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Mental Health Assessments at Mercy Health A mental health assessment is a series of questions and tests conducted by a psychologist or a medical professional. It's a tool that can assist them in assessing your symptoms and determine the level of care you need, from outpatient services to inpatient treatment. It is recommended to bring a friend or an advocate to the event and this can be done through your local council or an advocacy service such as Rethink. Screening A screening mental health assessment is a test that determines if a patient functions at a level that is healthy on a psychological and social level. This kind of test can also be used to diagnose neurological disorders and certain diseases. It can be used to screen for depression as well as substance abuse and many other conditions. These assessments are usually much smaller and less expensive than full professional assessments offered by mental health professionals. A screening assessment typically includes a short conversation with the person who is being evaluated. Questions are asked about current and past symptoms and when they began and how long they've been present. The patient might be asked for details regarding her family history or whether she's been diagnosed with a condition of another kind. It is important to discuss with the healthcare professional the patient's thoughts and feelings. During the examination the healthcare professional will ask the patient if she has any particular concerns or fears. The healthcare provider will ask the patient about any medications she's taking and how they're functioning. It's usually a good idea for the patient to bring a family or friend member along to the interview and to be as transparent as they can. Following a brief interview the healthcare professional will likely conduct some tests. The tests used will vary based on the nature and scope of the assessment. Rating scales can be used to help patients simplify complicated emotions and feelings. These tests can be helpful in determining the severity of a disorder as well as in planning treatment. Other assessment tools include symptom checklists which are lists of possible symptoms that can be used to determine a specific disorder. However these tools should be used with caution as they do not consider all the biological, psychological, sociological and cultural variables that affect a patient's life. Another method by which the patient's thoughts and feelings are analyzed is through an analysis of the content of her thoughts. This will assess the capacity of her brain to form coherent ideas and make connections between things that are not related to one another. Thought content analysis can be useful in identifying problems such as hallucinations that are visual tactile, auditory, or olfactory or delusions, such as the belief of special abilities, status or being feared by others; obsessive-compulsive behaviors and fears. Diagnosis Mental health assessments can pinpoint the cause of a patient's symptoms, such as anxiety or depression. They can also help doctors to determine the best treatment for their patient. Mercy's behavioral health professionals are able to perform an exhaustive and thorough evaluation. They will ask the patient about their current medications, and also any herbal supplements or other over-the-counter remedies they are taking. They will also ask about any family history of mental health issues. In the initial diagnosis phase of the mental examination, the doctor will conduct a physical exam of the patient in order to rule out any neurological disorders or diseases that could contribute to their symptoms. This includes evaluating motor function, reflexes, posture, sensation, and gait. Additionally, mental health diagnosis assessment will conduct a neurological exam of eye movements and visual field to determine if they are normal. The doctor will also look at the patient's cognitive function, which includes their ability to think, reason and remember. The doctor will look at the appearance of the patient to see if they are dressing appropriate for their age and are maintaining a good level of hygiene. The doctor will listen to the patient in order to understand what they are feeling and thinking. Psychologists can use different tools and tests to determine the mood and behavior of a patient. For instance, they can assess depression and anxiety by asking the patient questions or giving them a short questionnaire. They can also perform a more thorough test to assess the levels in the brain of certain chemicals. A psychiatric assessment can include a discussion of the patient's situation in society and relationships. It may also include a discussion of the patient's past experiences, such as childhood traumas. To ensure the best treatment, it is important to know the patient's mental background, social and developmental history. Treatment Everyone experiences difficult times If you or someone you know suffers symptoms that aren't common, it might be time to seek help. A mental health evaluation can help to determine the cause of the problem and determines which type of treatment will be beneficial. This is usually done by a medical professional psychologist, psychiatrist or psychologist. During the assessment, the healthcare professional will ask direct questions and observe objectively. They will also consider the patient's history, including any family history, previous psychiatric illness, and any medication that the patient is currently taking. The healthcare professional will also want to know if the patient takes any herbal remedies, nutritional supplements or non-prescription medications. The healthcare professional must confirm the existence of mental disorders that may exhibit symptoms similar to physical ailments. The healthcare professional can inquire about the patient's work family, social life, and work. They will look for signs of problems, such as lack motivation, difficulties in maintaining close relationships, and avoiding situations which trigger negative emotions. They will also look into whether there are any suicidal ideas or thoughts. They will talk to the patient about their habits and lifestyle, including whether they drink alcohol or are using any illegal substances. The healthcare professional might also suggest other physical examinations such as blood tests or computed tomography scans (CT scans), to determine the cause of the symptoms. The content of thoughts will be assessed through direct questioning and by looking at the subjects brought up during the interview. A thought disorder is a mode of thinking that is not normal. It can include hallucinations, delusions and obsessions, and compulsions, and also repetitive behavior. The healthcare professional will discuss the findings with the patient following the psychiatric evaluation. The healthcare professional will prescribe a program of treatment. It will consist of a mix of psychotherapy and medication according to the diagnosis and the individual needs. Once the patient feels better, they will be removed from the clinic. It is important to conduct regular assessments in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. These can be conducted in various methods, including asking the client to complete periodic questionnaires or using software like Quenza to evaluate factors such as mood and cognition. Follow-up Clinicians must evaluate the impact that therapeutic interventions have had on the lives of their clients at the conclusion of each encounter. The indicators could include whether they have reached their goals prior to seeking therapy, like higher levels of satisfaction in their life or if they're more resilient in the face of difficulties. Additionally, clinicians might need to track a patient's progress through the entire treatment process, such as an ongoing series of mindfulness-based meditation sessions. Therapists can, for instance utilize Quenza's “Life Domain Satisfaction” which is a pre-loaded exercise to ask clients to evaluate their satisfaction on a 10-point rating scale with 16 different aspects of their lives. This is a helpful method of measuring the progress of a client, since it allows clients to monitor the changes in their wellbeing over time, and provides helpful indicators to evaluate improvements in mental health. The Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) is another useful tool for collecting qualitative information during an assessment of mental health. CFI is designed to provide clinicians a comprehensive view of the patient's culture. It also includes supplementary modules to collect information from family members and other caregivers. Formal dissection of specific cognitive abilities is a reductionistic approach to the patient. It involves assessing a variety of tasks, including memory, attention and higher-ordered reasoning abilities. Ideally, this is done near the close of the doctor-patient interaction to encourage the patient's cooperation rather than causing resistance. A questionnaire for evaluation of patients is an important instrument that can be administered to patients after their discharge from psychiatric centers. These questionnaires allow for a comparison of the patient's responses to those of other patients treated at the same facility and provide a benchmark for improvement that can be tracked over time.