Mental State Examination: Key Components

The mental state examination (MSE) is required in addition to any relevant physical examination.

What are the key components of the MSE?

The key components of the MSE and the factors to consider for each component are shown below:

Table 1: Key components of the MSE
Component	Factors to consider
Appearance	Dress unkempt, self-harm, physical disorder, inappropriate dress, previous deliberate self-harm
Behaviour	Co-operation, aggression, disinhibition, distress, preoccupations
Speech	Amount, spontaneity, volume, flow
Mood and affect	Subjective versus objective, posture, facial expression
Suicidality	Plans and intent
Thought form	Tangentiality, circumstantiality, associations, neologisms, flight
Thought content	Worries, obsessions, delusions
Abnormal perception	Hallucination and sensory modalities
Cognition	Orientation, attention, memory, intelligence
Insight	Patient’s understanding and expectations of their condition