As video host Brad Hagen notes, most mental health practitioners at some point will need to conduct a mental status examination. Moreover, this may need to happen not just once, but continually, to monitor a patient’s ongoing mood, thought patterns, speech, communication, degree of suicidal ideation, and potential for violence, among other important factors. Thus it’s imperative for clinicians to stay focused while engaging patients as effectively as possible.
This video presents two contrasting vignettes in which a novice and an experienced nurse conduct respective mental status interviews with a suicidal hospital patient. In both cases, the patient exhibits borderline dynamics and a potentially aggressive affect, and you’ll see how the confidence, directiveness, and empathy that comes with proficiency leads to greater compliance and a sense of safety.
Although the videos in this series are designed for mental health and psychiatric nurses, the skills demonstrated apply for any mental health care worker dealing with patients with these psychiatric conditions. If you’re a therapist, counselor, psychiatric nurse, or other helping professional conducting intakes or mental status exams, this video will give you valuable takeaways you can start using today.
Note: A more formal, and thorough example of how to conduct a mental status exam is available in the video
Clinical Interviewing: Intake, Assessment and Therapeutic Alliance.
By watching this video, you will:
- Learn about the challenges of conducting thorough mental status examinations.
- Understand how novice interventions can disrupt treatment goals and exacerbate patient distress.
- Identify effective skills and interventions that build patient rapport and increase the likelihood of compliance.
Length of video: 00:24:00
English subtitles available
Group ISBN-10 #: 1-60124-443-6
Group ISBN-13 #: 978-1-60124-443-7
Brad Hagen, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse, a registered psychologist, and an associate professor in the faculty of health sciences, at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, where he teaches in the nursing and addictions counseling programs. Hagen's main research and teaching interests include the broad areas of mental health, gerontology, long-term care, psychotropic drug use, and how to bring critical social theory and/or feminist approaches to these topics.
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Brad Hagen videos.