Beth

A 74-year-old woman is brought in by her daughter with 6 months of low mood, anhedonia and passive suicidal ideation since her husband's death, with somatic and poverty delusions. Take a sensitive mental health history, complete a mental state examination and risk assessment, and formulate a safety and management plan.

1. 1Take a sensitive history of the mood disturbance and its biological symptoms
2. 2Take a collateral history from the daughter
3. 3Screen for psychotic features and exclude organic and bipolar causes
4. 4Complete a mental state examination
5. 5Perform a structured suicide and safety risk assessment
6. 6State a working diagnosis with relevant differentials and severity
7. 7Formulate a safety, treatment and follow-up plan with safety-netting