Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health

A physical examination is typically included in mental health tests to rule out physical conditions. This could include blood tests, urine tests or even brain scans.

Psychologists employ a variety of instruments to evaluate mental health. These tools range from paper and pencil test forms to in depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires for postal mail.

Affect and mood

The clinician will first notice the patient's mood and affect. They define a patient's general emotional tone. This could range from happiness to sorrow or anger and irritability. Affect can be measured by looking at facial expressions and attitude as well as reaction to external or internal stimuli (e.g. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).

Affect refers to an emotion that is temporary, while mood is a state of constant emotion. It is usually described as being either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, which translates to depressed. However, psychiatric specialists must be careful not to misunderstand the terms as they have varying definitions and are influenced by a variety of factors.

The MSE can be a useful tool for diagnosing clinical problems however, it can be difficult to interpret from the subjective report of a patient. Asking patients about their feelings over the past few weeks is more helpful than relying on just physician observations. A recent study found that a significant percentage of symptoms, which includes those grouped together within the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due to the different emphasis placed on emotional or cognitive symptoms, as well as the different the time intervals and frequency of symptom reporting.

It is possible that the MSE is based solely on self-reporting, which could be biased. Patients who report both a headache and anxiety is likely to have an lower score than a patient reporting only a migraine. Additionally, there is a tendency for patients to minimize negative emotions and underestimate the severity of positive emotions.

The mood and the affect of a person can have a direct impact on the thought content. This can impact the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior, and physical functioning. They can be influenced by fatigue, stress, social interactions, global events, hormones and the weather. In fact positive moods have been proven to increase creativity and thinking power. However, a mood that is negative can affect concentration and cause confusion. A thorough and thoughtful police mental health assessment health evaluation must take into account the patient's mood and affect and the underlying factors.

Thought content

The ability to determine how a patient thinks is among the most important aspects of a mental health exam. Evaluation of the thought process and its content. The thought process is the coherence, logic and structure of a patient’s thoughts. Normal thought processes are logical and focused on a goal. In a variety of mental health conditions however, the thought process can be altered. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.

A mental health assessment also assesses the quality of insight and judgement. Insight is the ability to identify a problem. Judgement is the process of making a well-considered decision after receiving information. Both are impaired in various mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression. Patients with impaired insight or judgment is more prone to harm themselves or others. For example when they are in danger of burning their house down the sensible judgment would tell them to leave the building immediately. However, a person with impaired judgment might suggest staying in the building and attempting to put out the fire.

The content of a patient's thoughts includes their subject matter, themes and beliefs. Generally, examiners comment on the clarity, relevance and the content of a patient's thought. They will also note any thoughts that are circumstantial or tangential, and whether the patient is having flashes of thoughts (digressions from the topic of conversation). They will also make comments on the speed at which someone is thinking, such as whether they seem fast or slower.

Other areas to be considered are whether the patient's thoughts are mood congruent or incongruent with their environment. A patient with depression might hear voices of anger, while a person suffering from schizophrenia may have an illusion that a calm voice is speaking. The patient should be questioned about any suicidal or homicidal thought. Although these are rare, they can be life-threatening and must be considered during every mental state assessment health assessment.

Observation

The ability of nurses to observe is essential in the mental assessment. They will conduct a thorough examination of behavior, appearance as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions), mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention to orientation, attention memory, and orientation). A mental state examination for nurses also incorporates observation of the ability to move, which includes physical movement, such as eating drinking, eating, brushing teeth or using the toilet, as well as wearing shoes.

The Observation component of the mental state exam is essential in determining whether a patient poses a risk to them or others. This is accomplished by determining if the patient appears to be moving in a deliberate manner that suggests they are about harming themselves or someone else.

In addition, a comprehensive assessment of thought content is done by observing the patient throughout the interview and identifying 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.

Global assessment of functioning (GAF), which is a numerical score ranging between 0 and 100, evaluates the ability of the person to perform in everyday life along with their capacity for dealing with stressors. The GAF is an important component of the mental health exam and assists in guiding the treatment decisions.

It is crucial to realize that observing the behaviour of a patient could cause anxiety. It is crucial that the procedure is conducted in a manner that doesn't cause or make the patient feel uncomfortable. It is also crucial that the patient is informed about the purpose of the observation and the length of time it will last.

Nursing observation is a vital ability that should be a central part of any nursing process. However, it must be noted that patients might not agree with the degree of observation. If they are unable to reach an agreement with the staff, they should have access to an advocate service which can represent their needs and help their discussions on 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 involved in the creation of written information and staff training on this aspect of clinical governance.

Questioning

Many people have a hard to discuss their mental health issues however, family members are often able to tell when something is wrong. They can also urge the person to get an assessment. These tests can be extremely broad and cover a wide range of subjects such as mood, appearance and thought process, memory and much more. In addition to these tests, a mental health assessment over the phone health professional will also ask the person questions about their life, such as what's been happening lately and what their feelings have been like.

The test consists of an evaluation of the cognitive capacity that focuses on a person's ability to think clearly and retain information. The test subject may require the person to complete basic tasks, such as focussing on a list or objects, remembering lists or solving math questions. The test may also test the person's ability to make good decisions and use their judgment. The assessment determines a patient's perception, which is their knowledge of their condition and how it affects them.

Another vital aspect of an assessment of mental health is the person's attitude toward other people, himself and the illness. The tone of voice, facial expression and body language can indicate anger, hostility, depression or a sense of insecurity. It is also important to note whether the patient appears to be seeking help or is content living with their illness.

In more serious situations the evaluation of mental health might include a look at the patient's thinking that may include illusions or hallucinations. These conditions can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.

In general an assessment of mental health must be holistic and consider the person's interactions with their social world. A health professional may employ art, music, photos or a variety of assessment tools that are electronic to help the person understand themselves and their unique perspective on the world around them. They should also speak to the person about the difficulties that have led them to seek help and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a gp mental health assessment (Info) health professional.