Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
A physical exam is usually included in mental health assessments to rule out physical ailments. This may involve blood work, urine tests or brain scans.
Psychologists also employ a variety of tools to assess mental health. These range from pen and paper test forms to deep interviews or self-fill questionnaires for postal delivery.
Mood and affect
The doctor will first be aware of the patient's mood and emotional state. They define a patient's general emotional state. It can be anything from sadness to happiness or anger and irritability. The effect can be analyzed through facial expressions, general attitude and reaction to external or internal stimuli. smiling at an absurd joke or crying over the loss of a loved one).
Affect is a short-term emotion but mood is a longer-lasting emotional state. It is usually described as either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, which means depressed. Psychologists should be cautious to avoid confusion between the two terms, as they are interpreted differently and can be affected by a variety of factors.
The MSE can be a valuable instrument for diagnosing clinical conditions however, it can be difficult to interpret from the subjective report of a patient. It is therefore important to inquire about how patients have been feeling in the last few weeks, instead of relying solely on the observations of doctors. A recent study showed that a significant percentage of symptoms, including those grouped together within the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This can be because of the different emphasis on cognitive or emotional symptoms and also the differences between the time intervals and frequency of the reporting of symptoms.
It is also possible that the MSE relies on self-reports which could be susceptible to bias. A patient who has anxiety and a headache is likely to have a lower score compared to one who reports only headache. Patients tend to minimize negative emotions while exaggerating positive ones.
The affect and mood of a person have a direct impact on the content of thoughts and can affect the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical performance. They are affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions, as well as world events, hormones and even the weather. In reality, a positive mood has been shown to enhance creativity and thinking power. A negative mood can cause confusion and reduce concentration. A thorough and thoughtful mental health assessment should be able to consider the patient's mood as well as affect and the other factors.
Thought content
One of the most important elements of a mental status examination is to determine how the patient thinks. how to get mental health assessment of thought process and content. The thought process is the coherence, logic and structure of the patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are objective-oriented and logical. Thought processing can be altered when a person suffers from mental health issues. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are also assessed during a mental state test. Insight is the ability to spot a problem. Judgment is the ability to make a rational decision after receiving information. Both can be impaired by various mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia. If a patient suffers from impaired judgment and/or insight in any way, they are at a higher chance of harming themselves or others. For instance if they are at risk of burning their home down, sensible judgement would tell that they should leave the premises immediately. However, someone with impaired judgment might recommend staying in the house and attempting to put out the fire.
The thoughts of a patient includes the subject matter, themes, and beliefs. Examiners generally comment on the clarity, relatedness and content of a patient's thoughts. They will be able to identify tangential ideas or circumstantial ones, and if the patient has digressions (digressions off from the main topic of the conversation). They will also make comments on the pace at which a person is thinking, for example, if they seem fast or slower.
Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are compatible or not in line with their environment. Patients suffering from depression may hear angry voices, whereas those suffering from schizophrenia might experience a hallucination that a soothing voice is speaking. Patients should be questioned about any homicidal or suicidal thoughts. Although they are uncommon but they could be life-threatening and should be taken into account in every mental health assessment.
Observation
The ability of nurses to observe is crucial in an assessment of mental health. They include a careful review of behavior, appearance and any strange beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions) mood, as well as aspects of cognition (including attention, orientation memory, and orientation). The mental status exam for nurses is also a way of monitoring the movement. This includes any physical movement like eating, drinking and brushing your teeth.
The Observation portion of the mental state exam is essential in determining whether a patient poses a risk to them or anyone else. This is accomplished by determining whether the patient is moving in a way that suggests that they are in danger of harming themselves or anyone else.
Additionally, a thorough assessment of the content of thoughts is conducted by observing the patient throughout the interview and determining their preoccupations. It is essential to determine whether the patient is suffering from suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is a numerical rating on a scale from 0 to 100 that combines the ability of a person to function in everyday life and their capacity to handle the stressors in their life. The GAF is a vital component of the mental health examination and helps to guide the treatment decisions.
It is essential to be aware that observing an individual's behavior can cause distress and it is crucial to conduct the procedure in a way that does not cause anxiety for the patient and does not feel intrusive. It is essential that the patient is informed of the purpose of the observations and the duration of the process.
Nursing observation is an essential ability that should be at the heart of any nursing program. However, it should be noted that patients might not agree with the degree of observation and if they cannot reach an agreement with staff, then they should have access to an advocate service that will represent their needs and help them in any discussions regarding their care. This should be a fundamental element of the local observation policy and practice with the participation of user groups to ensure that patients are involved in the development of written information and staff training on this aspect of clinical governance.
Questioning
Many people are hesitant to talk about their mental health issues, but their family members are often able to tell when something is amiss. They can also urge the person to take a look at an assessment. These assessments can be very broad and cover a range of subjects including mood, appearance and memory, thought process and many more. A mental health professional can also ask questions about the person's personal life. They'll ask them what they've been feeling and what's happened recently.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment that is focused on the person's ability to think clearly and remember information. The person may be required to complete basic tasks such as paying attention to a list of objects, recollecting lists, or solving math questions. The test can also check the person's ability to make informed decisions and use their judgment. The test measures a patient's awareness, which is the understanding of their condition and how it affects them.
Another vital aspect of an assessment of mental health is the person's attitude toward the world, himself and his illness. The patient's tone of expression, facial expression and body language can convey hostility, anger depression or a feeling of helplessness. It is also important to know whether the patient is seeking help or just living with their health condition.
In more serious situations, a mental health assessment might include an examination of the patient's mental state, which could involve hallucinations (false sensory perceptions that do not correspond to real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). It is vital to be aware of the presence of these conditions as they can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.
In general an assessment of mental health should be holistic and examine the person's connection to their social life. A health professional could use images, music, art or a range of assessment tools using electronic technology to better understand the person and their unique view of the world around them. They should also talk to the person about the difficulties that have led them to seek help and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with visiting a mental health professional.