help with your problem?”

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11
Q

Mental State Examination

Cognitive Function

A
  • Orientation - time, place, person
  • Attention/concentration - throughout interview
  • Short term memory - 3 objects; name and address
  • Long term memory - personal history
  • Can also do a formal assessment: MMSE etc
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12
Q

Mental State Examination

How could a formal assessment of cognition be achieved?

A
  • MSQ
  • MMSE
  • MOCA
  • FAS
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13
Q

Mental State Examination

How would you explore psychotic symptoms - beliefs/thoughts

A
  • “Has anything particular been playing on your mind?”
  • “Have you noticed any change in your thoughts?”
  • “Has anyone interfered with your thoughts?”
  • “Does anyone else have access to your thoughts?”
  • “Do you know why this is happening?”
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