Mental Status Exam (MSE) Example
Each week you will be given a prompt to write a reflective journal assignment that will allow you to investigate areas for clinical preparation in psychiatric mental health. The reflective journal should be substantive, containing a minimum of 250 words. Supporting evidence for your thoughts and ideas should come from a minimum of one scholarly source. Sources should have in-text citations where appropriate and be referenced on a reference page according to APA 7th Edition standards.
Review the video showcasing the mental status exam:
Estimated Time to Complete: 6 minutes
Review the following resources for mental status exam:
PsychPage. (n.d.). How to conduct a mental status exam (Links to an external site.). http://www.psychpage.com/learning/library/advpract/mse.htm
Mental Status Exam Handout
Give a brief summary of the components of the mental status exam. Why is this critical to the care of the mental health patient?
Mental Status Exam (MSE) Example
The mental status exam (MSE) is a structured tool to assess the patient’s behaviour and cognitive functioning. It is used to quantitatively and qualitatively describe a patient’s mental state and behaviours during a given period. This paper summarises the components of the mental status exam (Voss & Das,2021).The MSE is composed of the following components. Appearance is the first component of the exam, and its variables such as stated age, grooming and dressing mannerisms give the examiner an overall impression of the patient, thus enabling them to appreciate some syndromes promptly. Manner and Approach are other essential facets of the exam. Here the examiner examines the interpersonal characteristics and Approach to evaluation, such as submissiveness, friendliness or hostility of the patient. Moreover, the behavioural Approach such as depressive mood, agitation or exhibitionistic and the rate of speech of the patient, and his ability to make eye contact and recall is examined (Voss & Das,2021).The Orientation, Alertness, Thought Processes and Content of the patient are also assessed during the exam. In orientation, the patient is familiarization with self, place, and time presidents are considered. On the other hand, variables such as sleepiness, dullness, uninterest, and distractability are observed to appreciate the patient’s alertness. In the same domain, the examiner should also examine attention and concentration. For instance, the patient is asked to name the days of the week or months of the year in reverse order.. Thought process and Content assess the Judgment, Insight and Abstraction Skills of the patient. It also examines the logicality of thinking and the presence of aspects such as hallucinations and delusions (Voss & Das,2021).The mood and Affect component evaluate factors such as how patients often feel or in a given moment. It also unravels how easily they make rapport, facial and emotional expressions, and impulsivity and anxiety levels.Insight and judgement are also critical components of MSE.In evaluating the patient’s insight, the examiner assesses the degree to which the patient understands their illness and need for treatment. On the other hand, judgement assesses the patient’s ability to identify some actions’ consequences logically.According to Voss & Das (2021), the MSE tool is critical in treating mental health patients as it aids physicians in making psychiatric diagnoses. Moreover, familiarity with the examination tenets helps healthcare professionals evaluate for and differentiate psychiatric disorders and guide appropriate diagnostic testing and referral to a psychiatrist or other mental health professional. ReferencesVoss RM, M Das J. Mental Status Examination. 2021 Sep 16. In: Stat Pearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): Stat Pearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 31536288. Mental Status Exam (MSE) Example
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