The Mental Status Exam at the Movies: The Use of Film in a Behavioral Medicine Course for Physician Assistants

Objective This study evaluated student satisfaction with an educational exercise using feature films to learn about performing a psychiatric mental status examination. Methods Following the completion of an educational exercise designed by the first author, students in a behavioral medicine course completed surveys regarding their satisfaction with the exercise as a tool for learning how to perform a mental status examination. The educational exercise involved an initial didactic lecture followed by group exercises and individual presentations, utilizing feature films as tools for understanding the mental status examination. Each student selected a movie depicting a character with a psychiatric or substance-use disorder and performed a hypothetical mental status examination for the character, which they presented to their classmates. Results One hundred nine (109) students (97.3%) in the course completed evaluations of the educational exercise, and the majority found the exercise valuable; 93.6% of respondents felt that their ability to conceptualize a case had improved because of the exercise. In general evaluations of the course, this particular educational exercise was frequently mentioned in response to a free-form question about “the best part of the course.” Conclusion Movies depicting psychiatric illness and substance use disorders can be a fun and highly effective tool for helping students to learn and develop competency in the performance of mental status examinations.