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Mental Health Nursing – Assessing Mental Health Mental health assessments usually include a physical exam to rule out physical problems. This may involve blood work, urine tests or brain scans. Psychologists utilize a variety instruments to evaluate mental health. These tools range from paper and pencil test forms, to in-depth interviews or self-completed questionnaires for postal mail. Affect and mood The affect and mood are the most crucial elements of the mental state exam (MSE) and are the first thing to be viewed by the clinician. They describe a patient's general emotional tone. This can vary from joy to sadness or irritability and anger. The effect can be analyzed through facial expressions, overall attitude and reaction to external or internal stimuli. You can express your emotions by smiling at a joke, or crying when you lose a loved one. Affect is a short-term emotion but mood is a more long-lasting emotional state. It is generally described as euthymic, or normal, or dysphoric (meaning depression). Professionals in psychiatry must be careful to avoid confusion between the two terms because they are different in their definition and are affected by various factors. The MSE can be a valuable instrument for diagnosing clinical conditions however, it can be difficult to interpret from the subjective report of a patient. Asking patients about their feelings during the past few weeks is more effective than relying on only physician observations. Recent research revealed that assessment tools differed in their ability to identify a significant portion of symptoms. This included those that were classified under the same disorder. This could be due the differing emphasis on emotional, cognitive or physical symptoms as well as differences in duration and frequency of symptom reporting. It is possible that the MSE relies on self-reports which is susceptible to bias. A patient who reports both anxiety and headache is likely to have lower scores than those who report only headache. Furthermore, there is a tendency for patients to minimize negative emotions and underestimate the severity of positive feelings. The affect and mood of a person influence the content of thoughts, which can influence the way people make decisions, their interpersonal behavior and physical performance. They are affected by stress, fatigue and social interactions. In fact, a positive mood has been proven to increase thinking and creativity. A negative mood can cause confusion and decrease concentration. Therefore, a thorough and thorough mental health evaluation needs to take into account the patient's current mood and state of mind as well as the underlying causes. Thought content One of the most essential elements of a mental status examination is assessing how the patient thinks. Evaluation of the thought process and its content. The thought process is the coherence, logic, and organization of a patient's thoughts. Normal thought processes are logical and focused on a goal. Thought processing can be distorted in several mental health conditions. Examples include hallucinations, delusions, and loose associations. A mental status examination also examines judgment and insight. Insight is being able to recognize a problem. what is mental health assessment is the process to make a rational decision after receiving information. Both can be impaired by various mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia. A person who isn't able to see or judgement is more likely to hurt themselves or others. If they are in danger, their rational judgment would advise them to leave the premises immediately. A person with impaired judgment might suggest that they remain in the building to try and get rid of the fire. Thought content is the topics, subjects and beliefs that a patient holds. Examiners will assess the clarity, connection and content of a thoughts of the patient. They will also note tangential thoughts or circumstantial ones, and in the event that the patient's thoughts diverge (digressions away from the subject of the conversation). They will also make comments on the speed at which someone is thinking, such as whether they seem to be more or less fast. Other important areas to consider are whether the patient's thoughts are compatible or not in line with their environment. For example, a patient who is depressed may hear voices that are aggressive and threatening, whereas someone suffering from schizophrenia could experience a hallucination of a calm and soothing voice. The patient should be questioned about any suicidal or homicidal ideation. They are not common, but they can be life-threatening and should be taken into consideration during every mental health assessment. Watching The observation skills of nurses are crucial in a mental health assessment. They are a thorough review of behavior, appearance and any strange beliefs or perceptions (such as hallucinations or delusions), mood, and aspects of cognition (including attention to orientation, attention memory). A nursing mental status examination also includes observing mobility, which includes any physical activity like eating drinking, eating, brushing teeth or using the toilet, as well as taking off shoes. The Observation component of the mental health examination is vital in determining if a patient poses a risk to themselves or others. This is accomplished by determining whether the patient appears to be acting in a manner that suggests that they may be threatening to harm themself or someone else. A detailed evaluation of the content of thoughts is also done by monitoring the patient during the interview and determining their preoccupations. It is essential to determine whether the patient is suffering from suicidal, homicidal, or delusional thoughts. Global assessment of functioning (GAF) which is an assessment of functioning in numerical form, ranging between 0 and 100, measures the capacity of the person to perform in everyday life along with their capacity for dealing with stressors. The GAF is an important part of the mental status assessment and aids in making treatment decisions. It is important to understand that observing the behaviour of a patient could cause distress. It is crucial that the procedure is conducted in a way that does not provoke or make the patient feel uncomfortable. It is also vital that the patient is fully informed about the purpose of the observation and the length of time it will take. Nursing observation is an essential skill that should be the core of any nursing process. However, it should be noted that patients might not agree with the degree of observation. If they are unable to come to an agreement with the staff, they should have access to an advocate service that will represent their interests and assist them in any discussions regarding their treatment. This should be a component of the local policy and practice, with the involvement and participation of user groups. Questioning Many people have a difficult to discuss their mental health problems, but loved ones will often be able to recognize when something is wrong. They can also encourage the person to take a look at an assessment. These assessments are broad and cover a range of topics including appearance, mood and memory, thinking process and many more. A mental health professional could also inquire about the person's personal life. They will ask what they have been feeling and what's happened recently. The test consists of a cognitive evaluation that focuses on a person's ability to think clearly and remember information. The test subject may require the person to complete basic tasks, such as focusing on a list or objects, remembering lists or completing math problems. The test can be used to test the ability of the person's judgement and to make sound decisions. The test also assesses the patient's understanding that reflects their understanding of their condition and its effects on them. The patient's attitude towards others, himself and the illness is an important part of a mental assessment. The tone of voice, the facial expressions, and body language of a patient can signal depression, anger or a sense of utter powerlessness. It is also important to know whether the patient appears to be seeking help or is content living with their condition. In more serious instances the mental health assessment could include a thorough assessment of the patient's thinking that could include hallucinations (false sensory perceptions without real stimuli) or illusions (misperceptions of real stimuli). It is crucial to recognize the presence of these disorders because they can be extremely hazardous and even life-threatening. In general the mental health assessment should take a holistic approach and examine the person's connection to their social life. A health professional could use art, music, photos or a range of assessment tools that are electronic to better understand the person and their unique perspective on the world around them. They should also talk with the person about the issues that have caused them to seek assistance and assure them that there is nothing wrong with seeking out an expert in mental health.