Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
Mental health assessments typically include a physical exam, to rule out physical problems. mental health assessment test can include urine tests, blood tests or even brain scans.
Psychologists also utilize a variety of tools to assess mental health. These range from tests that are written on paper and pen to deep interviews or self-fill postal questionnaires.
Affect and mood
Mood and affect are among the most crucial components of the mental health exam (MSE) and are the first thing to be observed by a doctor. They describe the patient's general emotional tone that can range from happiness to sadness, or anger to anger. Affect can be measured by observing facial expressions and overall manner of speaking as well as the reaction to external or internal stimuli (e.g. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).
Affect is a feeling that lasts only a few minutes but mood is a more long-lasting emotional state. It is typically described as euthymic, dysphoric, or normal (meaning depression). Professionals in psychiatry must be careful to avoid confusion between the terms, as they are defined differently and can be affected by various factors.
The MSE is a helpful tool for diagnosing clinical problems, but it is difficult to interpret from a subjective patient report. Inquiring about the feelings of patients during the past few weeks is more helpful than relying on just physician observations. A recent study showed that a significant percentage of symptoms, including those that are grouped under the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due to the differing emphasis on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms, as along with differences in time periods and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
It is also possible that the MSE relies on self-report which could be susceptible to bias. For instance, a patient who describes experiencing a headache and anxiety will likely have an lower score than someone who has only an occasional headache. Patients tend to minimize negative feelings while exaggerating positive ones.
Affect and mood can have an impact on the thought content. This could affect the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical function. They are influenced by fatigue, stress and social interactions, as well as world events, hormones, and even the weather. In reality positive moods have been shown to enhance thinking and creativity. A negative mood can lead to confusion and reduce concentration. A thorough and careful mental health assessment should consider both the patient's mood and affect as well as the other factors.
Thought content
One of the most essential aspects of a mental state exam is assessing how a patient thinks. Particularly, it is assessing thought process and thought content. The thought process is the logic, coherence and organization of a patient's thoughts. A normal thought processes is goal directed and logical. In several mental health conditions, however, thought processing is distorted. Examples include delusions, hallucinations and loose associations.
A mental health assessment also evaluates insight and judgement. Insight is the ability to see that there is an issue, and judgement is the ability to make a rational decision based on information. Both can be impaired in various mental health conditions, like schizophrenia and depression. If a patient is impaired in judgment or insight, they are at greater risk of harming themselves or others. For instance, if they are in danger of burning their house down, sensible judgement would tell them to leave the house immediately. A person with impaired judgment might suggest they stay in the building to try to put out the fire.
The thoughts of a patient include their themes, subject matter, and beliefs. Generally, examiners comment on the clarity, relevance and the content of a patient's thought. They will also note any tangential or circumstantial thoughts or thoughts, and also if the patient has flights of ideas (digressions from the topic of conversation). They will also discuss the speed of a person's thoughts, for instance, whether they appear fast or slow.
It is also essential to determine whether the patient's mood is similar to the environment in which they live. For instance, a person who is depressed could hear voices that are hostile and frightening, whereas a person with schizophrenia might experience a hallucination of an ethereal and calm voice. Ask the patient if they've had any suicidal or homicidal ideas. Although these are rare however, they can be life threatening and should be considered in every mental health evaluation.
Observation
Nurses' observation skills are essential to a mental health assessment. They include a careful examination of appearance, behavior as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such hallucinations or delusions) mood, cognition (including memory, attention and orientation). A mental state examination for nurses also involves observing motility, including any physical activity like eating or drinking, brushing your teeth using the toilet and taking off shoes.
The Observation component of the mental state exam is an essential element of determining whether or not the patient is posing the risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether or not the patient appears to be moving deliberately in a way that suggests that they are about to harm themselves or someone else.
A detailed assessment of the content of thoughts is also done by monitoring the patient during the interview and determining the concerns. It is essential to determine whether the patient is experiencing suicidal, homicidal or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an assessment of a numerical score on a scale of 100 to 0 that measures the capacity of a person to function in everyday life with their ability to cope with the stressors in their life. The GAF is a key part of the mental state exam and aids in making the treatment decisions.
It is important to recognize that observing the behaviour of a patient can cause anxiety. It is therefore important that the procedure is conducted in a way that does not cause discomfort or cause discomfort. It is important that the patient is fully aware of the reason for the observation and the duration of the procedure.
Nursing observation is an important ability and should be an integral element of the nursing process. It is essential to remember that patients might disagree on the degree of observation. If they are unable to reach a consensus with staff, they should be able to access an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist in any discussions regarding their treatment. This should be a component of the local policy and practice, with the involvement and the support of groups of users.
Questioning
Many people have a difficult to discuss their mental health issues, but loved ones can often notice the signs of something being wrong. They can also help the person take steps to get an assessment. These assessments can be very broad and cover a range of topics including mood, appearance and memory, thinking process and many more. In addition to these tests, mental health professionals will also ask the person questions about their personal life, such as what has been going on recently and what their emotions have been like.
The assessment includes an evaluation of the cognitive capacity that examines a 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 solving math questions. The test can also be used to assess the individual's judgment and ability to make informed choices. The assessment also determines the patient's knowledge and understanding of their condition and its effects on them.
The attitude of the patient towards himself, others and the illness is an important part of a mental assessment. The patient's voice, facial expression and body language may convey anger, hostility or depression, or a feeling of helplessness. It is also important to determine whether the patient is seeking help or just living with their health condition.
In more serious situations the assessment of mental health might include a thorough examination of the patient's thinking that may include hallucinations or illusions. It is crucial to recognize the presence of these conditions because they can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.
A mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's interaction to their world. A health professional may employ images, music, art or a range of electronic assessment tools to help understand the person and their unique view of the world around them. They should also talk about the challenges that led the person to seek help, and reassure that there is nothing wrong with seeing a mental health professional.