Mental health assessment/mental status examination.

More than one-half of primary care patients have mental health symptoms or disorders. As health insurers are forced to cover mental disorders on parity with physical illness, the number of patients with mental health complaints will increase. Nurse practitioners must increase their skills in assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental disorders. This article provides a framework for mental health assessment, especially mental status examination. A method for improving mental health assessment skill is suggested.