The Mental Status Exam

The mental status exam takes into consideration a client’s appearance, noticeable activity, mood and congruency of affect, articulation, thought process and content, perception and cognition through observations and dialogue in order to conceptualize cognitive functioning into diagnosis.

By carefully observing the client throughout the examination, obvious physical and cognitive factors can be noted that appear abnormal possibly indicating the presence of mental or physical illness. Observable traits such as signs of illness or impairment, personal hygiene, eye contact and manner can be assessed without discussing the client’s current condition. The client is further assessed by observing characteristics and the quality of their responses