Mental Status

Question 1

Define mental status

Answer 1

A persons emotional and cognitive function

Question 2

Define mental health

Answer 2

The ability to cope with stressors and participate in work and community life in a productive fulfilling way

Question 3

Define mental disorder

Answer 3

A greater than expected response to a life event, which manifests in significant distress or impaired functioning

Question 4

What are organic disorders

Answer 4

These have a specific known cause like alcohol and drug intoxication, high fever

Question 5

What are psychiatric disorders

Answer 5

Those for which an organic cause has not yet been established

Question 6

What are the 4 main categories to evaluate for mental health status

Answer 6

Appearance

Behaviour

Cognition

Thought process

Question 7

What orientation is usually lost first

Answer 7

Time then to place, but rarely to person

Question 8

Red flags for suicide

Answer 8

Prior attempts

History of depression, hopelessness, family history of suicide

Possession of firearms

Talk about suicide

Gives away prized possession

Question 9

How do you screen for suicidal thoughts

Answer 9

ASQ (ask suicide screening questions)

Question 10

What is the ASQ

Answer 10

It can be administered in 20 seconds and consists of 4 questions:

In the past few weeks, have you wished you were dead?

In the past few weeks, have you felt that you or your family would be better off if you were dead?

In the past few weeks, have you been having thoughts about killing yourself?

Have you ever tried to kill yourself?

Question 11

What is a positive screen for the ASQ?

Answer 11

If the person answers yes to any of the questions, or refuses to answer any question, consider it a positive screen. Anyone who has a positive screen should be asked “are you have any thoughts of killing yourself right now?”

Question 12

What is the Glasgow coma scale?

Answer 12

A quantitative tool with scores ranging from 3-15 to describe LOC

Question 13

What are the 3 responses the Glasgow scale measures?

Answer 13

Eye opening response

Motor response

Verbal response

Question 14

What is lethargic

Answer 14

Drift off to sleep, but can be awakened when name called. May still appear sleepy

Question 15

What is obtunded

Answer 15

Sleeps most of the time, can be awakened with shout or with shaking. Speech may be mumbled and incoherent

Question 16

What is stuporous

Answer 16

Unconscious, only awakens to persistent and vigorous shaking or pain

Withdraws from painful stimulus, can moan or mumble. Reflexes persist.

Question 17

What is comatose

Answer 17

Unconscious with no response to pain. Light coma may allow some reflex responses but in deep, they disappear. A score of seven or less on the objective Glasgow coma scale indicates coma.

Question 18

Define global aphasia

Answer 18

Most common and more severe, the person has severely limited speech and comprehension of both written and verbal speech.

Caused by large lesion that affects both language areas of the brain

Question 19

What is Broca aphasia

Answer 19

The person can understand verbal and written language, but cannot effectively express themselves using language. Speech is non fluent and effortful

Caused by lesion to the brain in motor speech cortex known as Broca area

Question 20

What is wernicke aphasia

Answer 20

The person is able to speak fluently. However, the speech makes no sense, with many word substitutions, or made up words. Reading and writing is also impaired.

Caused by lesion to the brain in the auditory cortex or wernickes area