Volume 4 Issue 4 April, 2014
Stereotypical MSEs
Going back again to my PG days , I was in charge of ward-10, then an open ward which housed non-psychotic
patients , few psychotic patients who were manageable or with whom a relative would be staying. In addition few
chronic psychotic patients were also there who either had no place to go in the community or those who were
attending occupation therapy. The inmates of the ward were made into a group for interactions that were held
twice a week. One patient having chronic psychosis who had been staying in that ward since very long time was
made the leader of the group whose duty was to ensure that all the inmates attended to their personal chores like
washing face, bathing, changing and washing clothes, attending the occupation therapy etc. The leader was
managing his assignments very well.
Once after I finished interviewing a newly admitted patient I told him to go to his bed, he appeared hesitant to leave
the room. When I asked him whether he wanted to say some thing more he said “Doctor you did not ask me the
similarities and differences between bicycle and car. You did not ask me about the ‘child near the well ’ story; you
did not give me the address test. I know to answer all of them correctly.” Quite surprised, I asked him “How do you
know about all these things?” He replied “Our ward leader has told me about all the questions you would ask me
and has taught me the correct answers also.” Then I understood how most of the patients we re coming out with
appropriate answers in the interview. I just burst out with laughter at the whole farcical thing that was taking place
in the ward. On asking the leader he sheepishly said that he had assumed it to be his duty to train them to face the
interview. However, the incident made me think about the stereo -typical way we conducted the interviews then
and I see it even now with my trainees despite my telling them repeatedly to evolve their own way of doing it.
