Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
Mental health assessments usually involve a physical examination, to rule out physical problems. This may include blood tests and urine tests as well as brain scans.
Psychologists also utilize a array of tools to measure mental health. These tools vary from pencil and paper test forms to more in-depth interviews or self-completed postal questionnaires.
Affect and mood
The doctor will first be aware of the patient's mood and emotional state. They define a patient's general emotional state. It can range from happiness to sorrow or anger and irritability. The affect can be assessed through facial expressions, overall behavior and reaction to external or internal stimuli. You can express your feelings by smirking at an absurd joke, or crying when you lose a beloved one.
Affect is a feeling that lasts only a few minutes but mood is a longer-lasting emotional state. It is typically described as euthymic or normal, or dysphoric (meaning depressed). Psychiatric professionals should be careful to avoid confusion between the two terms because they are defined differently and are affected by a variety of factors.
The MSE can be a useful tool for clinical diagnosis however, it can be 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. Recent research has revealed that assessment instruments differed in their capacity to detect a substantial portion of symptoms. This included those that were grouped under the same disorder. 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 reporting symptoms.
It is also possible that the MSE relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. For instance, a patient who reports a headache and anxiety will likely have a lower score than a patient who reports only an occasional headache. Patients tend to minimize negative emotions while exaggerating 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 affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions. A positive mood can increase creativity and mental strength. Conversely, a negative mood can affect concentration and cause confusion. A thorough and meticulous mental health assessment should take into account the patient's mood and affect as well as the underlying factors.
Thought content
One of the most essential aspects of a mental state exam is assessing how a patient thinks. 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 rational and focused on a goal. Thought processing may be altered in several mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations and delusions as well as loose associations.
A mental status examination also examines judgment and insight. Insight is the ability to identify a problem. Judgment is the ability of making a well-considered decision after receiving information. Both are affected by various mental health conditions, like schizophrenia and depression. A patient with impaired insight or judgment is more likely to hurt themselves or others. If they are in danger, their rational judgment would advise them to leave the home immediately. However, a patient with impaired judgment might decide to stay in the building and attempting to put the fire out.
The contents of a patient's mind include their subject matter, themes, and beliefs. Examiners will assess the clarity, relatedness and content of a thoughts of the patient. They will note any thoughts that are tangential or circumstantial, and whether the patient has flights of thoughts (digressions from the subject of conversation). They will also discuss the pace of a person's thoughts, such as whether they seem fast or slow.
It is also essential to determine whether the patient's mood matches their environment. For instance, a person who is depressed could hear voices that are aggressive and threatening, whereas someone suffering from schizophrenia could experience a hallucination of an ethereal and calm voice. A patient should also be asked about any homicidal or suicidal thoughts. Although assessment in mental health are uncommon however, they can be life threatening and should be taken into consideration in every mental health assessment.
Observation
The nurse's ability to observe is essential in the mental assessment. They include a careful review of the appearance, behavior, any unusual beliefs and perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions), mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention, orientation, memory). A nursing mental status examination also involves observing the ability to move, which includes physical activity like eating, drinking, brushing teeth using the toilet and wearing shoes.
The Observation component of the mental state exam is an essential element of determining if the patient could pose the risk to themselves or others. This is determined by assessing whether the patient appears be acting in a deliberate way that suggests they're planning to harm themselves or another person.
In addition, a comprehensive thought content assessment is made by monitoring the patient throughout the interview and identifying their preoccupations. It is crucial to determine whether the patient is suffering from suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is a numerical rating on a scale from 0 to 100 that combines a person's ability to function in daily life with their ability to cope with the stresses that come with life. The GAF is a vital component of the mental health assessment and aids in making treatment decisions.
It is crucial to realize that observing the behavior of a patient could cause anxiety. It is therefore important that the process be conducted in a manner that does not cause discomfort or feel intrusive. It is important that the patient be fully aware of the goal of the observations and the duration of the process.
Nursing observation is an important skill and it must be a key part of the nursing process. It is essential to remember that patients might disagree on the level of observation. If they are unable to reach a consensus with the staff, they must be able access an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist them in any discussions regarding their treatment. This should be part of local policy and practice, with the participation and participation of groups of patients.
Questioning
A lot of people are hesitant to talk about their mental health issues, but family members are often able to tell when something is amiss. They can also encourage the person to take a look at an assessment. These assessments be conducted on a variety of topics, including mood, appearance and the thought process. In addition to these tests, the mental health professional will also ask the individual questions about their personal life, including what has been going on recently and what their emotions have been like.
The assessment includes a cognitive evaluation that examines a person's ability to think clearly and remember information. The person may be required to complete basic tasks, such as focussing on a list or objects, memorizing lists or solving math questions. The test can also be used to check the person's judgment and ability to make informed choices. The test measures a patient's perception, which is their knowledge of their condition and how it affects them.
The person's attitude towards himself, others and the illness is an important part of a mental assessment. The tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language of a patient may signal depression, anger, or a feeling of powerlessness. It is important to check whether the patient appears be seeking help or accepting their condition.
In more serious instances the mental health assessment may include an examination of the patient's mental state that may include hallucinations (false sensory perceptions that do not correspond to real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). These conditions can be harmful and even deadly.
A mental health assessment should be holistic and examine the person's relationship to their world. A health professional can use art, music or photos or any other assessment tool to better understand the person. They should also discuss the difficulties that prompted the person to seek help, and reassure them that there is nothing wrong in seeing a mental healthcare professional.