The Psychiatric Assessment

Question 1

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): overview

Answer 1

Orientation (10).
Registration (3).
Attention and calculation (5).
Recall (3).
Naming (2).
Repetition (1).
3 stage command (3).
Reading (1).
Writing (1).
Copying (1).
Maximum total score = 30.

Question 2

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): orientation

Answer 2

5: what is the (year), (season), (day), (date), (month)?
5: where are we: (country), (country), (town), (hospital), (floor/ward)?

Question 3

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): registration

Answer 3

Name 3 unrelated objects.
Allow 1 second to say each.
Then ask the patient to repeat all 3 you after you have said them.
Give 1 point for each correct answer, e.g. ball, car, man.

Question 4

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): attention and calculation

Answer 4

Ask the patient to take 7 from 100, and again, a total of 5 times.
Give 1 point for each correct answer.
Stop after 5 answers (93, 86, 79, 72, 65).
Alternatively, spell WORLD backwards giving one mark for each letter in the correct order.

Question 5

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): recall

Answer 5

Ask the patient to recall the 3 objects previously stated.

Give 1 point for each correct answer.

Question 6

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): naming

Answer 6

Show patient a watch and ask them what it is.

Repeat for a pen/pencil.

Question 7

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): repetition

Answer 7

Ask the patient to repeat the following: ‘no ifs, ands, or buts’.

Question 8

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): 3 stage command

Answer 8

Ask the patient to follow these instructions: ‘take this paper in your left hand, fold it in half, and put it on the floor.’
Give the patient a piece of paper and score 1 for each stage complete correctly.

Question 9

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): reading

Answer 9

Write ‘CLOSE YOUR EYES’ on a piece of paper, ask the patient to read it and obey what it says.

Question 10

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): writing

Answer 10

Ask the patient to write a sentence.

Question 11

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): copying

Answer 11

Ask the patient to copy a diagram of 2 overlapping pentagons.