MSE

Question 1

Appearance

Answer 1

-Physical description
-Unkempt? Well-kempt?
-Appropriately dressed?
-Any evidence of self-neglect?

Question 2

Behaviour

Answer 2

-Fidgety, restless?
-Keeping to social conventions?
-Eye contact?
-Sat throughout interview lasting…? Engaged?
-Any striking features?
Any abnormal movements?

Question 3

Speech

Answer 3

-Pressured? (mania)
-Rapid? Slow?
-Mute?
-Spontaneous speech or responding to questions?
-Tone?
-Making sense? Any neologisms?

Question 4

Mood

Answer 4

-Subjective mood?
-Objective mood?
-Reactive mood?
-Labile mood?
-Appropriate mood?

Question 5

Thought form

Answer 5

Consider:
-Was it easy to gather info?
-How smoothly did ideas flow?
-Did the patient answer questions directly?
-Was the conversation direct and informative or confusing and vague?
Other elements to look out for:
-Loosening of associations
-Flight of ideas
-Tangentiality
-Crowding of thought
-Concrete thinking
-Perseveration
-Thought disorder (withdrawal, insertion, broadcast)

Question 6

Thought content

Answer 6

-Any pre-occupations? Guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, suicide
-Any delusions? Grandiose, persecutory, nihilistic, passivity
-Phobias?
-Overvalued ideas?
-Obsessions and compulsions?

Question 7

Perceptions

Answer 7

-Hallucinations?
-Illusions?
-Depersonalisation or derealisation?

Question 8

Cognitive assessment

Answer 8

-Orientated to time, place and person?
-MoCA, AMTS, ACE-III

Question 9

Insight

Answer 9

-Patient aware of any changes? Aware of their own mental condition?
-Future?