Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
A physical exam is often included in mental health tests to rule out physical ailments. These can include blood tests, urine testing, or even brain scans.
Psychologists utilize a variety tools to assess mental health. These range from pen and paper test forms to in-depth interviews or self-complete questionnaires sent to you by post.
Affect and mood
The affect and mood are the most important components of the mental health exam (MSE) and are the first to be observed by a medical professional. They describe a patient's general emotional tone. This could range from happiness to sorrow or anger and irritability. The effect can be analyzed through facial expressions, overall attitude and reaction to internal or external stimuli. You can express your feelings by smiling at an absurd joke, or crying when you lose a beloved one.
Affect is a feeling that is only temporary, whereas mood is a long-lasting emotion. It is usually described as euthymic or dysphoric, or normal (meaning depression). Psychologists should be cautious to avoid confusion between the two terms because they are different in their definition and can be affected by many factors.
The MSE can be a valuable tool for clinical diagnosis however, it can be difficult to interpret based on the subjective report of a patient. Inquiring about the feelings of patients over the past few weeks is more helpful than relying on just observations from a physician. Recent research has revealed that assessment tools differed in their ability to identify a significant part of symptoms. This included those that were grouped under the same disorder. This could be due to the differing emphasis on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms as along with differences in the duration and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
It is possible that the MSE is based solely on self-reporting, which could be biased. For instance, a person who reports a headache and anxiety will likely have an lower score than a person who describes only the sensation of a headache. Patients tend to minimize negative feelings while exaggerating positive ones.
Affect and mood directly affect the content of thoughts which influences decision-making, interpersonal behaviour, and physical functioning. They can be affected by fatigue, stress and social interactions. In fact positive moods have been proven to increase thinking and creativity. Conversely, a negative mood can reduce concentration and lead to confusion. Therefore, a thorough and thorough mental health evaluation needs to take into account the patient's current mood and emotional state as well as the underlying causes.
Thought content
The ability to determine how a patient thinks is one of the most crucial aspects of a mental health examination. Specifically, evaluating thought process and thought content. The thought process is the logic, coherence and organization of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are rational and goal-oriented. Thought processing can be distorted in several mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgment are evaluated during a mental status test. Insight is the ability to spot a problem. Judgment is the capability to make a well-considered choice after receiving information. Both are affected by various mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. If a patient is impaired in judgment and/or insight, they are at a higher risk of harming themselves or others. For example when they are in danger of burning their home down, sensible judgement would tell them to leave the building immediately. However, someone with impaired judgment might suggest staying in the building and attempting to put the fire out.
The contents of a patient's mind includes their themes, subject matter and beliefs. Examiners will comment on the clarity, connection, and content of patient's thoughts. They will be able to identify tangential ideas or circumstantial ones, and when a patient is digressing (digressions away from the topic of the conversation). They will also comment on the speed at which someone is thinking, such as if they seem to be faster or slower.
Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are congruent or incongruent with their environment. For example, a patient who is depressed could hear voices that are hostile and frightening, whereas a person with schizophrenia might experience a hallucination of a calm and soothing voice. A patient should also be asked about any homicidal or suicidal thought. Although these are rare but they could be life-threatening and must be taken into account in every mental health assessment.
Observation
The nurse's ability to watch is essential in the mental assessment. They involve a thorough evaluation of appearance, behavior and any peculiar beliefs or perceptions (such delusions or hallucinations), mood, and cognition (including attention, memory and orientation). The nursing mental state exam is also a way of observing the movement. This is any physical activity, such as eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth.
The observation component of the mental status exam is an essential element of determining whether or not a patient may pose a risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether the patient appears be acting in a manner that suggests they are planning to harm themselves or another person.
In addition, a comprehensive assessment of the content of thoughts is conducted by monitoring the patient throughout the interview and determining their thoughts and concerns. It is particularly important to determine if the patient is suffering from suicidal or homicidal thoughts and to determine if they are experiencing delusions.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is a numerical rating on a scale ranging from 100 to 0 that measures a person's ability to function in everyday life and their ability to cope with the stressors in their life. The GAF is a crucial component of the mental health examination and helps guide the treatment decisions.
It is important to be aware that watching a patient's behaviour could cause anxiety, and it is important that the process is conducted in a manner that does not provoke the patient and does not make them feel uncomfortable. It is important that the patient be fully aware of the reason for the observations and the length of the process.
Nursing observation is a crucial skill that should be a central part of the nursing process. However, it must be remembered that patients may be dissatisfied with the quality of observation. If they are unable to come to an agreement with staff then they should be able to access an advocate service which can represent their interests and assist their discussions on their treatment. This should be an integral element of the local observation policy and practice, with the involvement of user groups to ensure that patients are a part in the development of written information as well as staff training to support this aspect of governance in the clinic.
Questioning
Many people are reluctant to talk about their mental health issues, but their family members are often able to tell when something is amiss. They can also encourage the person to get an assessment. These assessments are broad and cover a variety of topics such as mood, appearance as well as memory, thought process and more. A mental health professional may also inquire regarding the person's personal life. They will ask what they have been feeling and what's happened in the last few days.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment that is focused on the person's ability to think clearly and retain information. The test taker may be asked to complete simple tasks, such as keeping their attention on the list of objects or words and recollecting lists of basic information or solving math problems. The test can also be used to assess the ability of the person's judgement and to make good choices. The test determines a person's perception, which is their knowledge of their condition and how it affects them.
The attitude of the patient towards himself, others and the illness is also an important part of a mental assessment. The tone of voice, facial expression, and body language of a patient can convey anger, depression, or a feeling of powerlessness. It is also important to determine whether the patient is seeking help or is content living with their health condition.
In private mental health assessment near me of mental health could include an examination the patient's thoughts which could include hallucinations or even illusions. These conditions can be dangerous and even fatal.
In general, a mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's relationship to their social life. A health professional may employ 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 with the person about the issues that have led them to seek help and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a mental health professional.