Mood, Anxiety and Substance Use
Assess common mental illness, self-harm, withdrawal and physical mimics using collaborative risk formulation.
How to prepare for MRCP(UK) Part 1
Use the official likely question distribution to plan breadth, then connect mechanisms, patterns and investigations to one most appropriate answer.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Mental-health assessment includes physical causes, substances, function and immediate risk.
Exam cue: Ask directly about intent, plans, means and protective factors.
Concept 2
Suicide risk is formulated from dynamic and static factors rather than a score alone.
Exam cue: Check physical instability in withdrawal or eating-related illness.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Using a risk tool as a substitute for assessment.
Guardrail: Do not select an option merely because it is true; choose the one that best answers the exact stem and fits the full pattern.
Calling palpitations anxiety without appropriate physical review.
Guardrail: Do not select an option merely because it is true; choose the one that best answers the exact stem and fits the full pattern.
Memory anchors
What belongs in suicide-risk assessment?
Thoughts, intent, plan, means, history, mental state, substances, stressors and protective factors.
What follows self-harm?
Treat physical harm, assess mental state and safeguarding, formulate risk and arrange safe follow-up.
What makes withdrawal dangerous?
Autonomic instability, seizures, hallucinations or delirium.
What precedes an anxiety diagnosis?
Compatible history with proportionate exclusion of physical and substance-related causes.
What supports depression treatment choice?
Severity, duration, risk, preference, comorbidity, prior response and current guidance.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
A 38-year-old woman has 6 weeks of low mood, anhedonia, early waking, poor appetite, guilt and impaired concentration. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A patient with depression says, 'My family would be better off without me.' What is the most important next step?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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