Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
A physical exam is usually part of mental health tests to rule out physical conditions. This may involve blood work and urine tests as well as brain scans.
Psychologists also employ a range of tools to evaluate mental health. These tools can range from paper and pencil test forms, to in-depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires via mail.
Affect and mood
The doctor will first observe the patient's mood as well as their affect. They define the patient's general emotional tone that can range from joy to sadness or irritability to anger. The patient's mood can be measured through facial expressions, overall behavior and reaction to external or internal stimuli. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).
Affect is an emotion that is only temporary, whereas mood is a state of sustained emotion. It is usually described as euthymic, normal, or dysphoric (meaning depressed). However, psychiatric professionals must be careful not to misunderstand the terms as they have varying definitions and are affected by a variety of factors.
The MSE can be a useful tool for diagnosing clinical problems, but it is difficult to interpret from a subjective patient report. It is therefore beneficial to ask patients how they have been feeling over the last few weeks, instead of relying solely on the observations of doctors. A recent study revealed that a significant proportion of symptoms, even those grouped together under the same disorder category, differ between assessment tools. This can be due to the different emphasis placed on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms as well as differences in duration and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
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 get an lower score than those who report only migraine. Additionally, there is the tendency for patients to downplay negative feelings and overestimate the severity of positive emotions.
The affect and mood of a person influence the content of thoughts, which can influence decision-making, interpersonal behaviour, and physical functioning. They are influenced by fatigue, stress, social interactions, global events, hormones and weather. In fact positive moods have been proven to boost thinking and creativity. A mood that is negative can cause confusion and lower concentration. A thorough and thoughtful mental health assessment should be able to consider the patient's mood and affect as well as the fundamental factors.
Thought content
One of the most important aspects of a mental health examination is assessing how the patient thinks. Particularly, it is assessing thought process and thoughts. The term "thought process" refers to the logic, organization and coherence of a patient's thinking. The normal process of thinking is goal directed and logical. Thought processing can be altered in several mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are also assessed in a mental status exam. Insight is the ability to recognize the presence of a problem. Judgement is the process to make a well-considered choice after receiving information. Both are affected by a variety of mental health issues such as schizophrenia and depression. If a patient has impaired judgment and/or insight, they are at greater risk of causing harm to themselves or others. If they are in danger, their sensible judgement would tell to leave the home immediately. However, a patient with impaired judgment might suggest staying in the building and trying to put out the fire.
The content of a patient's thoughts include their themes, subject matter, and beliefs. Examiners generally comment on the clarity, connection and content of a patient's thinking. 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 comment on the speed at which someone is thinking, such as whether they seem to be more or less fast.
Other areas to be considered are whether the patient's thoughts are and in tune with their surroundings. For instance, a patient who is depressed could hear voices that are angry and threatening, while a person with schizophrenia might be able to imagine the sound of a calm and soothing voice. Ask the patient if they are experiencing any thoughts of suicide or homicide. Although they are not common however, they can be life-threatening and must be taken into consideration in every mental health evaluation.
Observation
The observation skills of nurses are crucial in an assessment of mental health. 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, orientation memory, and orientation). A mental state examination for nurses also includes observing mobility, which includes any physical activity like eating, drinking, brushing teeth or using the toilet, as well as wearing shoes.
The observation component of the mental state examination is vital in determining if the patient is a danger to them or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient appears to be acting in a manner that suggests that they are about to harm themselves or someone else.
In addition, a detailed assessment of the content of thoughts is conducted by keeping track of the patient throughout the interview and determining their main concerns. It is essential to determine if a patient has any suicidal or violent thoughts and to determine if they're experiencing delusions.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale of zero to 100 that evaluates the ability of a person to function in daily life with their ability to deal with the stressors in their life. The GAF is a crucial component of the mental state exam and assists in making the treatment decisions.
It is important to understand that observing the behavior of a patient could cause distress. Therefore, it is essential that the process be conducted in a manner that doesn't cause or feel intrusive. mental health assessment near me is also crucial that the patient is informed about the purpose of the observation as well as the length of time it will take.
Nursing observation is an essential ability and should be an integral element of the nursing process. However, it should be noted that patients might disagree with the level of observation and if they are unable to come to an agreement with the staff, they should be able to access an advocate service that will represent their interests and support their discussions on their treatment. This should be an integral part of local observation policy and practice, with the involvement of user groups, to ensure that patients are included in the development of written information and staff training on this aspect of governance in the clinic.
Questioning
Many people are reluctant to talk about their mental health issues, however family members can often detect if something is not right. They can also help the person take steps to get an assessment. These assessments are broad and cover a wide range of subjects including mood, appearance and memory, thinking process and much more. In addition to these tests, the mental health professional will also ask the individual questions about their life, such as what's happened lately and what their feelings have been like.
The assessment includes an evaluation of the cognitive capacity that examines a person's ability think clearly and retain information. The person may be required to complete simple tasks such as focusing on a list or objects, remembering lists or completing math problems. The test can also be used to check the individual's judgment and ability to make informed choices. The assessment determines a patient's perception, which is their knowledge of their illness and how it affects them.
The person's attitude towards himself, others and the illness is also an important aspect of a mental evaluation. The patient's voice, facial expression and body language can convey hostility, anger depression or a feeling of powerlessness. It is also important to note whether the patient appears to be seeking help or resigned to living with their health condition.
In more serious instances the mental health assessment might include an examination of the patient's thoughts 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.
A mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's relationship with their environment. Health professionals can employ images, music, or art or any other assessment tool to gain a better understanding of the person. They should also speak to the person about the challenges that have led them to seek help and assure them that there is nothing wrong with visiting an expert in mental health.