Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
A physical examination is typically part of mental health tests to rule out any physical conditions. This can include urine tests, blood tests test or even brain scans.
Psychologists employ a variety of tools to assess mental health. These tools vary from pencil and paper test forms to more in-depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires via mail.
Mood and affect
Mood and affect are among the most crucial components of the mental health examination (MSE) and are the first to be viewed by the medical professional. They are the most accurate indicators of a patient's emotional state. It can be anything from sadness to happiness or irritability and anger. Affect can be measured by looking at facial expressions and manner of speaking as well as the reactivity to internal or external stimuli (e.g. You can express your feelings by smirking at a joke, or crying when you lose a beloved one.
Affect is a temporary emotion but mood is a more long-lasting emotional state. It is often described as euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, which means depressed. Psychiatric professionals should be careful to not confuse the two terms because they are different in their definition and can be affected by various factors.
While the MSE is a valuable diagnostic tool, it can be difficult to interpret based on subjective patient reports. It is therefore beneficial to ask patients how they've been feeling in the last few weeks, instead of relying solely on the observations of doctors. A recent study found that a significant percentage of symptoms, including those grouped together under the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This can be due to the differing emphasis on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms as well as differences in time periods and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
It is possible that the MSE relies solely on self-reporting which could be biased. For example, a patient who complains of anxiety and headaches is likely to report a lower score than a patient who reports only a headache. Patients tend to minimize negative feelings while exaggerating positive ones.
The affect and mood of a person have a direct impact on thoughts, which can influence the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical functioning. They are affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions. In fact, a positive mood has been proven to increase thinking and creativity. A mood that is negative can cause confusion and reduce concentration. Therefore, a careful and thorough mental health evaluation needs to take into account the patient's current mood and state of mind as in addition to the underlying causes.
Thought content
One of the most crucial aspects of a mental health examination is assessing how the patient thinks. Evaluation of thoughts and their 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. Thought processing can be altered in several mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are assessed during a mental state test. Insight is the ability to see the presence of a problem, and judgement is the ability to make an informed decision when presented with information. Both are affected by several mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. A person who isn't able to see or judgement is more likely to harm themselves or others. If they are in danger, their sensible judgement would tell to leave the home immediately. However, someone with impaired judgment may decide to stay in the building and attempting to put the fire out.
The content of a patient's thoughts includes the subject matter, themes and beliefs. Examiners will comment on the clarity, relevance and the content of the patient's thoughts. mental health assessment report will take note of any tangential or circumstantial thoughts and also whether the patient has flights of ideas (digressions from the conversation subject). They will also comment on the pace at which a person is thinking, such as if they seem to be faster or slower.
It is also essential to determine if the patient's mood is in line with their environment. For instance, a patient who is depressed may hear voices that are aggressive and threatening, whereas a person with schizophrenia might have a hallucination of the sound of a calm and soothing voice. Ask the patient if they've had any suicidal or homicidal thoughts. Although these are rare however, they can be life-threatening and should be taken into consideration in every mental health evaluation.
Watching
The nurse's ability to watch is vital in an assessment of mental health. They are a thorough examination of appearance, behavior as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such delusions or hallucinations) and mood cognition (including memory, attention and orientation). The mental status exam for nurses also involves observing motility. This includes any physical movement such as eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth.
The Observation component of the mental health examination is a crucial aspect of determining whether the patient is posing the risk to themselves or others. This is determined by assessing whether or not 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 thought content is done by keeping track of the patient throughout the interview and determining their main concerns. It is essential to determine whether the patient is experiencing suicidal, homicidal, or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an assessment of a numerical score on a scale ranging from zero to 100 that evaluates the ability of a person to function in daily life along with their ability to cope with the stresses in their lives. The GAF is an important element of the mental state examination and helps to guide treatment decisions.
It is important to be aware of the fact that observing a patient's behaviour could cause anxiety, and it is crucial that the procedure is carried out in a manner that does not provoke the patient and doesn't make them feel uncomfortable. It is also essential that the patient is informed about the purpose of the observation and the length of time it will last.
Nursing observation is a crucial 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 extent of observation. If they are unable to reach a consensus with the staff, they should be able to access an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist in any discussions about their treatment. This should be an integral element of the local observation policy and practice, including the involvement of user groups, to ensure that patients are a part in the creation of written information and staff training on this aspect of clinical governance.
Questioning
A lot of people are hesitant to discuss their mental health issues, but family members can usually discern when something isn't right. They can also encourage the person to get an assessment. These assessments can be very broad and cover a wide range of topics including appearance, mood and thought process, memory and much more. A mental health professional could also inquire regarding the person's personal life. They will ask them what they've been feeling and what's happened in the last few days.
The test also includes a cognitive test, which focuses on the ability of the individual to think clearly and recall information. The test subject may ask to complete simple tasks, like focusing their attention on the list of objects or words, memorizing simple lists or solving math problems. The test will also test the person's ability to make good decisions and use their judgment. The test determines a person's perception, which is their knowledge of their condition and how it affects them.
Another important component of the mental health assessment is the person's attitude toward others, himself and his illness. The patient's voice, facial expression and body language can indicate anger, hostility or depression, or a feeling of insecurity. It is crucial to determine whether the patient seems to be asking for help or accepting their condition.
In more serious instances, a mental health assessment may include an examination of the patient's mental state that may include hallucinations (false perceptions of sensory stimuli that are not real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). These conditions can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.
In general the mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's relationship to their social life. A health professional may employ photographs, 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 discuss the challenges that led the person to seek help, and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a mental healthcare professional.