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Chapter 3 - Psychopathology and the Mental Status Examination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

By
Marsal Sanches
Edited by
Marsal Sanches  and
Jair C. Soares
Marsal Sanches
Affiliation:
McGovern Medical School, Texas
Jair C. Soares
Affiliation:
McGovern Medical School, Texas
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Summary

A formal psychiatric evaluation must include an itemized description of the mental status exam (MSE). For purposes of documentation, the MSE is considered, by most practitioners, the “objective” portion of the psychiatric assessment, in contrast with history data, which comprise the “subjective” part of the examination. The present chapter provides a succinct description on the MSE and of the main psychopathological concepts of interest for its proper description.

Keywords

Mental Status ExamPsychopathologyPsychiatric AssessmentPsychiatric Interview
Type
Chapter
Information
Fundamentals of Clinical Psychiatry
A Practical Handbook
 , pp. 9 - 18
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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