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Mental Health Nursing - Assessing Mental HealthA physical exam is usually included in mental health tests to rule out any physical ailments. This could include urine tests, blood test or even brain scans.Psychologists also employ a variety of tools to assess mental health. They can use tests that are written on paper and pen to in-depth interviews or self-complete questionnaires sent to you by post.Mood and affectThe doctor will first observe the patient's mood and emotional state. They describe a patient's general emotional state. This can range from happiness to sorrow or irritability and anger. Affect can be measured by looking at facial expressions and demeanour as well as the response to external or internal stimuli (e.g. smiling at a joke or crying at the loss of a loved one).Affect is a short-term emotion while mood is a more sustained emotional state. It is usually described as either euthymic (normal) or dysphoric, which means depressed. Psychologists should be cautious to avoid confusion between the terms because they are defined differently and are affected by many factors.While the MSE is a valuable diagnostic tool however, it isn't always easy to interpret based on a subjective patient report. Asking patients about their feelings in the last few weeks is more helpful than relying on only observations from a physician. A recent study found that a large proportion of symptoms, including those that are grouped within the same disorder category, vary between assessment tools. This could be due to the different emphasis on cognitive, emotional or physical symptoms as and also the different time periods 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 headache is likely to report an lower score than those who report only headache. Patients tend to minimize negative emotions while exaggerating positive feelings.The affect and mood of a person directly affect thought content, which can influence the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical performance. They can be influenced by fatigue, stress social interactions, world events, hormones and weather. In reality positive moods have been proven to boost creativity and thinking power. However, a mood that is negative can affect concentration and cause confusion. Therefore, a careful and thorough mental health assessment is required to take into account the patient's current mood and state of mind as in addition to the underlying causes.Thought contentThe ability to determine how a patient thinks is one the most crucial aspects of a mental state exam. Assessment of thoughts and their content. The term "thought process" refers to the logic, organization and coherence of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are logical and focused on goals. In several mental health conditions however, the thought process can be altered. Examples include hallucinations and delusions as well as loose associations.A mental health assessment also examines judgment and insight. Insight is the ability to identify the presence of a problem, while judgement is the ability to make a considered decision based on information. Both are affected by various mental health conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia. If a patient is impaired in judgment or insight in any way, they are at greater risk of harming themselves or others. For instance, if they are in danger of burning their house down and they have a good sense of judgement, it would be wise for them to leave the house immediately. However, a patient with impaired judgment might suggest staying in the building and trying to put out the fire.The thoughts of a patient include their subject matter, themes and beliefs. Examiners will assess the clarity, connection and content of a thoughts of the patient. They will note tangential thoughts or those that are merely circumstantial, and when a patient is digressing (digressions away from the topic of the conversation). They will also comment on a person's pace of thinking, such as whether they seem to be more or less fast.Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are mood congruent or incongruent with their surroundings. Patients suffering from depression may be able to hear angry voices, whereas a person suffering from schizophrenia might experience an illusion that a calm voice is speaking. A patient should be asked about any homicidal or suicidal ideation. Although they are not common, they can be life-threatening and must be taken into account in every mental health assessment.ObservationThe observation skills of nurses play an important role in an assessment of mental health. see this site are a thorough examination of appearance, behavior, any peculiar beliefs or perceptions (such delusions or hallucinations), mood, and cognition (including attention, memory and orientation). A nursing mental status examination also includes observing mobility, which includes any physical movement, such as eating, drinking, brushing teeth using the toilet and wearing shoes.The Observation element of the mental state examination is a crucial aspect of determining if the patient could pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. This is determined by assessing whether the patient appears to be moving deliberately in a way that suggests that they are about to harm themself or someone else.A detailed assessment of the thought-based content is also accomplished by observing the patient during the interview and determining the concerns. It is essential to determine if a patient is suffering from suicidal or homicidal thoughts and to determine if they are experiencing thoughts of delusion.Global assessment of functioning (GAF), which is a numerical score ranging between 0 and 100, evaluates the ability of a person to function in daily life with their ability of dealing with stressors. The GAF is a vital element of the mental state examination and helps to guide the treatment decisions.It is crucial to realize that observing the behavior of a patient can cause anxiety. It is therefore important to conduct the procedure in a way that does not provoke or cause discomfort. It is important that the patient is fully informed of the purpose of the observations and the length of the procedure.Nursing observation is a crucial skill that should be at the heart of any nursing procedure. However, it must be kept in mind that patients could be dissatisfied with the quality of observation and if they are unable to reach an agreement with staff, then they should be able to access an advocate service that can represent their needs and help patients in any discussions about their treatment. This should be an integral part of the local policy and practice, with the involvement of user groups, to ensure that patients are included in the creation of written documents and staff training to support this aspect of governance in the clinic.QuestioningMany people have a hard to discuss their mental health problems however, family members can often notice the signs that something is not right. They can also help the person to obtain an assessment. These tests can cover a wide range of topics such as mood, appearance and thought process. In addition to these tests, mental health professionals will also ask the individual questions about their personal life, including what's been happening recently and what their emotions have been like.The assessment includes a cognitive evaluation that examines a person's ability to think clearly and remember 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 can also be used to assess the ability of the person's judgement and to make good choices. The test also evaluates the patient's knowledge and knowledge of their condition and its effects on them.The person's attitude towards others, himself and the illness is an important element of a mental assessment. The tone of expression, facial expression and body language may convey anger, hostility depression or a feeling of insecurity. It is important to observe whether the patient seems to seek help or accepting their situation.In more serious instances the mental health assessment may include an assessment of the patient's thinking that could include hallucinations (false perceptions of sensory stimuli that are not real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). It is crucial to recognize the presence of these conditions as they can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.In general the mental health assessment should be holistic and consider the person's interactions with their social life. Health professionals can employ images, music, or art or any other electronic assessment tool to better understand the person. They should also talk to the person about the issues that caused them to seek assistance and reassure them that there is nothing wrong with seeing a mental health professional.