A Full Psychiatric Assessment

A psychiatric psychiatry assessment is the first step towards receiving proper mental health care. The psychiatrist will ask you a lot questions about your home and work life, stress sources, traumatic events that you've been through and also any alcohol or drug-related issues.

Background and History

A full psychiatric assessment, or psych eval is typically a multi-disciplinary process in hospital settings that includes psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. The psychiatrist is the one who compiles an extensive medical record and conducts a mental exam. The information can be gathered directly from observation or the person being assessed themselves and carers, as well as through specific psychological tests.

The doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms as well as what he or she has done in the last few weeks, months, and years. They will also ask questions about family and personal health. This information can help the doctor determine what is causing symptoms and if they are caused by a different illness.

During this time, the psychiatrist will take an medical history and determine whether there is any history of anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric disorders within the family. They will also want to be aware of if the patient is suffering from any physical ailments like diabetes or heart disease and the medications they are taking or were prescribed in the past.

In addition the psychiatrist will take note of the current symptoms and the length of time they have been present. They will also ask about the person's lifestyle such as their job and their home. They will also talk about previous treatment and the degree of adherence. Often, family members and carers provide information that the patient hasn't disclosed, but this is an issue of confidentiality and does not violate their right to privacy.

Depending on the severity of the issue, other tests and/or observations may be required. These could include laboratory tests, blood pressure readings or electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain activity. They might also use IQ tests, which test cognitive abilities. These tests can test spatial skills as well as concentration, memory and communication abilities.

All psychiatric assessments should be conducted by a professional who are skilled and knowledgeable. This will ensure the diagnosis is correct and that the patient is offered a treatment plan that is most suitable for their needs.

Mental Status Examination

The mental status exam (MSE) can be a painful experience for both the doctor as well as the patient. It is an "snapshot" of the patient at a particular moment, and can be useful to describe the patient's behavior and thoughts at that moment. The MSE can also be useful in describing how a person's mental state changes over time, such as from depression to mania.

The MSE begins when the physician makes the first observations of the patient. This is typically done during the taking of the history. The way a patient interacts and behaves in front of the examiner can reveal an awful lot about the root cause of mental disorder. This includes the dishevelled look of a depressed person or the provocative style of manic patients. It can also indicate an absence of motivation or energy, such as in a depressed individual or an anxious person taking antipsychotic medication.

When a psychiatric examination is performed it is best to do it when the patient is calm and cooperative. Both the patient and examiner might feel uncomfortable during the interview. It is essential to convey the right impression. The MSE should be a short part of the overall intake assessment, and the results should be carefully evaluated in conjunction with the findings from other sources like imaging studies or lab tests.

The MSE is not as structured as physical examinations and most of the information gathered is taken by the doctor during the process of taking a history. However, a thorough MSE should include descriptions of the general appearance and behavior, alertness and attention as well as speech and motor activity as well as mood and affect, thought and perception and attitude as well as insight. It should also include a thorough evaluation of higher cognitive functions such as parietal lobe functions (pictorial construction and discrimination between right-left and left, spatialization of objects) and frontal lobe executive or diffuse cortical functions (judgment abstract reasoning memory).

It is important that the MSE be viewed in the context of a complete intake assessment and that doctors interpret results with care and sensitivity. A thorough MSE could reveal a range of abnormalities, some of which are specific to mental health assessment psychiatrist disorders. However, it should be viewed as one data point within the patient's medical history and has no clinical value.

Reviewing the Content of Thoughts

The thought content section is the biggest of the MSE sections and should contain information about delusional thinking (thoughts that are untrue) for example, persecutory, grandiose or jealous ideas as well as hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that others do not) and preoccupations (such as worries, obsessions or fears) and suicidal ideas. These questions should be directly asked. The severity and the extent of the pathological thinking should be described. Also the extent to which they are in line with the mood (e.g. someone who is depressed hears voices that are angry or urging them to kill themselves versus hallucinations that are soothing and calm).

The thought process is the logic, relevance and coherence of the client's responses to the MSE interviewer's questions. Physicians will also note whether the thought process is not organized or goal-oriented, and also when it flits from one topic to the next without making a clear connection. Disorganized, tangential or circumstantial associations are thought processes that can be indicators of mental health issues such as mania, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Psychologists and neuropsychologists also assess the client's attentional concentration and capacity to store information in short-term memory. This can be measured by self-reports, examiner observation or tests that are brief such as counting backwards from 100 and then multiplying it by sevens. They also can assess the client's coping strategies and cognitive performance by assessing it through direct questions and observations.

During the MSE psychologists will be observing the client's facial expressions and body language to determine if they seem aggressive or withdrawn. They also observe the client's agitation or fidgeting to determine if they're scared or anxious. Psychologists use the MSE along with other tests and assessments to diagnose and design a treatment program. Psychologists are trained to determine the severity of a client's behavior due to a mental disorder, or if it is due to a different cause, such as alcohol abuse, an accident or a medication side effect. This information is crucial in determining the best treatment option and follow-up.

Evaluation of Mood, Anxiety and Stress

It's normal to experience difficult times. But when these difficulties start to affect relationships, daily activities or even sleep, it might be time to schedule an appointment for a psychiatric examination. The mental health test is also known as a "psych evaluation" and is usually conducted by a doctor or psychiatrist. It can be difficult, and you'll be required to provide lots of personal information. But, it's essential to know that your therapist is working to gather all the facts they need so they can provide a correct diagnosis and suggest the best treatment for you.

A psychiatric assessment will include a review and physical examination of your medical history. This is to ensure that your symptoms are not caused by a physical problem such as a thyroid disorder or an illness of the nervous system.

In addition, your psychiatrist will ask you about any other psychiatric or medical issues you've experienced in the past and whether you're taking any medications currently. In cases where patients are unable to provide a history due to their mental health it is essential that their caregivers and family members can answer the questions of the doctor. This is not an invasion of privacy, and allows the doctor to gather more information than he would in a face-to-face interview.

In the psychiatric consultation the doctor will examine the patient's emotional state by paying attention to their voice and body language. They'll also look at their thoughts to determine if they are focused and related. The doctor will examine, for example, how well the patient can focus and switch between thoughts during the interview. This is an important aspect of the assessment, as a patient who is either psychotic or manic might not be able to concentrate or quickly change their focus.

A psychiatric examination is often the first step towards getting the treatment you require. It is essential that anyone who suspects that they are suffering from the symptoms of mental illness seeks an evaluation. Do not let your fear or anxiety stop you from seeking assistance. It could have serious consequences for you and others around.