Mental state
examination is a very important part of clinical assessment in a psychiatric
patient. Most of the time, it is the only method available to diagnose the
psychiatric disorder which the patient is suffering from. Therefore, it is a
very important part of the clinical management of a psychiatric patient. The
examination is designed to assess the patents appearance, mood and affect,
speech, thought process, thought content, insight, judgment, impulsivity and
reliability.
The
examination should be taken at a quite and non-threatening environment for the
patient. The place should be arranged to secure the patient’s privacy. There
should not be any object that can be used as weapon. Start the examination by
recording the time and date.
