Identifying a potential acute stroke in the psychiatric unit is crucial because immediate treatment can usually prevent permanent neurologic damage.

You’ll frequently encounter cases of hyperlipidemia among your patients on the psychiatric unit. Individuals with chronic mental illnesses are at a higher risk due to poor dietary habits, inadequate health care follow-up, smoking, and lack of physical exercise.

When managing pain in inpatient psychiatric settings, you will face unique challenges, including drug interaction risks, potential substance misuse, and the concern that inadequately treated pain may worsen depression or anxiety.

The Y-BOCS is a tool that allows you to gauge the intensity of OCD symptoms and track treatment progress. 

The EPDS is the most validated and widely used screening test for postpartum depression.

The MoCA is an efficient tool for evaluating cognitive function, especially for identifying mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Here, we’re going to dive into how you can administer the MoCA effectively.

The BFCRS (Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale) identifies and quantifies catatonia severity. It includes 23 items assessing symptoms from immobility to autonomic abnormalities. 

The Psychiatric Review of Symptoms (PROS) screens for major psychiatric disorders during an initial evaluation. Use the mnemonic below to ensure you cover all major diagnostic categories.

The older adult interview is similar to the adult interview but includes additional considerations and caveats.