Mental Status Exam

Question 1

A systematic assessment of an individuals appearance, affect, behaviour, and cognitive processes; it reflects the examiners observation and impression at the time of the interview or assessment

Answer 1

Mental status exam

Question 2

A pervasive and sustained emotion that colours the person’s perception of the world

Answer 2

Mood

Question 3

Normal mood

Answer 3

Euthymic

Question 4

elated mood, intense happiness

Answer 4

Euphoric

Question 5

depressed, disquieted, restless mood

Answer 5

dysphoric

Question 6

Emotional responsiveness during the interview- inferred from facial expression, vocalizations and behaviour

Answer 6

Affect

Question 7

Complex series of mental events involved with taking in of sensory information from the environment and the processing of that information into mental representations

Answer 7

Perception

Question 8

Misperception or misrepresentation of real sensory stimuli

example: a child who perceives tree branches at night as if they are goblins.

Answer 8

Illusions

Question 9

False sensory perceptions(not associated with external stimuli and not shared by others)
- auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, gustatory

Answer 9

Hallucinations

Question 10

What the person is thinking about

Answer 10

Thought content

Question 11

A false, fixed belief, based on an incorrect inference about reality. It is not shared by others and is inconsistent with the individual’s intelligence or cultural background and cannot be corrected by reasoning

Answer 11

Delusions

Question 12

Belief that one’s thoughts are controlled by an outside force

Answer 12

Delusions of control

Question 13

The belief that thoughts are being inserted into one’s mind by someone else

Answer 13

Thought insertion

Question 14

The belief that one’s thoughts are obvious to others or are being broadcast to the world

Answer 14

Thought broadcasting

Question 15

The belief that other people, objects, and events are related to or have a special significance for one’s self. For example, a person on television is talking to or about them

Answer 15

Ideas of reference

Question 16

An irrational distrust of others and/or the belief that others are harassing, threatening, etc.

Answer 16

Paranoid delusions

Question 17

An absurd or implausible belief. Ex -the electricity is making me gain weight

Answer 17

Bizarre delusions

Question 18

A false belief involving the body or bodily functions.

Answer 18

Somatic delusions

Question 19

An exaggerated belief of one’s importance or power (reference to sovereignty or super powers)

Answer 19

Delusions of grandeur

Question 20

The belief that one is an agent of or specially favoured by a greater being.

Answer 20

Religious delusions

Question 21

Common disturbances of thought process:

Answer 21

1. Loosening of association
2. Circumstantiality
3. Tangentiality
4. Thought blocking
5. Neologism
6. Flight of ideas
7. Word salad
8. Perseveration
9. Clang association
10. Echolalia
11. Verbigeration
12. Pressured speech

Question 22

The lack of logical relationship between thoughts and ideas; conversations shift from one topic to another in a completely unrelated manner, making it confusing and difficult to follow.

Answer 22

Loosening of association

Question 23

The individual takes a long time to make a point because his or her conversation is indirect and contains excessive and unnecessary detail (over inclusive)

Answer 23

Circumstantiality

Question 24

Similar to circumstantiality, except that the speaker does not return to a central point

Answer 24

Tangentiality

Question 25

An abrupt pause or interruption in one’s train of thoughts, after which the individual cannot recall what he or she was saying

Answer 25

Thought blocking

Question 26

The creation of new word

Answer 26

Neologism

Question 27

Rapid, continuous verbalization, with frequent shifting from one topic to another

Answer 27

Flight of ideas

Question 28

An incoherent mixture of words and phrases

Answer 28

Word salad

Question 29

A persisting response to a stimulus even after a new stimulus has been presented

Answer 29

Perseveration

Question 30

The use of words or phrases that have similar sounds but are not associated in meaning; may include rhyming or puns

Answer 30

Clang associations

Question 31

The persistent echoing or repetition of words or phrases said by others.

Answer 31

Echolalia

Question 32

The meaningless repetition of words or phrases said by others

Answer 32

Verbigeration

Question 33

Speech that is increased in rate and volume and is often empathic and difficult to interrupt; typically associated with mania or hypomania.

Answer 33

Pressured speech

Question 34

Sensorium consist of:

Answer 34

▫️level of consciousness 
▫️orientation 3x
▫️memory 
▫️attention and concentration 
▫️comprehension
▫️abstract reasoning

Question 35

Understanding the reality of a set of circumstances. Reflects the person’s awareness of his or her own thoughts and feelings and an ability to compare with the thoughts and feelings of others.

Answer 35

Insight

Question 36

Ability to reach a logical decision about a situation and to choose a course of action after examining and analyzing various possibilities. Reflects problems-solving abilities and capacity to learn from experience.

Answer 36

Judgement

Question 37

Is the sustained emotion a patient reports; record in patients own words

Answer 37

Mood

Question 38

Is observed emotion of the patient. Qualities include: euthymic (normal), depressed (dysphoric), elevated (euphoric).

Answer 38

Affect

Question 39

I say out for my mother. for this to hell I went. how long is road?

Answer 39

Example of “loosening of words”

Question 40

e.g. in an answer to the question “where are you from?”, a response “My dog is from England. They have good fish and chips there. Fish breathe through gills”

Answer 40

Tangentiality