Application of mental status examination in homoeopathic prescribing

Abstract

Homoeopathy is a developing system of medicine which is based on the principle of individualization. Understanding the personality traits and mental symptoms of an individual is pivotal in homoeopathic prescribing. Eliciting mental symptoms requires skillful application of art and science. Mental status examination (MSE) is a structured assessment of the patient's behavioural and cognitive functioning, usually administered in psychiatry but in brief is a part of every medical exam. The components of MSE can be utilized in homoeopathy to elicit certain mental symptoms, erect appropriate rubrics and to arrive at the right similimum, which is indispensable for cure.