Assessment
Identifies specific needs of client and how those needs will be met by health care professional
Evaluation
Measure of whether the goals/objectives of the intervention have been met
Affect
General term that incorporates a broad range of feelings that people experience (covers both emotion and mood)
- an observed expression of feeling
Emotions
Strong feelings that are triggered by someone or something
- Subjective, physiological and Behavioural response
Moods
Feelings that are often less intense than emotions and doesn’t have a contextual stimulus
- Sustained state of feeling
Theories of emotion
- Physiological: responses within body are responsible for emotions
- Neurological: activity within brain leads to emotional responses
- Cognitive: thoughts and other mental activity play an essential role in formation of emotions
Emotional disorders
Blunted- intensity of emotion is decreased
Flat affect- when no emotion is present or varies little
Inappropriate- doesn’t correspond with content of person’s speech and ideas
Labile- when it alternates easily and rapidly especially when it changes without an obvious reason
Dysphoria
Unpleasant mood e.g. depression and anxiety
Elevated
Person feels happier than usual e.g. after passing a test
Euphoric(hyperthymic)
Pathologic and unfounded feeling if well-being, optimism and cheerfulness
Euthymia
Mood is within “normal” range, implies that the person’s mood isn’t depressed or elevated
Hypothymia
Person’s mood is depressed
How to prepare for an assessment
- Aspect to be assessed
- Manifestations
- Methodology
- Expectations
- “Results” or findings
Aspects to assess
- Pathologically pleasant emotions
- Unpleasant emotions
- Relevance of emotions(intensity, duration and stimulus)
- Range of emotion
- Emotional control
- Attitude towards self
- Attitude towards treatment
Methodology
- Co-lateral
- Interviewing
- Observation
- Activity participation
- Tests/questionnaires
- Other
Relevant questions to ask (Interview)
- How do you feel about being here?
- Can you tell me a bit about yourself/home/work/hospitalisation/treatment/family?
- What does your day typically look like?
- How does your depression/anxiety/hearing voices affect your daily life?
