MSE

Question 1

Summarise the MSE

Answer 1

• Appearance & behaviour
• Speech
• Mood
• Thoughts
• Perceptions
• Cognition
• Insight

+ risk assessment

Question 2

How is appearance assessed?

Answer 2

• Are they dressed appropriately for the weather?
• Are they adequately groomed?

Question 3

How is behaviour assessed?

Answer 3

• Is there psychomotor agitation?
• Is there guarding in their interaction?

Question 4

How is speech assessed?

Answer 4

• Is their speech spontaneous?
• Can you follow their train of thought throughout? (Ie is there TD?)
• Is there a speech pattern?

Question 5

How is mood assessed?

Answer 5

• Mood is what they tell you (subjective)
• Affect is how they appear (objective)
• Flattened / blunted affect / labile ?

Question 6

How is thought assessed?

Answer 6

THOUGHTS

• Can you follow train of thought? (Ie is there TD?)
• TD - tangential / flight of ideas /

DELUSIONS

• Describe the delusions
• “Complex system of x delusions”
• “No delusions in any other modalities”

Question 7

How is perception assessed?

Answer 7

• Describe hallucinations
• Second / third person
• Running commentary?

Question 8

How is cognition assessed?

Answer 8

• “Not formally assessed but patient was orientated in time, place, and person”

Question 9

How is insight assessed?

Answer 9

• “Patients beliefs were convinced and unshakable - lack of insight”