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Mental Health Nursing – Assessing Mental Health A physical exam is usually part of mental health assessments to rule out any physical issues. These can include urine tests, blood testing, or even brain scans. Psychologists also employ a variety of tools to assess mental health. These tools range from paper and pencil test forms, to in-depth interviews or self-completed postal questionnaires. Mood and affect Mood and affect are the most crucial elements of the mental state exam (MSE) and are the first to be observed by the doctor. They define a patient's general emotional state. This can vary from joy to sadness or irritability and anger. Affect can be measured by observing facial expressions and overall demeanour as well as the response to external or internal stimuli (e.g. You can express your emotions by smirking at an absurd joke, or crying when you lose a beloved one. Affect is a feeling that lasts only a few minutes, whereas mood is a more sustained emotional state. It is often described as being either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, meaning depressed. However, psychiatric specialists should be cautious not to misunderstand the terms because they have different definitions and are influenced by a variety of factors. While the MSE is a helpful clinical tool but it can be difficult to interpret based on subjective patient reports. It is therefore helpful to inquire about how patients have felt over the past few weeks, instead of using only the observation of a physician. Recent research showed that the assessment tools differed in their ability to capture a significant portion of symptoms. This included those that were grouped under the same disorder. This could be due the differing emphasis on emotional, cognitive or physical symptoms, as and also the different time periods and frequency of symptom reporting. It is also possible that the MSE is based on self-reporting which could be susceptible to bias. For example, a patient who reports anxiety and a headache will likely have less than a patient who reports only a headache. In addition there is an inclination for patients to downplay negative emotions and underestimate the severity of positive feelings. The affect and mood of a person have a direct impact on thoughts, which can influence the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior and physical performance. They can be influenced by fatigue, stress and social interactions, as well as world events, hormones, and even the weather. Positive moods can boost creativity and mental energy. However, a mood that is negative can affect concentration and cause confusion. A thorough and thoughtful mental health evaluation must be able to consider the patient's mood and affect and the underlying factors. Thought content One of the most important aspects of a mental state exam is assessing how a patient thinks. Particularly, evaluating thought processes and thought content. The thought process is the coherence, logic and structure of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are rational and focused on a goal. Thought processing can be distorted when a person suffers from mental health issues. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations. A mental status examination also evaluates insight and judgement. Insight is being able to recognize problems. Judgement is the process to make a rational decision after receiving information. Both are impaired in many mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and depression. Patients with impaired insight or judgment is more likely to hurt themselves or others. For instance, if they are in danger of burning their house down the sensible judgment would tell them to leave the house immediately. A patient with impaired judgement may suggest that they stay in the house to try to put out the flame. The contents of a patient's mind encompasses the subject matter, themes and beliefs. Examiners will assess the clarity, relatedness and content of a thoughts of the patient. They will take note of any tangential or circumstantial thoughts, and whether the patient has flights of ideas (digressions from the conversation subject). They will also provide feedback on the pace at which a person is thinking, such as whether they seem to be faster or slower. It is also important to determine if the patient's mood is in line with their environment. For mental health capacity assessment , a person who is depressed might hear voices that sound aggressive and threatening, whereas someone suffering from schizophrenia could have a hallucination of the sound of a calm and soothing voice. A patient should be asked about any suicidal or homicidal ideation. Although they are not common but they could be life threatening and should be taken into consideration in every mental health evaluation. Observation The nurse's ability to observe is crucial in the mental assessment. They include a careful examination of appearance, behavior, any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such hallucinations or delusions) mood, cognition (including attention, memory, orientation). A mental state examination for nurses also incorporates observation of motility, including any physical activity like eating, drinking, brushing teeth using the toilet and taking off shoes. The Observation portion of the mental state examination is vital in determining if a patient poses a risk to themselves or others. This is determined by assessing whether or not the patient appears to be acting in a manner that suggests they are about to harm themselves or someone else. In addition, a comprehensive assessment of thought content is done by monitoring the patient throughout the interview and determining their thoughts and concerns. It is essential to determine whether the patient is suffering from suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts. Global assessment of functioning (GAF) is which is a numerical score ranging between 0 and 100, evaluates the ability of the person to function in daily life with their ability of managing stressors. The GAF is a vital element of the mental state assessment and aids in making the treatment decisions. It is important to be aware that observing an individual's behavior can cause distress and it is important that the procedure is carried out in a manner that does not cause anxiety for the patient or make them feel intrusive. It is important that the patient is aware of the goal of the observations and the duration of the process. Nursing observation is an essential ability and should be a key element of the nursing process. It is crucial to keep in mind that patients might disagree on the degree of observation. If they are unable to come to an agreement with staff members, they must be able access an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist them in any discussions about their treatment. This should be a component of the local policy and practice, with the participation and participation of user groups. Questioning Many people have a hard to discuss their mental health problems However, loved ones will often be able to recognize when something is wrong. They can also help the person get an assessment. These tests can be a variety of topics, including mood, appearance and the thought process. In addition to these tests, mental health professionals will also ask the person questions about their personal life, such as what's happened recently and what their feelings have been like. The test also includes a cognitive test that is focused on the person's ability to think clearly and retain information. The person may be asked to complete simple tasks, like focusing their attention on a list of words or objects, memorizing simple lists or solving math problems. The test may also test the person's ability to make informed decisions and make good judgments. The assessment also determines the patient's understanding and understanding of the illness and its effects on them. Another crucial aspect of a mental health assessment is the person's attitude towards others, himself and his illness. The tone of voice, the facial expression, and the body expressions of a patient could indicate depression, anger or a sense of powerlessness. It is important to check whether the patient appears to seek assistance or is accepting their situation. In more serious situations the evaluation of mental health might include an examination the patient's thinking which could include illusions or hallucinations. These conditions can be harmful and even fatal. In general, a mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's connection to their social environment. A health professional may employ photographs, music, art or a range of assessment tools that are electronic to help understand the person and their unique perspective on the world around them. They should also discuss the difficulties that prompted the person to seek help, and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with seeing a mental health professional.