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Mental Health Assessment – The First Step to Diagnosing a Mental Health Problem When patients seek help for mental health they might be overwhelmed by their feelings. They might not know how to deal with them. Fortunately, family members are often able to discern the signs of trouble and urge the person to take action. Assessment is the process through which therapists gather and analyze information to identify a client's needs. It can be informal or formal, standardized or non-standardized, self-report or therapist-administered. Mental health A mental health assessment is a process where a professional examines the person to determine if they might have a problem with their mental health. The process can include an examination for medical reasons, observations and tests. The examination may take a long time and may require multiple appointments. It is essential to be honest with your medical professional and to answer all questions in a professional manner. This will allow the health professional to get a precise diagnosis. Psychiatrists and psychologists use various methods for mental health assessments. You can be offered written or oral assessments. These tests are referred to as psychological tests and may include standardized tests to detect specific conditions. These tests are often utilized in conjunction with interviews and observations to determine the condition of a person. The MMPI-2 test is among the most frequently-used tests. It tests a range of mental disorders. Another test that is frequently used is the Y & Z Test, that measures a person's responses to anxiety and stress. Mental health professionals will assess the cognitive performance of the patient during an assessment. This will include an assessment of the patient's alertness, consciousness level speech and motor activities, moods and feelings, thought and perception, as well as their attitudes and insight. They will also test their ability to recall things as well as think abstractly and follow directions. If you are concerned that your child might be suffering from an illness of the mind, it is important to bring them to a professional for them to be assessed. This could be a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor. It is essential to make sure the appointment is enough time for the professional to fully understand what is going on with your child and the way they're experiencing. It is recommended for the child to be with the expert during the entire or part of the assessment. It is important to inform your child that taking an assessment isn't an act of punishment, and that you are hoping the expert can discover the cause to be able to treat it. It could be helpful to remind them that we all feel down and anxious now and every now and then, but if the feelings are persistent they need to be addressed. Signs and symptoms Mental health disorders can alter the way you think and feel, as well as the way you behave. It can make it difficult to cope with your daily life and relationships. Counselling and medication can be helpful. Everyone is worried or sad at times, but it's more serious when these changes impede your life and keep happening. Talk to someone about their changes in behavior and emotions that make it difficult for them to function on a daily basis. If you think they may be at risk of self-harm or suicide contact triple zero (000) immediately. Our Site , depression and other mental illnesses affect around 264 million people worldwide. The symptoms include mood swings, difficulty in concentrating or sleeping, and changes in eating or drinking. The condition can be triggered by a myriad of causes, such as genes, brain chemicals or stress. It could also be caused by traumatizing events, such as a car crash or natural disaster or war. Other reasons could be the family history of mental illness, or taking certain medications or issues with your physical health. There is no one test that can be used to diagnose mental disorders. A psychiatrist, a medical doctor or a clinical psychologist may diagnose mental health problems. Mental health professionals use a classification system known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which separates disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and depression into categories. Non-categorical schemes such as the one developed by German psychiatrist Kraepelin in the 19th century, as well as more recent ones, including the dimensional models, are alternative methods to diagnose. There is a constant debate in the scientific community on the relative merits of categorical systems versus non-categorical ones. Stigmatisation can result in negative outcomes for some people suffering from mental illness. There are also many organizations and movements that work to educate people on mental health issues and dispel the myths regarding them. They include the Royal College of Psychiatrists' campaign Changing Minds, and the Carter Centre in the United States, which supports journalism fellowships that allow journalists to study and write about mental health and illnesses. Diagnosis Finding a mental health issue diagnosed is the first step towards managing your symptoms. A diagnosis will help your doctor figure out what's causing your mood or issues with behavior and determine the best treatment. Based on the condition it is possible that you will require hospitalization, outpatient care or medication. A mental health assessment can assist your doctor to figure out if something else like a physical illness, could be the cause of your symptoms. During the mental status examination Your doctor will ask you questions about how you are feeling and thinking. They may also do a physical exam to check for things like muscle weakness, changes in your eyesight or difficulties walking. They will ask about any medication you take in addition to over-the-counter medications and supplements. There are a variety of mental health tests that range from simple questionnaires to brain imaging techniques. Some tests are used to detect specific diseases, such as anxiety or depression. Others are used to assess the performance of a person such as concentration or memory. One of the most crucial aspects of a mental health evaluation is the cognitive assessment that checks for any issues that affect how you think. Your doctor will test your alertness, ability to pay attention and focus on reading comprehension, memory and the use of language to communicate. They may even have you read a short story and then inquire about it later to check for paraphasic errors (mistakes in pronunciation), semantic mistakes (mistakes in meaning) and neologisms (meaningless words that are written the same as real words but lack significance). Some tests, such as personality inventories, measure a patient’s emotions or behaviors. These tests can tell you if you are optimistic, pessimistic, empathetic or competitive or if your personality is more inclined to be a person of trust or be competitive. Other tests test a person's abilities, skills and motivations. For example they can assess the value of work-related competence or job-related value. Many mental health professionals prefer to use their own assessment tools. They can also combine these tools with other methods like interviewing clients or recording physiological functions. The MMPI-2, for example, is the world's most frequently used psychometric test. It measures how your thoughts, emotions and actions affect you. It has 10 clinical scales, and three subscales to detect defenses, lies and inconsistencies in responses. Treatment Many people face difficulties and some even have a mental disorder. Mental illness can affect all members of the family. It can cause unemployment, substance abuse, and homelessness and also inappropriate incarceration. It can also lead to suicide and a reduced quality of life. Treatment for mental disorders can be extremely effective and improve a person's quality of life. private mental health assessment cost includes a variety of therapy and medications. Certain patients need to be in a mental hospital. During a mental assessment the doctor will determine how well a person thinks about, remembers and processes information (cognitive function). The doctor will ask the patient questions and then examine him or her. The doctor will also ask the person about their relationships with others. The mental health assessment could include tests to measure short-term memory, which is the capacity to recall information quickly after completing a second mental task. The test could involve learning four non-related objects or concepts, a sentence or a name and address, then being asked to recall them within three to five minutes. The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a popular self-report test to assess anxiety. In certain instances, the doctor will order a physical examination to rule out neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, which can have similar symptoms to some mental disorders. During the physical examination, the doctor will examine the patient's reflexes, sense perception, gait and posture. The doctor may also perform tests on blood or urine to confirm any infections or other illnesses that could affect the patient's mental condition. The most commonly used treatments for mental disorders are talking treatments and psychiatric medication. Talking treatments include psychotherapy and group therapy. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines are the most commonly prescribed drugs. Psychiatric medications can ease symptoms, but it is not always efficient. The effectiveness of treatment is contingent on the severity and nature of disorder and the response of the patient and the length of time spent in treatment. Being treated early can stop symptoms from getting worse and help make recovery more likely.