Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
Mental health assessments often include a physical exam to rule out physical conditions. This may involve blood work, urine tests or brain scans.
Psychologists utilize a variety instruments to evaluate mental health. These range from pen and paper test forms to in-depth interviews or self-complete postal questionnaires.
Mood and affect
The doctor will first be aware of the patient's mood as well as their affect. They describe the patient's general emotional tone that can range from joy to sadness, or even irritability to anger. The patient's mood can be measured through facial expressions, overall behavior and reaction to external or internal stimuli. smiling at an absurd joke or crying over the loss of a loved one).
Affect is an emotion that is temporary, while mood is a state of constant emotion. It is usually described as euthymic, dysphoric, or normal (meaning depressed). Professionals in psychiatry must be careful to not confuse the two terms, as they are interpreted differently and are affected by various factors.
The MSE can be a useful tool for clinical diagnosis, but it is difficult to interpret based on an individual patient's report. Inquiring about the feelings of patients in the last few weeks is more helpful than relying solely on observations from a physician. Recent research has revealed that assessment tools were different in their ability to detect a substantial part of symptoms. This included the symptoms that were classified under the same disorder. This could be due to the different emphasis placed on cognitive or emotional symptoms as well as the different the time intervals and frequency of the reporting of symptoms.
It is possible that the MSE relies on self-reporting, which could be biased. Patients who report both anxiety and a headache is likely to report a lower score compared to a patient reporting only migraine. Additionally, there is a tendency for patients to minimize negative feelings and overestimate the severity of positive feelings.
Affect and mood can have a direct impact on the thought content. This can impact the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior, and physical functioning. They are affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions. A positive mood can actually boost creativity and mental energy. A negative mood can decrease concentration and cause confusion. Therefore, a careful and thorough mental health assessment needs to take into account the patient's current mood and emotional state as in addition to the underlying causes.
Thought content
Assessing how the patient thinks is one of the most important aspects of a mental health examination. Assessment of the thought process and its content. Thought process refers to the coherence, logic, and organization of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are logical and focused on goals. In many mental health disorders, however, thought processing is altered. Examples include hallucinations, delusions and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are also evaluated during a mental status test. Insight is the ability to see that there is an issue, and judgement is the ability to make an informed decision when presented with information. Both are impaired in several mental health conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia. If a patient has impaired judgment or insight is at greater risk of causing harm to themselves or others. For example if they are at risk of burning their home down the sensible judgment would tell them to leave the building immediately. A person with impaired judgment may suggest that they stay in the building to try and get rid of the fire.
Thought content refers to the topics, subjects and beliefs that a patient has. Generally, examiners comment on the clarity, relevance and quality of a patient's thinking. They will note tangential thoughts or circumstantial ones, as well as when a patient is digressing (digressions away from the topic of the conversation). They will also provide feedback on the speed at which someone is thinking, such as whether they seem fast or slower.
It is also important to determine if the patient's mood is in line with their surroundings. For instance, a person who is depressed may hear voices that are angry and threatening, while someone suffering from schizophrenia could experience a hallucination of a calm and soothing voice. Ask the patient if they have any suicidal or homicidal ideas. These are uncommon, but could be life-threatening and should be taken into account in every mental health evaluation.
Observation
The nurse's ability to watch is essential in an assessment of mental health. They involve a thorough evaluation of behavior, appearance, any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such hallucinations or delusions) mood, cognition (including memory, attention, orientation). A nursing mental status examination also involves observing motility, including any physical activity like eating drinking, eating, brushing teeth or using the toilet, as well as wearing shoes.
The Observation element of the mental state examination is a crucial aspect of determining if the patient could pose a risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether the patient appears to be acting in a deliberate manner that suggests they are trying to harming themselves or someone else.
Additionally, a thorough assessment of thought content is done by monitoring the patient throughout the interview and determining their thoughts and concerns. It is crucial to determine if the patient is having suicidal or homicidal ideas and to determine if they're having thoughts of suicide or delusions.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale from 0 to 100 that combines a person's ability to perform in daily life with their capacity to handle the stresses that come with life. The GAF is a crucial component of the mental state examination and aids in making the treatment decisions.
It is essential to be aware that observing an individual's behavior can cause anxiety and it is essential to conduct the procedure in a way that doesn't provoke the patient and doesn't make them feel uncomfortable. It is essential that the patient is aware of the reason for the observations and the length of the process.
Nursing observation is a crucial skill that must be a central part of any nursing program. However, it should be kept in mind that patients could disagree with the level of observation and if they are unable to reach an agreement with staff, then they should have access to an advocate service which can represent their needs and help patients in any discussions about their care. This should be an integral part of the local policy and practice, including the involvement of user groups, to ensure that patients are involved in the creation of written information as well as staff training on this aspect of clinical governance.
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 take an assessment. These assessments can be very broad and cover a variety of topics such as mood, appearance and thought process, memory and many more. A mental health professional could also inquire about the person's private life. They will ask what they feel and what has happened recently.
online mental health assessments includes a cognitive assessment, which focuses on the ability of the individual to think clearly and recall information. The person may be required to complete basic tasks such as focussing on a list or objects, remembering lists or solving math questions. The test may also test the ability of the individual to make sound decisions and use their judgment. The assessment also determines the patient's insight and understanding of their illness and its impact on them.
The person's attitude toward others, himself and the illness is an important element of a mental evaluation. The tone of voice, facial expression, and body expressions of a patient could signal depression, anger or a sense of powerlessness. It is also important to determine whether the patient appears to be seeking help or is content living with their illness.
In more serious instances the evaluation of mental health may include a thorough examination of the patient's mental state, which may involve illusions or hallucinations. It is important to note the presence of these disorders because they can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.
In general, a mental health assessment should be holistic and look at the person's interactions with their social life. A health professional may use photographs, music, art, or any other assessment tool to better understand the person. They should also talk to the person about the difficulties that led them to seek help and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out a mental health professional.