Mental Health Assessment of Psychosis 2022
Added on 2022-08-15
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Running head: MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOSIS
Mental health assessment of psychosis
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:
Mental health assessment of psychosis
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:
MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOSIS1
Q1) Define mental health assessment. Why is it used? Why is it a useful tool for nursing
or midwifery practices?
A1) Mental health assessment is a form of check-up to evaluate the mental state of a
person through a set of questions and physical examination to diagnose clinical psychological
conditions such as psychosis, depression, anxiety and eating disorders (Townsend and
Morgan 2017).
The purpose of this assessment is to check if the psychiatric capacity of the patient is
deteriorating and screen for any mental disorder such as depression or anxiety if present. It
might also help in diagnosing neuropathology such as Alzheimer’s disease or on suspecting
substance abuse. It assesses the behavioural risk that might threaten the victim or others. It is
recommended if the individual is facing difficulties in school or workplace (Freeman et al.
2017).
Mental health assessment acts as a baseline to record the mental health of a patient.
This assessment is essential in nursing or midwifery practices to help them understand the
person’s distress and gives an insight into the sufferer’s appearance, speech, cognition,
thoughts and perception. This is important to develop a patient-oriented treatment plan
(Fortinash and Worret 2014).
Q2) Describe Andy’s appearance and behaviour during the initial assessment.
A2) Andy’s clothing showed no peculiarity as such. However, he but some unshaven
beard. Otherwise, his overall hygiene seemed reasonable. Throughout the assessment, he
appeared disturbed and restrained from eye contact with the doctor. He looked distressed and
suspicious of the people around him. He suspected his roommates were conspiring against
him and were working for MI5 along with their professor. His speech was muddled and
Q1) Define mental health assessment. Why is it used? Why is it a useful tool for nursing
or midwifery practices?
A1) Mental health assessment is a form of check-up to evaluate the mental state of a
person through a set of questions and physical examination to diagnose clinical psychological
conditions such as psychosis, depression, anxiety and eating disorders (Townsend and
Morgan 2017).
The purpose of this assessment is to check if the psychiatric capacity of the patient is
deteriorating and screen for any mental disorder such as depression or anxiety if present. It
might also help in diagnosing neuropathology such as Alzheimer’s disease or on suspecting
substance abuse. It assesses the behavioural risk that might threaten the victim or others. It is
recommended if the individual is facing difficulties in school or workplace (Freeman et al.
2017).
Mental health assessment acts as a baseline to record the mental health of a patient.
This assessment is essential in nursing or midwifery practices to help them understand the
person’s distress and gives an insight into the sufferer’s appearance, speech, cognition,
thoughts and perception. This is important to develop a patient-oriented treatment plan
(Fortinash and Worret 2014).
Q2) Describe Andy’s appearance and behaviour during the initial assessment.
A2) Andy’s clothing showed no peculiarity as such. However, he but some unshaven
beard. Otherwise, his overall hygiene seemed reasonable. Throughout the assessment, he
appeared disturbed and restrained from eye contact with the doctor. He looked distressed and
suspicious of the people around him. He suspected his roommates were conspiring against
him and were working for MI5 along with their professor. His speech was muddled and
MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOSIS2
often, confusing to comprehend. He depicted reduced motor activity and a lowered level of
arousal. His behaviour displayed distressing impulses and was full of negative thoughts. He
was also cooperative with the doctor in sharing his distress but did not believe that he was
mentally ill.
Q3) Differentiate between mood and affect. Describe affect in regard to Andy.
A3) Affect refers to an experience or a particular state of emotion resulting in spontaneous
or immediate responses and expressions of the patient. It is essentially a direct response with
stimuli. On the other hand, the mood describes a condition or state of sustained emotional
endurance persisting for a prolonged period (Simon, Clark and Fiske 2014).
Andy depicted a dismal and an anxious affect which ranged for almost the entire time. He
looked miserable and depressed from inside. His body language did not depict significant
agitation or arousal and seemed labile. However, he expressed his tension and concern
throughout the assessment. Also, most of his answers addressed the questions asked.
Q4) Discuss Andy’s speech.
A4) Andy’s speech was mumbled and at some points, lacked clarity. His responses were
difficult to understand in some cases. He spoke minimally and only answered to the questions
asked. He did not look directly at the doctor while speaking and seemed distracted with
frequent looks around the room. Also, the rate of his speech was slow with considerate
latency. His tempo was soft but worrisome. Frequently, he depicted a slurred fluency.
However, he was continually trying to explain his point to the doctor and made significant
efforts to establish his thoughts. In between his answers, frequent pauses were also observed.
Q5) What signs or symptoms associated with psychosis did you identify with Andy?
often, confusing to comprehend. He depicted reduced motor activity and a lowered level of
arousal. His behaviour displayed distressing impulses and was full of negative thoughts. He
was also cooperative with the doctor in sharing his distress but did not believe that he was
mentally ill.
Q3) Differentiate between mood and affect. Describe affect in regard to Andy.
A3) Affect refers to an experience or a particular state of emotion resulting in spontaneous
or immediate responses and expressions of the patient. It is essentially a direct response with
stimuli. On the other hand, the mood describes a condition or state of sustained emotional
endurance persisting for a prolonged period (Simon, Clark and Fiske 2014).
Andy depicted a dismal and an anxious affect which ranged for almost the entire time. He
looked miserable and depressed from inside. His body language did not depict significant
agitation or arousal and seemed labile. However, he expressed his tension and concern
throughout the assessment. Also, most of his answers addressed the questions asked.
Q4) Discuss Andy’s speech.
A4) Andy’s speech was mumbled and at some points, lacked clarity. His responses were
difficult to understand in some cases. He spoke minimally and only answered to the questions
asked. He did not look directly at the doctor while speaking and seemed distracted with
frequent looks around the room. Also, the rate of his speech was slow with considerate
latency. His tempo was soft but worrisome. Frequently, he depicted a slurred fluency.
However, he was continually trying to explain his point to the doctor and made significant
efforts to establish his thoughts. In between his answers, frequent pauses were also observed.
Q5) What signs or symptoms associated with psychosis did you identify with Andy?
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