Psychiatric examination

Question 1

Goals of psychiatric examination (4)

Answer 1

1) Assess the complaints and mental status of the patient,
2) Identify symptoms
3) Make a provisional diagnosis and necessary investigation and treatment plan
4) Judge whether emergency intervention is necessary

Question 2

Psychiatric status definition

Answer 2

Most relevant psychological functions, behavioral responses and psychopathological symptoms organized in structured manner, that records both the pathological symptoms and the physiologic functions/behaviors.

Question 3

Consciousness-related functions (3)

Answer 3

“Awareness of self and the environment”

1) Consciousness (alertness/vigility and quality/integrity)
2) Orientation (time, space, self and others)
3) Attention (alertness/vigility and ability to sustain focus/tenacity)

Question 4

Perceptional functions (1)

Answer 4

“Ability to detect and recognize stimuli”

1) Perception
- Formal: quantity, quality
- Content by sensory modality

Question 5

Cognitive functions (4)

Answer 5

“Ability to process, integrate/associate, learn and forget the percieved stimuli”

1) Thought: formal/procedural (speed, structure) and thought content disorder
2) Concept formation: abstract thinking
3) Memory: encode, store, retrieve
4) Intellect: global cognitive ability

Question 6

Emotional (affective) functions (5)

Answer 6

“An archaic, non-analytic information processing, reflects a subjective involvement and disposition”

1) Mood: long-lasting emotional tone with no specific object
2) Self-feeling: the emotional tone of percieving oneself, no object
3) Emotional reactions: object oriented reaction reflecting ones involvement
4) Impulse-control: strength of affect control
5) Anxiety: vegetative, subjective, behavioral signs

Question 7

Volatile or response functions (4)

Answer 7

“Ability to initiate or respond actions”

1) Psychomotorium: planned motor activity
2) Volatile functions: motivation, activity, instinct-driven behaviour
3) Communication: verbal, non-verbal
4) Complex behaviour: social activity, value orientation, personality functions, attitude toward the examiner

Question 8

Risk factors in psychiatric examination (?) (5)

Answer 8

1) Suicidal behaviour
2) Violent behaviour
3) Insight of illness
4) Critical sense/judgement
5) Reality-testing

Question 9

Circumstance of admission

Answer 9

• Voluntary/involuntary
• Planned/emergency
• Events

Question 10

History psychiatric report (2)

Answer 10

1) Somatic

2) Psychatric: age of onset, history of past, relevant

Question 11

Present status psychiatric report (3)

Answer 11

1) Internal
2) Neurological
3) Psychiatric status