Mental health is an essential aspect of overall well-being. Everyone experiences ups and downs, but for individuals with a mental health diagnosis, monitoring mental status is critical for managing symptoms and staying on the path to recovery. This article will guide you through how to track your mental status effectively and complete a self-administered mental status exam (MSE) to understand your recovery progress.
Important Note: These tools should be discussed with your therapist or psychiatrist before implementing them. They can complement professional care but are not substitutes for medical advice or treatment.
General Appearance
Your appearance, including personal hygiene and grooming, can provide insight into your mental health. Changes, such as neglecting self-care, might indicate that you’re struggling.
Action Steps:
•Regularly reflect on your grooming habits.
•If you notice a decline, adjust your self-care routine and discuss it with your therapist.
Mood and Affect
Your mood reflects your internal emotional state, while affect is how you express it outwardly. Tracking these daily can help identify patterns and triggers.
Action Steps:
•Use a mood diary or a simple 1–10 rating scale to record how you feel each day.
•Note events, stressors, or situations that affect your mood.
•Work on emotional regulation techniques, such as mindfulness or breathing exercises, to manage challenging moments.
Speech, Thought Process, and Cognitive Function
The way you communicate and process information provides critical insights into your mental health. Disorganized thoughts, difficulty expressing yourself, or memory issues may signal cognitive challenges.
Action Steps:
•Pay attention to how you speak and think during conversations.
•Keep a journal of any instances of confusion or trouble recalling information.
•Discuss concerns with your healthcare provider, who may recommend cognitive or speech therapy.
Orientation, Insight, and Judgment
Awareness of time, place, and self (orientation), understanding your behavior (insight), and making sound decisions (judgment) are essential aspects of mental health.
Action Steps:
•Periodically ask yourself questions like, “What day is it?” or “Where am I?”
•Reflect on recent decisions to assess if they were thoughtful or impulsive.
•If you notice confusion or risky behavior, consult your therapist promptly.
Assessment Tools and Other Indicators
Monitoring your ability to complete everyday tasks, maintain relationships, and engage in hobbies reveals how your mental health impacts your life.
Action Steps:
•Use a functional assessment tool to measure your ability to perform tasks like cooking, cleaning, or managing finances.
•Track any challenges and seek support when needed.
In addition to functional assessments, tracking changes in your social support network is essential. Mental health conditions often lead to social isolation, further exacerbating symptoms and declining overall functioning. By tracking changes in your social support network, you can identify when to focus on building new relationships or strengthening existing ones. This can include reaching out to friends and family members, joining support groups, or participating in activities that allow you to connect with others with similar interests.
Tracking changes in your sleep patterns is also essential, as sleep is critical to overall mental health and well-being. Many mental health conditions are associated with disruptions in sleep, such as insomnia or hypersomnia. By tracking changes in your sleep patterns over time, you can identify when your Mental Status may be impacting your ability to get the restorative status you need. This can help you, and your mental health care team identify appropriate interventions to improve sleep quality and overall well-being.
In addition to tracking changes in your daily life, it is also essential to track changes in your overall well-being. This includes tracking changes in your mood, energy level, and overall satisfaction with life. By tracking changes in your sense of well-being over time, you can identify when your Mental Status may be impacting your overall quality of life. You and your mental health care team develop appropriate interventions to support your overall mental health and well-being.
There are many different tools and strategies that you can use to track your Mental Status over time. Tracking your mental status can be a valuable tool for managing your mental health and changes with your symptoms over time. By monitoring your general appearance, mood and affect, speech, thought process, fund of knowledge, orientation, insight, and judgment, you can better understand how your mental health symptoms may be impacting your daily life and take steps to address any changes or worsening symptoms.
Author Info:
Max E. Guttman
Max E. Guttman is the owner of Mindful Living LCSW, PLLC, a private mental health practice in Yonkers, New York.
