Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental Health
mental health assessment near me health assessments typically include a physical exam, to rule out physical conditions. These can include urine tests, blood tests testing, or even brain scans.
Psychologists use a variety of tools for assessing mental health. These tools range from paper and pencil test forms to more in-depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires for postal mail.
Affect and mood
Mood and affect are among the most significant components of the mental status exam (MSE) and are the first thing to be viewed by the clinician. They describe the patient's general emotional state, which can range from happiness to sadness or irritability to anger. Affect can be measured by looking at facial expressions and demeanour as well as the reaction to external or internal stimuli (e.g. You can express your feelings by laughing at a joke, or crying when you lose a loved one.
Affect is a feeling that lasts only a few minutes, whereas mood is a more long-lasting emotional state. It is typically described as euthymic or dysphoric or normal (meaning depressed). Professionals in psychiatry must be careful to avoid confusion between the terms because they are different in their definition and are affected by many factors.
While the MSE is a helpful clinical tool however, it isn't always easy to interpret based upon subjective patient reports. It is therefore helpful to ask patients how they have been feeling over the last few weeks, rather than relying on physician observation only. A recent study revealed that a large proportion of symptoms, even those that are grouped under the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due to the different emphasis placed on emotional, cognitive or physical symptoms as well as differences in time periods and frequency of reporting symptom reports.
It is possible that the MSE relies on self-reporting which could be biased. Patients who report both anxiety and headache is likely to report a lower score compared to a patient reporting only a migraine. Patients tend to minimize negative emotions while exaggerating positive feelings.
Affect and mood influence thoughts, which can influence the way we make decisions, our interpersonal behavior and physical functioning. They can be influenced by fatigue, stress and social interactions, as well as global events, hormones and weather. In reality positive moods have been proven to increase creativity and thinking power. A negative mood can lead to confusion and decrease 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
The ability to determine how a patient thinks is one the most crucial aspects of a mental health wellness assessment state examination. Assessment of the thought process and its content. The thought process is the logic, coherence and organization of the patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are rational and focused on goals. Thought processing can be distorted in a variety of mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions, and loose associations.
A mental state examination also assesses the quality of insight and judgement. Insight is being able to identify the presence of a problem. Judgment is the ability to make a rational decision after receiving information. Both can be impaired by a variety of mental health issues like depression and schizophrenia. A person who isn't able to see or judgement is more prone to harm themselves or others. For instance when they are at risk of burning their home down and they have a good sense of judgement, it would be wise for them to leave the house immediately. A person with impaired judgment may suggest that they stay in the building to try and put out the fire.
Thought content includes the topics, subject matter, and beliefs that a patient holds. Examiners will comment on the clarity, relatedness and the content of the thoughts of the patient. They will be able to identify tangential ideas or circumstantial ones, as well as if the patient has digressions (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 to be more or less fast.
It is also essential to determine whether the patient's mood matches their surroundings. For example, a patient who is depressed may hear voices that sound hostile and frightening, whereas those suffering from schizophrenia may be able to imagine an ethereal and calm voice. The patient should be asked about any suicidal or homicidal thought. They are not common, but they can be life-threatening and should be taken into account in every mental health assessment.
Watching
A nurse's observation skills are essential to a mental health assessment. They are a thorough review of behavior, appearance as well as any unusual beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions) mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention to orientation, attention memory, and orientation). The mental status exam for nurses also includes monitoring the movement. This includes any physical movement, such as eating, drinking and brushing teeth.
The Observation component of the mental health examination is essential in determining whether the patient poses a risk to themselves or anyone else. This is determined by assessing whether the patient appears be moving in a deliberate way that suggests they are about harm themselves or another person.
A detailed assessment of the thought content is also done by monitoring the patient during the interview and determining the concerns. It is essential to determine if the patient is suffering from suicidal or homicidal ideas and to determine if they're experiencing thoughts of suicide or delusions.
A global assessment of functioning (GAF) is an evaluation of the numerical value on a scale ranging from 100 to 0 that measures the ability of a person to function in daily life with their ability to deal with the stresses that come with life. The GAF is a vital part of the mental status examination and helps to guide the treatment decisions.
It is important to recognize that observing the behaviour of a patient can cause distress. Therefore, it is essential that the process be conducted in a way that doesn't cause or cause discomfort. It is also crucial that the patient is fully aware of the reason for the observation and the length of time it will last.
Nursing observation is an important ability and should be a key element of the nursing process. However, it should be remembered that patients may not agree with the degree of observation and if they are unable to come to an agreement with staff then they should be able to access an advocate service which can represent their interests and support patients in any discussions about their care. This should be a fundamental element of the local observation policy and practice, including the involvement of user groups, to ensure that patients are included in the development of written information as well as staff training for this aspect of clinical governance.
Questioning
Many people have a difficult time talking about their mental health problems however, family members can often notice when something is wrong. They can also help the person get an assessment. These tests can be extremely broad and cover a wide range of subjects, such as mood, appearance, memory, thought process and much more. In addition to these tests, a mental health professional will also ask the person questions about their personal life, such as what has been going on lately and what their feelings have been like.
The assessment also includes a cognitive assessment mental health evaluation that focuses on the person's ability to think clearly and retain information. The test subject may ask to complete simple tasks, like focusing their attention on an alphabet of words or objects and recollecting lists of basic information or solving math problems. The test can also be used to assess the ability of the person's judgement and to make sound decisions. The test also evaluates the patient's knowledge, which reflects their level of understanding about the illness and its effects on them.
The attitude of the patient towards himself, others and the illness is an important part of a mental evaluation. The patient's voice, facial expression and body language may convey hostility, anger depression or a feeling of insecurity. It is crucial to determine whether the patient appears to be seeking assistance or is accepting their situation.
In more serious instances, an assessment of mental health might include an examination the patient's thoughts, which may involve hallucinations or even illusions. These conditions can be dangerous and even deadly.
(Image: https://www.iampsychiatry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/i-want-great-care-logo.png)In general an assessment of mental health should be holistic and look at the person's relationship to their social environment. A health professional may employ art, music, photos or a range of electronic gas assessment mental health tools to help understand the person and their unique view of the world around them. They should also speak to the person about the difficulties that have caused them to seek assistance and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out an expert in mental health.
