Psychiatric Symptoms Screen
Due to stigma and misinformation patients may not have had the opportunity to talk about psychiatric symptoms they experience. It is important to screen for psychiatric illness in all psychiatric patients as co-morbidities are common. Below are tips on what to ask when screening for major psychiatric disorders.
Cognitive disorders
'Have you found yourself getting more forgetful?'
'Are you able to follow and engage in conversations like normal?'
'Administer MMSE and cognitive testing'
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Affective disorders
'Have you been depressed or gone through a long period of having low mood?' (Dysthymia / Depression)
'Have you ever had a period of feeling extreme elation, with more confidence and energy that normal that you began behaving out of character?' (Mania / Hypomania)
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Psychotic disorders
'Have you had any abnormal or irrational feelings, thoughts or experiences?'
'Have you ever heard, seen or smelt anything others couldn't?'
'Do you ever feel that you are being targeted or tormented?'
'Do often you think others are observing and commenting about you?
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Neurotic / Somatic Disorders
'Do you experience prolonged or inexplicable anxiety, fear or worry?'
'Have you ever had an intense rush of fear and apprehension or felt impending doom?'
Do you ever get annoying thoughts come into your head that distress you?
'Have you had medically unexplained illness?... tell me more?'
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Suicidality / Self Harm
'What are your hopes / plans for the future?
'Do you ever feel like there nothing worth living for?'
'Have you ever had any ideas of ending it all?'
'Have you ever acted on these ideas.. made any plans, taken any action?'
'Have you ever intentionally caused yourself any harm...?'
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Eating disorders
'Have you ever felt unhappy about your body image and tried to loose weight?'
'What to you think of you current body image / weight?'
'Have you ever had a binge where you felt you couldn't control your eating?'
'Do you ever feel you urgently have to reduce your weight... what do you do?'
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Substance misuse
'Administer CAGE (Cutting down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener)
'Have you used any recreational drugs like ecstasy, marijuana, LSD, heroin, cocaine, mushrooms…?'
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