Mental Status Exam

Question 1

mental status exam

Answer 1

A series of both objective and subjective behavioral observations and a triangulation of other data that occurs during the clinical history intake, which includes cognitive, affective, behavioral, and interpersonal components

Question 2

appearance

Answer 2

primarily physical characteristics the clinician observes in relation to how they previously were, which may be a manifestation of mental state or client’s environment

Question 3

behavior or psychomotor activity

Answer 3

physical movements such as excessive or reduced eye contact, grimacing, excessive eye movement (scanning), odd or repeated gestures, posture
may deny experiencing particular thoughts/emotions but their body movements may suggest otherwise

Question 4

attitude toward examiner

Answer 4

how clients behave in relation to the interviewer which demonstrate a settled way of thinking about a person or thing and is usually evidenced through overt or subtle behavior. potential descriptors:
-aggressive
-cooperative
-guarded
-impatient
-indifferent
-ingratiating (overly solicitous of interviewer approval)
-manipulative
-open
-oppositional
-seductive
-suspicious

Question 5

affect and mood

Answer 5

a = outward expression of emotion; observed typically based on nonverbal behavior; m = internal, subjective, verbal self-report of state.

descriptors of a:
-euthymic: normal/ typical/ unremarkable, expected
-labile: highly variable emotional patterns
-flat: absence of emotional display
-blunted: emotional response present but muted
-constricted: intentional restriction of emotions

Question 6

speech

Answer 6

described in terms of rate (speed) and volume (loudness).

categorized as:
-pressured
-loud
-slow or halting
-soft or inaudible

Question 7

thought process

Answer 7

how clients express themselves, how they are saying it

Descriptors:
-blocking
-circumstantiality
-flight of ideas
-loose associations
-tangential
-word salad

Question 8

thought content

Answer 8

what clients talk about. includes:
-delusions
-obsessions
-confabulation: believing one’s thoughts are controlling outcomes
-suicidal/homicidal thoughts or plans

Question 9

perceptual disturbances

Answer 9

1) hallucinations = false sensory impressions or experiences that occur in a sensory modality (i.e., visual, auditory)
2) illusions = perceptual distortions based on sensory input and technically involve misperceptions
3) flashbacks

Question 10

orientation and consciousness

Answer 10

o: evaluating whether clients are o to person, place, time, and situation
c: alert to confused to clouded to stuporous to unconscious to comatose

Question 11

memory

Answer 11

remote, recent, & immediate

Question 12

intelligence

Answer 12

a person’s global capacity to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment which can be inferred from education level, language comprehension and use, social judgment questions, & tests of other cognitive functions

–> is there evidence that client is resourceful and functions adequately in a # of life domains?
–> does the client make mistakes that appear due to limited intellectual ability rather than psychopathology?

Question 13

reliability

Answer 13

credibility and trustworthiness regarding presenting life histories and current personal info

-good attention to detail responses or vague/defensive manner responses?

Question 14

judgment

Answer 14

consistently making adaptive decisions that affects one’s life in positive ways. evaluated by exploring client’s activities, relationships, and vocational choices

Question 15

insight

Answer 15

client’s understanding of their problems, described by:
-absent
-poor
-partial
-good