Test 1 - Mental Status Exam

Question 1

Describe appearance

Answer 1

clothing
makeup
showered
shaven 
etc

Question 2

Describe behavior (motor)

Answer 2

hyperactive
sluggish
spastic
pacing

Question 3

LOC

Answer 3

level of consciousness - awake and alert, coma, etc

Question 4

Orientation

Answer 4

• person
• place
• time
• situation

Question 5

Memory

Answer 5

Give patient 3 objects to remember, have them repeat to make sure they understand, then ask them to repeat it after five minutes.

Question 6

Speech

Answer 6

rhythm, rate, volume, tone

Question 7

Mood

Answer 7

anxious, scared, nervous (prevailing feeling)

Question 8

Affect

Answer 8

expression of mood (congruent or incongruent)

Does the mood match what you see? Do they say I am angry and seem angry? or say I am angry and seem calm

Question 9

Cognition

Answer 9

It includes orientation, recall, naming objects, abstract thinking, following commands, ability to use language and to concentrate, as well as spatial relationship (draw clock)

Question 10

association

Answer 10

loose (tangential never returns to original topic, circumstantial can go off but return to topic) or tight

Question 11

peceptual disturbances/hallucinations

Answer 11

audible
visual
tactile
gustatory
olfactory

Question 12

Thought content

Answer 12

SI
HI
delusions
phobias

Question 13

Impulse control

Answer 13

poor or good
poor- patient lashes out, throws things, etc
good - patients holds their shit together

Question 14

Insight

Answer 14

does the patient have realistic insight into the situation.

Do you think you need to be here? Do you think you need these meds?

Question 15

Judgment

Answer 15

If a theater were on fire, what would you do?

Question 16

Abstract vs concrete

Answer 16

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Concrete - put eggs in two baskets so the basket doesn’t get overfilled with eggs

Abstract - diversify your options, apply for several jobs jic you don’t get one that you had as your first choice.