Dopamine

Excess linked to schizophrenia and movement disorders

Serotonin

Low levels associated with depression

Norepinephrine

Excess causes anxiety; deficit causes memory loss, depression, social withdrawal

Acetylcholine

Linked to dementia

GABA

Low levels associated with anxiety

Delusions of reference

Belief that environment/media messages are directed at them

Delusions of control

Belief thoughts or actions are controlled by external force

Nihilistic delusions

Belief that self, body, or world does not exist

Delusions of poverty

Belief they will lose all possessions

Delusions of grandeur

Exaggerated sense of importance or identity

Somatic delusions

False belief about illness or body despite evidence

Persecutory delusions

Belief others intend harm

Religious delusions

Fixed beliefs with extreme religious content

Delusions of jealousy

Belief partner is unfaithful without proof

Auditory hallucinations

Hearing voices with no external source

Command hallucinations

Voices giving instructions, often harmful

Visual hallucinations

Seeing things not present

Olfactory hallucinations

Smelling nonexistent odors

Gustatory hallucinations

Tasting things not eaten

Tactile hallucinations

Feeling sensations such as bugs crawling

Comprehensive assessment

Full, detailed evaluation

Focused assessment

Targets a specific issue

Screening assessment

Quick data collection using tools

Appearance (MSE)

Observable physical presentation

Behaviour/attitude

Facial expression, body language, eye contact, arousal

Speech/communication

Rate, volume, tone, quantity, ease of conversation

Affect

Objective emotional expression

Mood

Subjective emotional state

Cognitive features

Orientation, attention, memory, abstract thinking

Thought content

What the patient is thinking

Thought process

How the patient thinks

Perceptual disturbances

Hallucinations or illusions

Insight

Awareness of one’s condition

Distinctive features

Notable physical characteristics

Clothing

Appropriateness, condition, style

Grooming

Level of care in appearance

Hygiene

Cleanliness

Posture and gait

How the patient carries themselves

Apparent age

Whether appearance matches stated age

Facial expression

Emotion shown on face

Body language

Nonverbal communication

Eye contact

Amount and quality

Rapport

Ease of connection with examiner

Social engagement

Interaction with others

Level of arousal

Alertness

Psychomotor activity

Agitation, retardation, restlessness

Speech rate

Speed of speech

Speech volume

Loudness

Speech tone

Emotional quality

Speech quantity

Amount of speech

Ease of conversation

Fluency and comfort

Orientation

Awareness of time, place, person

Attention and concentration

Ability to focus

Abstract thinking

Ability to interpret concepts

Intelligence/general knowledge

Fund of knowledge

Memory

Recent and remote recall

Circumstantiality

Over-detailed but eventually reaches point

Flight of ideas

Rapid shifting between topics

Loose associations

Illogical connections between thoughts

Tangentiality

Never returns to main point

Derailment

Sudden shift off topic

Thought blocking

Sudden stop in thinking

Thought insertion

Belief thoughts are implanted

Thought withdrawal

Belief thoughts are removed

Thought broadcasting

Belief thoughts are public

Word salad

Incoherent mixture of words

Delusions

Fixed false beliefs

Suicidal ideation

Thoughts of self-harm

Homicidal ideation

Thoughts of harming others

Obsessions

Intrusive, unwanted thoughts

Anxiety/phobias

Fear-based thought content