Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
Mental health assessments usually include a physical exam, to rule out physical problems. This may include blood tests or urine tests, as well as brain scans.
Psychologists also employ a range of tools to evaluate mental health. These tools range from paper and pencil test forms to in depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires for postal mail.
Mood and affect
Mood and affect are among the most crucial elements of the mental state examination (MSE) and are the first to be viewed by the clinician. They define the patient's general emotional state that can range from joy to sadness, or anger to anger. The patient's mood can be measured by facial expressions, overall demeanor and the reaction to internal or external stimuli. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).
Affect is a temporary emotion while mood is a longer-lasting emotional state. It is usually described as being either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, meaning depressed. Professionals in psychiatry must be careful to avoid confusion between the two terms because they are defined differently and can be affected by a variety of factors.
The MSE is a helpful tool for diagnosing clinical problems however, it can be difficult to interpret from the subjective report of a patient. The process of asking patients to share their experiences over the past few weeks is more helpful than relying solely on the observations of a doctor. A recent study revealed that a significant proportion of symptoms, including those grouped together under the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due the different emphasis placed on emotional, cognitive or physical symptoms, as well as differences in the duration and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
It is possible that the MSE relies solely on self-reporting which could be biased. A patient who has anxiety and a headache is likely to get lower scores than one who reports only headache. Patients tend to minimize negative feelings while exaggerating positive feelings.
The mood and the affect of a person can have an impact on the content of thought. This could affect the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior, and physical functioning. They are influenced by fatigue, stress, social interactions, world events, hormones and even the weather. In reality, a positive mood has been proven to boost creativity and thinking power. A negative mood can lead to confusion and lower concentration. Therefore, a careful and thorough mental health assessment needs to consider the patient's mood and emotional state as well as the underlying causes.
Thought content
One of the most important aspects of a mental health examination is assessing how the patient thinks. Particularly, it is assessing thought process and thoughts. Thought process refers the logic, organization and coherence of a patient's thought processes. The normal process of thinking is goal directed and rational. Thought processing can be distorted in a variety of mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions, and loose associations.
Insight and judgement are assessed during a mental state exam. Insight is the ability to see the presence of a problem, while judgement is the ability to make an informed decision based on information. Both are impaired in various mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression. If a patient is impaired in insight and/or judgement, they are at greater risk of harming themselves or others. For example when they are at risk of burning their home down the sensible judgment would tell them to leave the house immediately. However, someone with impaired judgment might suggest staying in the building and attempting to put out the fire.
The contents of a patient's mind includes their themes, subject matter and beliefs. Examiners will comment on the clarity, relevance and the content of the thoughts of the patient. They will be able to identify tangential ideas or those that are merely circumstantial, and when a patient is digressing (digressions away from the subject of the conversation). They will also make comments on the speed of a person's thoughts, including whether they appear fast or slow.
Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are mood and in tune with their surroundings. For instance, a person who is depressed might hear voices that sound aggressive and threatening, whereas those suffering from schizophrenia may be able to imagine the sound of a calm and soothing voice. Patients should also be asked about any homicidal or suicidal thought. Although these are rare but they could be life-threatening and must be taken into account in every mental health evaluation.
Watching
The nurse's ability to watch is essential in a mental assessment. They will conduct a thorough examination of appearance, behaviour as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions), mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention to the environment, orientation memory). A mental state examination for nurses also includes observing mobility, which includes any physical movement such as eating drinking, eating, brushing teeth or using the toilet, as well as putting on shoes.
The Observation element of the mental status examination is a crucial aspect of determining if the patient could pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. This is done by assessing whether or not the patient appears to be acting in a manner that suggests they are about to harm themselves or someone else.
In how to get a mental health assessment uk , a comprehensive thought content assessment is made by monitoring the patient throughout the interview and identifying their main concerns. It is crucial to determine whether the patient is suffering from suicidal, homicidal, or delusional thoughts.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale from zero to 100 that evaluates the capacity of a person to perform in daily life along with their ability to deal with the stresses in their lives. The GAF is a key part of the mental state exam and helps guide treatment decisions.
It is important to recognize that observing the behavior of a patient may cause distress. It is crucial to conduct the procedure in a manner that does not provoke or make the patient feel uncomfortable. It is also vital that the patient is fully aware of the reason for the observation and the length of time it will last.
Nursing observation is a vital skill that must be the core of any nursing procedure. It is crucial to keep in mind that patients can disagree with staff about the degree of observation. If they are unable to reach an agreement with staff, they should be able to use an advocate service that can represent their interests and assist in any discussions regarding their care. This should be a component of the local policy and practice, with the participation and support of groups of users.
Questioning
A lot of people are hesitant to discuss their mental health issues, but family members can often discern when something isn't right. They can also encourage the person to get an assessment. These assessments can be very broad and cover a wide range of subjects such as mood, appearance, memory, thought process and much more. A mental health professional may also ask questions about the person's private life. They will ask what they have been feeling and what's happened in the last few days.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment, which focuses on the person's ability to think clearly and recall information. The person may be asked to complete simple tasks, like focusing their attention on the list of words or objects and recollecting lists of basic information or solving math problems. The test can also check the person's ability to make informed decisions and use judgment. The test also assesses the patient's insight that reflects their knowledge of their condition and its effects on them.
The person's attitude towards others, himself and the illness is an important aspect of a mental evaluation. The patient's tone of voice, facial expressions and body language can indicate anger, hostility, depression or a sense of insecurity. It is also important to note whether the patient appears to be seeking help or resigned to living with their condition.
In more serious instances an assessment of mental health may include an examination of the patient's thoughts that could include hallucinations (false perceptions of sensory stimuli that are not real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). These conditions can be dangerous and even fatal.
A mental health assessment must be holistic and examine the person's interactions with their environment. A health professional could use photographs, music, art or a range of assessment tools using electronic technology to help understand the person and their unique perspective on the world around them. They should also speak to the person about the challenges that caused them to seek help and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out an expert in mental health.