Mental Status Examinations (MSE) are semi-structured assessment interviews designed to evaluate the client’s current cognitive process, while focusing primarily on psychiatric diagnoses versus neurological functioning (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2014). As an examiner, ideally, you should be able to “balance emotional sensitivity with appropriate objective detachment” (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2014, p. 250). Additionally, as with any interview or assessment, it is crucial to remain mindful about cultural differences, as well as becoming knowledgeable in multiculturalism. Individuals working, as physicians, psychotherapists, and counselors should expect to receive training on MSE skills in order to be educated about assessing
…show more content…
Some of the most obvious features would mostly likely relate to the clients apparent age, their hygiene, if they dress and groom themselves appropriately, and their physical stigmata, which may be suggestive of a genetic or medical disorder. Other factors that may be suggestive of an individual’s mental health are, the manner in which they make eye contact with the examiners, as well as the approach they take when interacting with the examiner. By observing a client’s appearance, the clinician may begin to notice physical signs of malnutrition, drug or alcohol abuse, poor personal hygiene, depression, or a number of other aspects that could be indicative of a mental health deficiency. Additionally, mental status examiners pay attention to activity levels, such as cognitive activity and motor coordination. For instance, if a client is experiencing symptoms of stereotypy it may be suggestive of autism or another intellectual disability; or symptoms of dystonia, for example, may be indicative of reactions to medications (Bennett & Evans, …show more content…
Throughout the evaluation, examiners should also remain mindful of the client’s insight or understanding of their problems, their reliability or how credible their responses are, and whether they exhibit good judgment when making decisions. Moreover, the assessor should remain cautious of making overgeneralizations based on minimal symptoms to avoid misdiagnosing. All things considered, the Mental Status Exam is a component of medical examinations, used primarily for clinical diagnosing, and can be viewed as the psychiatric equivalent of a physical exam (House,
Some of the most obvious features would mostly likely relate to the clients apparent age, their hygiene, if they dress and groom themselves appropriately, and their physical stigmata, which may be suggestive of a genetic or medical disorder. Other factors that may be suggestive of an individual’s mental health are, the manner in which they make eye contact with the examiners, as well as the approach they take when interacting with the examiner. By observing a client’s appearance, the clinician may begin to notice physical signs of malnutrition, drug or alcohol abuse, poor personal hygiene, depression, or a number of other aspects that could be indicative of a mental health deficiency. Additionally, mental status examiners pay attention to activity levels, such as cognitive activity and motor coordination. For instance, if a client is experiencing symptoms of stereotypy it may be suggestive of autism or another intellectual disability; or symptoms of dystonia, for example, may be indicative of reactions to medications (Bennett & Evans, …show more content…
Throughout the evaluation, examiners should also remain mindful of the client’s insight or understanding of their problems, their reliability or how credible their responses are, and whether they exhibit good judgment when making decisions. Moreover, the assessor should remain cautious of making overgeneralizations based on minimal symptoms to avoid misdiagnosing. All things considered, the Mental Status Exam is a component of medical examinations, used primarily for clinical diagnosing, and can be viewed as the psychiatric equivalent of a physical exam (House,