Mental Status Examination (MSE) reports can be more or less detailed. More detailed reports are necessary when patients or clients exhibit a complex array of psychiatric symptoms, affect, and behavior. Less detailed reports are more common when the situation is less complex and the patient or client displays affect and behaviors that are generally within what might be considered a broad range of normal.

In most cases MSEs are imbedded within a clinical or psychiatric interview. As a consequence, as an evaluator, sometimes you may obtain more information about certain areas of functioning than others. This may or may not be intentional and it may or may not be reflected in your report. For example, in the example below, the purpose of the interview was to screen an individual for advanced placement in a Job Corps setting. Because Job Corps is a social and vocational setting, you may notice the MSE report writer emphasizes social functioning. You may also notice that the writer is EXPLICITLY clearly giving the client a “clean” mental status.

Keep in mind that like all MSE reports, this report is designed as a relatively objective appraisal of mental functioning. Nevertheless, subjective judgment and inference is always a part of MSEs and MSE reports.

MSE Sample Report: Example of Positive Functioning

Lucia Rodriguez, a 24-year-old Latino female, was open, pleasant, and cooperative during our meeting. She was well-groomed and looked somewhat younger than her stated age. She was fully oriented and alert. Her speech was clear, coherent, and of normal rate and volume. Her affect was euthymic and stable. She rated her mood as an “8” on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being completely down and depressed and 10 being as happy as possible. She further indicated that she is typically in a “positive mood.” Lucia has no current obsessional thoughts or psychotic symptoms. She has no significant mental health history. Her intellectual ability is probably at least in the above average range. She completed serial sevens and other concentration tasks without difficulty. Her cognitive skills, including memory and abstract thinking were intact. Her responses to questions pertaining to social judgment were positive and well-developed. Overall she appeared forthright and reliable. Her insight and judgment were good.