Psychiatric Interview

Professor Safeya Effat

It includes:
I- History taking
II- Mental state examination

I History taking
1. Personal data:
Name-age-sex-occupation-residence and marital state

2. C/o: in patient's own words and in Arabic.

3. Informant, and his/her C/o:

In his/her own words and in Arabic.

4. Family history:
1) Parents: Father Mother
Age
Occupation
Health
Character
Relation to the patient

2) Siblings:
Number of sibs
Order of the patient
Their level of education.
Their relation with the patient

3) Familial diseases:
Similar conditions.
Any other psychiatric disorder.
Drug dependence.
Epilepsy.
Neurological disorders.

5. Past History:
Of any medical or neurological disease that have a direct relation to the
present psychiatric disorder.

6. Personal History:
 1) Pregnancy and infancy:
0 Any disease or drugs of the mother ,
イ or any problems during labor,
ロ or in the first year of life.

2) Milestones of development.

3) Neurotic traits during childhood:

0 Temper tantrum
イ Thumb suckling
ロ Nail biting
ハ Nocturnal enuresis.

N.B.: items 1,2,3 are fulfilled in childhood psychiatric disorders only.

4) Education:
0 Level of graduation.
イ Average scores along the different educational stages.
ロ If there is any sudden decline in achievement.

5) Work:
0 Jobs
イ Duration of stay in each.
ロ Reason of leaving, if any.

6) Marriage:
0 Number, duration of each.
イ Reason of separation or divorce.
ロ Relation with the spouse.

7) Children:
0 Number.
イ The age of the youngest.

8) Sexual history (in some patients):

0 Sexual orientation ( heterosexual or homosexual).
イ Premarital and extramarital relationships.

In case of a female patient, you need to add:

9) Pregnancy and lactation:
0 No. of pregnancies.
イ If there was any problem during each.
 ロ The date of last pregnancy and labour or even
abortion.
ハ If there was any psychological troubles after any
labour.
ニ If the patient is lactating at the present time.

7. Pre-morbid Personality:
0 Main traits.
a. Extrovert or introvert.
b. Emotionally stable or emotionally unstable.
イ Hobbies.
ロ How the patient spends his/her leisure time.

8. History of present illness:

0 Onset (from the beginning of the psychiatric illness).
イ Course.
ロ Duration ( all past psychiatric histories are included).
ハ Full description of all the symptoms in chronological
order of occurrence, and in literature English language. All
data are put in one or two paragraphs.
ニ Then you have to ask and verify the presence of any
other related symptoms.
ホ All symptoms should be mentioned either present or
not.

II Mental state examination

1. General appearance
0 Dressing, self hygiene.
イ Facial expression.
2. Behavior:
0 Calm/restless.
イ Involuntary movements. If present.
3. Attitude.
0 Cooperative/uncooperative.
4. Speech:
イ Spontaneous or in answer.
ロ To the point or off point.
ハ Sample of the patient's speech………..
5. Affect:
0 Description of the patient's affect.
イ Reactivity.
 ロ Appropriateness to the situation.

6. Thinking:
0 Form including abstract test.
イ Content.
ロ Stream.
ハ Control disturbances.
7. Perceptual disturbances:
0 Hallucinations and its modality.
8. Insight:
イ Insightful/ insight less
9. Cognitive functions:
0 Consciousness
イ Attention and concentration.
ロ Orientation:
Time – place – persons.
ハ Memory:
Immediate – recent – remote events