Mental Health

The objective of this case study is to provide an understanding of how a Mental State Examination (MSE) is conducted on a patient. The process is gain an initial assessment of the patient’s current mental health. Outlining their cognition, perception, mood and affect, behaviour, appearance and the Mandatory Functional Requirements, required for communication. For the purpose of this case study an MSE will be conducted on Lucy a twenty year old woman. Lucy was accompanied by her mother when they both presented at the Emergency Department at 0800 hrs today.

Question 1
Define cognition and then briefly discuss how we might interpret how both Amanda’s thought content and thought form are disturbed?
Harris, Nagy & Vardaxis (2006, p. 394) define cognition as “pertaining to the mental process characterised by knowing, thinking, learning, understanding and judging”.
Lucy’s thought content appears to be disturbed due to delusional behaviour. Lucy states that “Every one of us is falling”. Lucy has not expressed any suicidal thoughts but is clearly but was clearly distressed.
Thought form is a measure of how the patient is currently thinking. Lucy was expressing a flight of ides, switching from one topic to another.
Due to her expression of auditory hallucinations, a detailed risk assessment would be required to ascertain any potential risk toward herself and others, Elder, Evans & Nizette (2012, p. 194).

Question 2
Define perception as it relates to a MSE and then briefly discuss how we might interpret how Lucy may have some disturbance in one or more of her senses?
Harris, Nagy & Vardaxis (2006, p. 1316), view perception as being “the conscious recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli that serve as a basis for understanding, learning and for motivating a particular action or reaction”. In contrast, a false sensory perception, occurring through the lack of external stimuli is called an hallucination. Lucy has been having auditory and