Mental Status Examination

Document Type

Book Section

Publication Date

3-12-2019

Publication Title

Diagnostic interviewing 5th edition

Publisher

Springer

Edition

5

First page number:

77

Last page number:

102

Abstract

The mental status examination (MSE) is a structured assessment of the clinically relevant areas of a client’s behavioral, emotional, and cognitive functioning. It includes descriptions of the client’s overall appearance, comportment, and behavior; it also describes a client’s thought and perceptual processes and content, emotional state, and cognitive abilities, including level of consciousness, orientation and attention, and insight. By coalescing these important domains, the MSE paints a picture of the client at a given point in time.

Keywords

Mental status exam; Observation; Evaluation; Interviewing

Disciplines

Behavioral Medicine | Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental and Social Health

Language

English

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