Mental Health Assessments at Mercy Health
A mental health assessment is a series of questions and tests conducted by a medical or psychological professional. It's a tool that can help them assess your symptoms and decide on the amount of care you require, from outpatient services to inpatient care.
You can also bring your friend along or have a representative through your local council or a service like Rethink.
Screening
A screening mental health assessment is a test used to ascertain whether a patient functions in a healthy mental and social level. This type of assessment can also assist in the diagnosis of neurological disorders and diseases. It can be employed as an assessment tool for depression, substance abuse and other ailments. These tests are typically less expensive and shorter than professional assessments offered by mental health professionals.
In general, a screening assessment involves a short interview with the person being evaluated and questions regarding the present and past symptoms, when they started and how long they've been present. The patient may be asked to provide information about her family history or if she has been diagnosed with another condition. It is also important to discuss the patient's feelings, thoughts and opinions with the healthcare professional.
During the exam, the healthcare provider can ask the patient to discuss any fears or concerns they may have. The healthcare provider will ask the patient about any medications she's taking and how they are working. It's usually a good idea for the patient to bring a friend or family member to the appointment and to be as honest as possible.
Following a brief interview, the healthcare professional will most likely conduct tests. These tests will vary depending on the type of test that is being done. Rating scales are frequently employed to assist patients in separating complex emotions and feelings into simpler responses. These tests are useful in determining the severity of a disorder and planning treatment of a disorder.
Other assessment tools include symptom checklists, which are lists of possible symptoms that can be used to pinpoint a particular disorder. These tools should be used cautiously because they don't consider all of the psychosocial, biological and cultural aspects of a patient’s life.
Another way in how the patient's thoughts and emotions are assessed is by analyzing her thoughts. This will look at the ability of her to formulate coherent ideas and make connections between things that are not related to each other. The analysis of thought content is helpful in identifying problems such as hallucinations that are visual tactile, auditory, or olfactory and delusions like the belief of special powers, status, or being targeted by others; obsessive-compulsive behaviors; and anxiety disorders.
Diagnosis
Mental health assessments can help identify the root of a patient's symptoms, such as anxiety or depression. They can also help doctors determine the best treatment option for their patient. Mercy's behavioral health professionals can provide an exhaustive and thorough evaluation. They will ask the patient about their current medications, and also any herbal supplements or over-the counter remedies they are taking. They will also ask about any family history of mental health issues.
During the diagnosis phase of the mental examination, the doctor will conduct a physical exam of the patient in order to rule out any neurological conditions or diseases which may be contributing to their symptoms. This includes assessing motor functions, reflexes and sensations, posture and gait. Additionally, the physician will conduct a neurological examination of eye movements and visual field to see whether they are normal.
The doctor will also look at the patient's cognitive performance that includes his or her ability to think, reason, and remember. The doctor will also look at the patient's appearance and decide whether or not he is dressed appropriately for their age, and maintains a high level of hygiene. The doctor will also listen to the patient's thoughts and feelings in order to gain more insight into what is happening to them.
Psychologists use a variety of instruments and tests to evaluate a patient's mood and behavior. They could, for instance assess a patient's anxiety or depression by asking them questions or completing an easy questionnaire. They can also perform a more detailed testing to measure the levels in the brain of specific chemicals.
A psychiatric examination may include a discussion on the patient's social and relationship situations. It can also involve discussions of the patient's experiences in the past, such as childhood traumas. To provide the best treatment it is essential to understand the patient's psychological, social and developmental background.
Treatment
Everybody experiences difficult times. But if you, or someone you care about, has symptoms that aren't normal, it could be time to seek assistance. A mental health assessment helps to identify the problem, and determines which type of treatment will be beneficial. It is usually performed by a medical professional or psychiatrist, psychologist or psychologist.
During the examination, the healthcare professional will ask questions directly and observe objectively. They will also take into consideration the patient's medical history which includes the family history, any previous mental illnesses, and any medications the patient is taking. The healthcare provider will also want to know if the patient takes any herbal remedies or nutritional supplements as well as prescription medications that are not prescribed. This is because certain physical conditions have similar symptoms to mental disorders, and a healthcare professional must to determine if they are a result of mental illness.
The healthcare professional will ask about the patient's life and work, as well as social connections. They will look for problems such as a lack of motivation, issues in maintaining close relationships, and avoiding situations that trigger negative emotions. They will also determine if there are any suicidal feelings or thoughts. They will inquire about their life and routine. The healthcare professional may also suggest other physical examinations such as blood tests or computed tomography scans (CT scans) to identify the physical causes behind the symptoms.
The nature of the thoughts will be evaluated by direct questions and the analysis of the topics raised during the interview. A thought disorder is a deviant mental state, which may include hallucinations, perceptions of objects, people, or events that are not present; delusions - belief of false beliefs despite evidence to the contrary obsessions and compulsions - repetitive behavior; and lack of associations - the tendency to make irrelevant connections between seemingly unrelated subjects.
After the psychiatric assessment, the healthcare professional will write down the results and discuss them with the patient. The healthcare professional will then determine a treatment plan. This could be a combination of psychotherapy and medication, depending on the diagnosis and the patient's personal needs. When the patient is better and is able to return home, they will be removed from the clinic. It is important to conduct regular tests to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. They can be conducted in many ways, such as asking the patient to fill out questionnaires on a regular basis or using software like Quenza to assess factors like mood and cognition.
Follow-up
Clinicians must assess the impact that therapeutic interventions have had on the lives of clients at the end of every session. The indicators could include whether the client has fulfilled their original goals for seeking therapy, such as greater life domain happiness, or if they are more resilient when confronted with difficulties. The therapist may also have to monitor a client's progress through a treatment process like regular mindfulness meditation sessions.
Therapists could, for example, use Quenza's "Life Domain Satisfaction" which is a pre-loaded exercise that asks clients to assess their satisfaction using an arbitrary scale of 10 points, which covers 16 elements of life. This is a helpful way to measure progress, as it enables clients to track changes in their health over time. It also provides helpful indicators to evaluate improvements in mental health.
The Cultural Formulation Interview is another tool that can be utilized to collect qualitative information as part of a mental health assessment. CFI is designed to provide clinicians a comprehensive view of a patient's background cultural. It also has additional modules that collect data from caregivers and family members.
A formal dissecting of specific cognitive abilities follows an approach that is more limiting to the patient and involves testing various tasks like attention, memory and higher-ordered thinking capacities. This is best done at the end of the meeting between the doctor and patient to encourage cooperation and avoid resistance.
After patients have been released from psychiatric centers the questionnaires for evaluation of patients can be used to measure their progress. These questionnaires allow a comparison of the patient's responses to the responses of other patients in the same clinic and provide an improvement benchmark that can be measured over time.