Mental state assessment: Specific conditions

Mental state assessment or mental state examination is important not only in reaching a diagnosis but also in engaging patients and their families and planning therapeutic interventions. In addition to the basic principles of assessment, specific psychiatric conditions require additional details. Working with children and adolescents, with older individuals, and those with intellectual disabilities brings with it special challenges. It is crucial that clinicians are aware of the cultural context of the individual being assessed and that they take care and spend time to carry out the assessment, which may need to continue over a number of sessions. To achieve optimal results and outcomes, good therapeutic alliance is essential. It is critical that clinicians are aware of the impact of culture on the genesis, perpetuation, and prognosis of symptoms. Clinicians must be even more careful when working with special groups and psychiatric disorders, which are described further in this chapter.