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Home / Psychiatry
Mental health module

Psychiatry

Mental-status examination, risk assessment, capacity and safe disposition.

Module objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to gather focused information, identify the most likely and most dangerous diagnoses, choose appropriate investigations, begin safe management and communicate the plan clearly.

Core presentations

Depression and suicide risk

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Psychosis and mania

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Anxiety and panic

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Substance use and withdrawal

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Delirium versus dementia

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Eating disorders

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Agitation and behavioural emergency

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Capacity and treatment refusal

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Trauma and grief

Practise a focused assessment, prioritized differential, targeted investigations, immediate management and safety-netting.

Expected station skills

  • Structured mental-status examination
  • Direct suicide and violence questions
  • Substance and medication history
  • Capacity assessment
  • Collaborative safety planning
Module drill: For each presentation, state the leading diagnosis, the dangerous alternative, one discriminating question, one discriminating examination finding and the first action if the patient is unstable.

Red flags and escalation

  • Active suicidal intent
  • Command hallucinations
  • Severe agitation
  • Delirium
  • Withdrawal complications
  • Inability to care for self

Station rehearsal template

  1. Read the task and identify the required output.
  2. Open professionally and establish the agenda.
  3. Gather focused positive and negative findings.
  4. Summarize and prioritize the differential.
  5. State investigations and management in a safe sequence.
  6. Address the patient’s concerns and understanding.
  7. Close with disposition, follow-up and safety-netting.

Suggested complete 11-minute stations

Suicide-risk assessment11 minutes

Depression with suicidal thoughts

Ask directly about suicide and create a safe disposition.

Psychiatric history + mental status11 minutes

First-episode psychosis

Assess psychosis, risk, substances and medical causes.

De-escalation + emergency plan11 minutes

Severely agitated patient

Protect safety, search medical causes and use least restrictive intervention.