ABSTRACT
As in any branch of medicine, psychiatry begins with taking a good history and examining the patient. The history is very similar in format to that taken in general medicine, while the mental state examination is something very particular to psychiatry. Having done both of these, it is then necessary to provide a formulation – i.e. a summary of the case presented in an integrated or synthesised fashion. This chapter deals with, in turn, the history, the mental state examination and the formulation.
