Simple Mental Evaluation Tools

Simple mental evaluation tools generally involve asking questions and observing the person's behavior. This establishes a base-line functionality level for the individual that a professional can evaluate to see how, or if, the results differ from what is considered normal behavior. A simple mental evaluation is usually fairly brief and focuses on an individual's appearance, mood, thought processes and general orientation to his or her surroundings. Most information can be gathered from just observing behavior.

Mental Evaluation Tests

• The Mini-Mental Status Examination evaluates an individual's cognitive function and screens for cognitive loss. It tests the individual's orientation, attention, calculation, recall, language and motor skills. An individual can score a maximum of 30 points on the test; a score below 20 usually indicates cognitive impairment. Concerning depression, the gold standard for more than 40 years has been the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. It consists of a point system relating to the answers given on a test. The higher the cumulative score, the higher the probability that, or severity of, depression exists.

Observations

• When observing someone's physical behavior for mental health, look at basic appearance: sex, apparent age, height and weight, ethnicity, physical deformities, basic hygiene and grooming. Gait, motor coordination and posture also should be noted. An individual's reaction to the evaluation can be important. Is the person resistant, defensive, candid and cooperative, shy or mistrustful and hostile? Is his speech pressured, slow, loud, quiet, or at a normal rate and volume? Does she avoid eye contact, or seem to be in a specific mood?

Questions

• The most important question to ask is if there is a family history of mental illness. Mental illness tends to run in families, and the answer to that question can be an effective indicator as to whether or not something is wrong. Other questions asked during a simple mental evaluation could include how a person is feeling, or how he is eating and sleeping. An individual might be asked if she worries a lot, has excessive, or not enough, energy throughout the day. Eating and sleeping patterns, in particular, can say a lot about a person. Not having enough energy throughout the day can be an indication of depression.

Evaluation

• Depending on the results of a simple mental exam, a patient may exhibit symptoms from the lows of depression to the highs of mania, or any of the spectrum of mental illness in between. If a simple exam shows divergence from the norm, a more thorough examination may be warranted so that person can get a proper diagnosis and treatment.