Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health

A physical exam is often part of mental health tests to rule out any physical issues. These can include urine tests, blood test or even brain scans.

Psychologists also employ a variety of tools to assess mental health. These range from pen and paper test forms to in-depth interviews, or self-complete questionnaires for postal delivery.

Mood and affect

The clinician will first notice the patient's mood and emotional state. They describe the patient's general mood that can range from joy to sadness, or anger to anger. Affect can be assessed by watching facial expressions and attitude as well as reactivity to internal or external stimuli (e.g. smiling at an absurd joke or crying over the loss of a loved one).

Affect is a feeling that is only temporary, whereas mood is a long-lasting emotion. It is generally described as euthymic, or dysphoric or normal (meaning depressed). Psychologists should be cautious to not confuse the two terms because they are defined differently and can be affected by many factors.

While the MSE is a helpful tool for clinical use however, it can be difficult to interpret based upon subjective patient reports. Asking patients about their feelings during the past few weeks is more effective than relying on only observations from a physician. A recent study revealed that a significant percentage of symptoms, which includes those that fall within the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due to the different emphasis placed on emotional, cognitive or physical symptoms, as and also the different the duration and frequency of reporting symptom reports.

It is possible that the MSE relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. A patient who reports both anxiety and headache is likely to have a lower score compared to one who reports only migraine. Additionally there is the tendency for patients to minimize negative emotions and underestimate the severity of positive ones.

The mood and the affect of a person can have an impact on thought content. This could affect decision-making, interpersonal behavior, and physical function. They can be affected by stress, fatigue social interactions, world events, hormones, and even the weather. In actual fact positive moods have been proven to boost thinking and creativity. Conversely, a negative mood can decrease concentration and cause confusion. A thorough and thoughtful mental health assessment must be able to consider both the patient's mood and affect, as well as other factors.

Thought content

One of the most essential elements of a mental status examination is assessing how the patient thinks. Evaluation of thoughts and their content. The thought process is the logic, coherence and organization of a patient’s thoughts. Normal thought processes are goal directed and logic-based. Thought processing can be altered in a variety of mental health dols assessment health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.

Insight and judgment are evaluated during a mental status test. Insight is the ability to identify the presence of a problem, and judgement is the ability to make an informed decision when presented with information. Both can be impaired in many mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. If a patient suffers from impaired insight and/or judgement is at greater risk of causing harm to themselves or others. If they are in danger, their rational judgement would tell to leave the home immediately. A patient with impaired judgement may suggest that they stay in the building to try and get rid of the flame.

The thoughts of a patient includes their subject matter, themes and beliefs. Examiners will evaluate the clarity, relevance and the content of the patient's thoughts. They will also note any thoughts that are tangential or circumstantial, and whether the patient has flights of thoughts (digressions from the conversation subject). They will also provide feedback on a person's pace of thinking, such as if they seem to be faster or slower.

Other important aspects to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are mood congruent or incongruent with their environment. For instance, a person who is depressed may hear voices that sound aggressive and threatening, whereas those suffering from schizophrenia may have a hallucination of the sound of a calm and soothing voice. Ask the patient if they've had any thoughts of suicide or homicide. These are uncommon, but could be life-threatening and should be taken into consideration in every mental health assessment.

Watching

The nurse's ability to observe is crucial in a mental assessment. They are a thorough examination of behavior, appearance as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such delusions or hallucinations), mood, and cognition (including memory, attention, orientation). The nursing mental status exam is also a way of observing motility. This includes any physical and mental health assessment movement like eating, drinking or brushing teeth.

The observation component of the mental state examination is a crucial aspect of determining if a patient may pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient appears to be moving in a way which suggests they are about to harm themselves or anyone else.

In addition, a detailed thought content assessment is made by observing the patient throughout the interview and determining their main concerns. It is essential to determine whether the patient has suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.

A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an assessment of a numerical score on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 that combines the ability of a person to perform in daily life with their capacity to handle the stresses in their lives. The GAF is a vital component of the mental health exam and assists in guiding treatment decisions.

It is important to recognize that observing the behavior of a patient can cause anxiety. It is therefore important that the process be conducted in a way that doesn't cause or feel intrusive. It is also vital that the patient is fully aware of the reason for the observation as well as the length of time it will last.

Nursing observation is an essential skill and it must be an integral element of the nursing process. It is important to remember that patients can disagree with staff about the degree of observation. If they cannot reach an agreement with staff members, they must be able access an advocate service to represent their interests and assist them in any discussions about their treatment. This should be a fundamental part of local observation policy and practice with the involvement of user groups to ensure that patients are included in the creation of written information as well as staff training on this aspect of clinical governance.

Questioning

Many people have a difficult time talking about their emergency room mental health assessment (talking to) health issues, but loved ones will often be able to recognize the signs of something being wrong. They can also urge the person to seek an assessment. These assessments can cover a wide range of topics, including mood, appearance and thought process. In addition to these tests, the mental health professional will also ask the person questions about their personal life, such as what has been going on recently and what their feelings have been like.

The test consists of an evaluation of the cognitive capacity which focuses on an individual's ability to think clearly and remember information. The person could be asked to complete simple tasks such as focussing on a list or objects, recollecting lists or completing math problems. The test can also be used to check the person's judgment and ability to make informed choices. The assessment determines a patient's awareness, which is the understanding of their condition and how it affects them.

The patient's attitude toward others, himself and the illness is also an important element of a mental health assessment private assessment. The tone of voice, facial expression, and the body language of a patient may signal depression, anger or a sense of helplessness. It is also important to know whether the patient is seeking help or resigned to living with their condition.

In more serious situations the evaluation of mental health might include an examination the patient's mental state, which may involve illusions or hallucinations. It is vital to be aware of the presence of these disorders because they can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.

In general the mental health assessment must be holistic and look at the person's connection to their social world. Health professionals can employ photographs, music, art, or any other assessment tool to better understand the person. They should also discuss the challenges that led the person to seek help, and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a mental health professional.