Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
Mental health assessments typically include a physical exam, to rule out physical ailments. This may involve blood work or urine tests, as well as brain scans.
Psychologists also use a wide variety of tools to assess
mental health assessment service health. These range from pen and paper test forms to in-depth interviews or self-complete questionnaires sent to you by post.
Mood and affect
Mood and affect are the most important components of the mental status examination (MSE) and are the first to be viewed by the clinician. They describe the patient's general emotional tone, which can range from happiness to sadness or irritability to anger. The effect can be analyzed through facial expressions, general demeanor and the response to external or internal stimuli. You can express your emotions by smiling at the joke or crying when you lose a beloved one.
Affect is an emotion that is only temporary, whereas mood is a state of constant emotion. It is often described as being either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, meaning depressed. However, psychiatrists must be careful not to misunderstand the terms since they have different definitions and are influenced by a variety of factors.
While the MSE is a helpful diagnostic tool but it can be difficult to interpret based on subjective patient reports. It is therefore important to inquire about how patients have been feeling in the last few weeks, instead of using only the observation of a physician. A recent study showed that a significant proportion of symptoms, including those that fall within the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This can be due to the different emphasis on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms, as well as differences in the duration and frequency of reporting symptoms.
It is possible that the MSE relies solely on self-reporting, which can be biased. Patients who report both anxiety and headache is likely to report an lower score than those who report only a migraine. In addition, there is the tendency for patients to minimize negative emotions and overestimate the severity of positive ones.
Mood and affect influence thoughts and can affect the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior and physical performance. They are affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions. In fact, a positive mood has been shown to enhance thinking and creativity. A negative mood can reduce concentration and lead to confusion. A thorough and meticulous
mental disorder assessment health assessment should take into account both the patient's mood and affect as well as the other factors.
Thought content
The ability to determine how a patient thinks is among the most crucial aspects of a mental health examination. Particularly, it is assessing thought process and thoughts. The thought process is the logic, coherence and organization of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are rational and goal-oriented. In a variety of mental health conditions, however, thought processing is altered. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are also assessed in a mini mental state assessment (
take a look at the site here) status test. Insight is the ability to spot a problem. Judgment is the ability to make a rational decision after receiving information. Both can be impaired by various mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia. If a patient suffers from impaired judgment and/or insight, they are at a higher risk of causing harm to themselves or others. For instance, if they are in danger of burning their home down, sensible judgement would tell them to leave the house immediately. A person with impaired judgment may suggest that they stay in the house to try to get rid of the flame.
The content of a patient's thoughts includes their subject matter, themes, and beliefs. Examiners generally comment on the clarity, connection and content of a patient's thinking. They will note any thoughts that are circumstantial or tangential, and whether the patient is prone to having a flurry of thoughts (digressions from the subject of conversation). They will also make comments on the speed of a person's thoughts, including whether they seem to be fast or slow.
It is also crucial to determine if the patient's mood matches their surroundings. A person suffering from depression could hear angry voices, whereas those suffering from schizophrenia may experience a hallucination that a soothing voice is speaking. Patients should be questioned about any homicidal or suicidal ideation. Although these are rare, they can be life-threatening and should be taken into consideration during every mental health assessment.
Observation
Nurses' observation skills are essential to a
primary care mental health assessment health assessment. They are a thorough examination of behavior, appearance, any peculiar beliefs or perceptions (such delusions or hallucinations) and mood cognition (including attention, memory and orientation). A nursing
mental health crisis assessment service at st pancras hospital status examination also includes observing the ability to move, which includes physical activity like eating or drinking, brushing your teeth or using the toilet, as well as putting on shoes.
The Observation element of the mental health examination is a key component of determining if a patient may pose the risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient is moving in a way which suggests they are about to harm themself or someone else.
A detailed evaluation of the thought content is also done by monitoring the patient during the interview and determining their concerns. It is crucial to determine whether the patient has suicidal, homicidal, or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale ranging from zero to 100 that evaluates a person's ability to function in daily life with their capacity to handle the stresses in their lives. The GAF is a vital part of the mental status assessment and aids in making treatment decisions.
It is important to recognize that observing the behaviour of a patient could cause distress. It is crucial to conduct the procedure in a manner that doesn't cause or feel intrusive. It is crucial that the patient is informed of the purpose of the observation and the duration of the procedure.
Nursing observation is a vital skill that should be a central part of any nursing process. However, it should be remembered that patients may be dissatisfied with the quality of observation and if they are unable to come to an agreement with staff then they should have access to an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist their discussions on their treatment. This should be an integral part of the local policy and practice, with the involvement of user groups to ensure that patients are included in the development of written documents and staff training for this aspect of clinical governance.
Questioning
Many people are reluctant to talk about their
core 10 mental health assessment health issues, but family members are often able to discern when something isn't right. They can also assist the person take steps to get an assessment. These tests can be extremely broad and cover a variety of subjects, including appearance, mood and memory, thought process and many more. A mental health professional could also ask questions regarding the person's personal life. They will ask what they've been feeling and what has happened recently.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment, which focuses on the person's ability to think clearly and retain information. The person could be asked to complete basic tasks, such as focussing on a list or objects, memorizing lists or completing math problems. The test may also test the person's ability to make sound decisions and use judgment. The assessment also determines the patient's insight that reflects their level of understanding about the illness and its effects on them.
Another crucial aspect of the mental health assessment is the patient's attitude towards the world, himself and his illness. The tone of voice, facial expression, and the body expressions of a patient could indicate depression, anger or a sense of helplessness. It is also important to note whether the patient is seeking help or resigned to living with their health condition.
In more serious situations the assessment of mental health could include a look at the patient's thoughts, which may involve hallucinations or even illusions. It is crucial to recognize the presence of these conditions because they can be extremely risky and even life-threatening.
A mental health assessment must be holistic and focus on the person's relationship to their world. A health professional can use art, music or photos, or any other electronic assessment tool to gain a better understanding of the person. They should also talk to the person about the issues that have caused them to seek help and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeing an expert in mental health.
