Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health

Mental health assessments usually include a physical exam, to rule out physical ailments. This may include blood tests or urine tests, as well as brain scans.

Psychologists use a variety of tools to assess mental health. They can use tests that are written on paper and pen to in-depth interviews, or self-complete postal questionnaires.

Mood and affect

The clinician will first notice the patient's mood and affect. They are the general mood that can range from joy to sadness, or even irritability to anger. The degree of affect can be determined by observing facial expressions and overall mental Health Assessment attitude as well as reactivity to internal or external stimuli (e.g. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).

Affect is a feeling that is only temporary, whereas mood is a state of constant emotion. It is usually described as euthymic, normal, or dysphoric (meaning depressed). Psychologists should be cautious to not confuse the two terms, as they are interpreted differently and are affected by a variety of factors.

While the MSE is a valuable diagnostic tool, it isn't always easy to interpret based on a subjective patient report. Asking patients about their feelings during the past few weeks is more effective than relying on only observations from a physician. Recent research revealed that assessment tools differed in their ability to detect a substantial portion of symptoms. This included the symptoms that were classified under the same disorder. This can be due to the different emphasis placed on emotional, cognitive assessment mental health or physical symptoms as well as differences in the duration and frequency of symptom reporting.

It is also possible that the MSE relies on self-reports which is susceptible to bias. For instance, a person who reports a headache and anxiety will likely report a lower score than a patient who reports only the sensation of a headache. Additionally there is an inclination for patients to downplay negative emotions and overestimate the severity of positive ones.

The affect and mood of a person influence thoughts which influences the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical functioning. They are influenced by fatigue, stress, social interactions, world events, hormones, and weather. In reality positive moods have been shown to enhance creativity and thinking power. A negative mood can lead to confusion and lower concentration. A thorough and thoughtful mental health mars assessment mental health should consider the patient's mood as well as affect and the fundamental factors.

Thought content

Assessing how the patient thinks is one the most important aspects of a mental health exam. Particularly, evaluating thought processes and thoughts. The thought process is the coherence, logic, and organization of the patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are rational and focused on a goal. Thought processing may be altered when a person suffers from mental health issues. Examples include delusions, hallucinations and loose associations.

A mental state examination also evaluates insight and judgement. Insight is the ability to recognize the presence of a problem, while judgement is the ability to make a rational decision based on information. Both are affected by a variety of mental health issues such as schizophrenia and depression. If a patient is impaired in judgment and/or insight in any way, they are at greater risk of causing harm to themselves or others. If they are in danger, their rational judgment would advise them to leave the home immediately. A patient with impaired judgment might suggest they stay in the building to try to put out the fire.

The content of a patient's thoughts includes their subject matter, themes, and beliefs. Typically, examiners discuss the clarity, relevance and content of a patient's thought. They will take note of any thoughts that are circumstantial or tangential or thoughts, and also if the patient is prone to having a flurry of thoughts (digressions from the topic of conversation). They will also comment on the speed of a person's thoughts, such as whether they appear fast or slow.

Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are mood congruent or incongruent with their surroundings. For instance, a patient who is depressed might hear voices that are aggressive and threatening, whereas a person with schizophrenia might be able to imagine the sound of a calm and soothing voice. Patients should also be asked about any homicidal or suicidal thought. Although they are not common, they can be life threatening and should be taken into account in every mental health evaluation.

Observation

The ability of nurses to observe is essential in the mental assessment. They include a careful review of behavior, appearance, any unusual beliefs and perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions) mood, as well as aspects of cognition (including attention to the environment, orientation memory, and orientation). The mental status exam for nurses also includes observing the movement. This includes any physical movement like eating, drinking and brushing your teeth.

The Observation element of the mental health exam is an essential element of determining whether a patient may pose a risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient is moving deliberately in a way that suggests they may be threatening to harm themself or someone else.

A detailed evaluation of the content of thoughts is also accomplished by observing the patient during the interview and determining their concerns. It is crucial to determine whether the patient is experiencing suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.

Global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an assessment of functioning in numerical form, ranging between 0 and 100, evaluates the ability of an individual to function in daily life and their capability of managing stressors. The GAF is an important element of the mental state exam and assists in guiding treatment decisions.

It is important to understand that observing the behavior of a patient may cause distress. Therefore, it is essential that the process be conducted in a manner that does not cause discomfort or make the patient feel uncomfortable. It is important that the patient is fully aware of the goal of the observations and the duration of the procedure.

Nursing observation is a vital skill that should be the core of any nursing process. However, it must be remembered that patients may disagree with the level of observation. If they are unable to come to an agreement with staff, then they should be able to access an advocate service that will represent their interests and support their discussions on their care. This should be part of local policy and practice, with the participation and the support of user groups.

Questioning

A lot of people are hesitant to discuss their mental health issues, but family members can often discern when something isn't right. They can also help the person to take an assessment. These assessments can cover a wide range of subjects that include mood, appearance and thought process. In addition to these tests, a mental health professional will also ask the individual questions about their personal life, including what has been going on recently and what their emotions have been like.

The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment, which focuses on the person's ability to think clearly and remember information. The person could be asked to complete basic tasks such as focussing on a list or objects, recollecting lists or completing math problems. The test can also be used to assess the person's judgment and ability to make informed choices. The test measures a patient's perception, which is their knowledge of their condition and how it affects them.

The person's attitude towards himself, others and the illness is an important aspect of a mental assessment. The patient's tone of voice, facial expressions and body language may convey anger, hostility, depression or a sense of helplessness. It is important to check whether the patient seems to be asking for help or accepting their situation.

In more serious situations, a mini mental state assessment health assessment may include an examination of the patient's mental state that could include hallucinations (false perceptions of sensory stimuli that are not real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). It is crucial to recognize the presence of these conditions because they can be extremely hazardous and even life-threatening.

A mental health assessment must be comprehensive and look at the person's interaction to their world. A health professional might use images, music, art or a range of assessment tools using electronic technology to help the person understand themselves and their unique perspective on the world around them. They should also talk about the issues that led to the person to seek help, and reassure them there is nothing wrong in seeing an expert in mental health.