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Mental Health Assessment – The First Step to Diagnosing a Mental Health Problem When people seek out mental health care they might be overwhelmed by their emotions. They may not know how to deal with their feelings. Fortunately, loved ones are usually able to tell when something is wrong and encourage the person to take action. The assessment process is the way therapists collect information and analyse it to determine the client's specific needs. It can be informal or formal, standardized or non-standardized, self-report or therapist-administered. Mental health A mental health evaluation is a procedure where professionals examine an individual to determine if they have problems with their mental health. A medical examination, observations and tests are part of the procedure. It can take a lot of time, and sometimes the examination may require multiple appointments. It is important to answer any questions honestly and be honest with your health care professional. This will allow the health professional to determine the most accurate diagnosis. Psychologists and psychiatrists employ a variety of methods to assess your mental health. You may be given written or oral tests. These tests are called psychological tests and may include tests that are standardised to identify specific problems. These tests are typically used with interviews and observations in order to diagnose the person. The most popular tests are the MMPI-2, which measures for a number of different types of mental disorders, as well as the Y & Z test, which is designed to gauge the person's response to anxiety and stress. Mental health professionals will evaluate the cognitive function of a patient during an assessment. This includes a description of the person's alertness, consciousness level, motor and speech activities, moods and feelings as well as perception and thought as well as their attitude and understanding. They will also test the ability to follow directions, remember things and think abstractly. If you're concerned that your child might have mental illness it is essential to take them to a professional to be assessed. This could be a psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor. It is essential that the professional has sufficient time to comprehend your child's needs and how they feel. It is best for your child to be alone with the professional during the entire or part of the evaluation. Explain to your child that the test is not a punishment, and that you're hoping that the professional will be able to find out what's going on so that it can be treated. It can be helpful to remind your child that we all experience anxiety and depression at times, but if the feelings persist they should be addressed. Symptoms Mental health disorders can affect your thinking and feel, as well as the way you behave. It can make it difficult to cope with everyday life and relationships. Counselling and medication may help. It's normal to feel concerned or sad however when the changes persist and affect your daily life, it is more serious. Talk to mental health assessments for adults uk about their changes in emotions and behavior that make it difficult to function on a daily basis. If you believe they are at risk of self-harm or suicide, call triple zero (0000) immediately. Around 264 million people suffer from anxiety, depression disorders, and other mental illnesses. They can be characterized by symptoms like low mood, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, and changes in drinking and eating. It is caused by a variety of things, such as brain chemicals, genes or stress. Traumatic events such as an accident in a car, natural disaster, or a war can also trigger it. Other causes can be a family history of mental illness, or taking certain drugs or problems with your physical health. There isn't a single test to diagnose mental health problems. 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 depressive disorder into categories. Non-categorical systems, like the one that was developed by German psychiatrist Kraepelin in the 19th century, as well as more recent ones, such as the dimensions models, are alternative methods to diagnosis. There is a constant debate in the scientific community on the relative merits of categorical versus non-categorical systems. People with mental health problems are stigmatised, and it can contribute to worse outcomes. In addition there are numerous organizations and groups which are trying to educate the public about mental health problems and dispel the myths surrounding them. This includes the Royal College of Psychiatrists' campaign Changing Minds, and the Carter Centre in the United States, which supports fellowships for journalists to research and write stories about mental health and illnesses. Diagnosis The first step in addressing your symptoms is to obtain a diagnosis of mental illness. A diagnosis will help your doctor determine the root of your mood or behavior issues, and determine the most efficient treatment. Depending on your illness it could be that you require hospitalization, outpatient treatment, or medication. A mental health evaluation can help your doctor determine if a physical illness is causing your symptoms. In the mental health exam Your doctor will ask you questions about how you're feeling and thinking. They may also perform an examination to look for things like muscle weakness or changes in your eyesight or difficulties walking. They will ask you questions about any medications you take such as over-the counter medicines and supplements. There are a variety of mental health tests that range from simple questionnaires to brain imaging techniques. Certain tests are designed to detect specific illnesses, like anxiety or depression. Certain tests are utilized to assess a person's capabilities like memory or concentration. One of the most important elements of a mental health evaluation is the cognitive evaluation that checks for any issues that affect how you think. Your doctor will test your alertness, ability to pay attention and focus, memory, reading comprehension, and the use of language to express yourself. They may even have you read a short story and then discuss it later, to test for paraphasic errors (mistakes in pronunciation) as well as semantic mistakes (mistakes in meaning) and neologisms (meaningless words that are written exactly the same way as real words but have no significance). Some tests are designed to measure a patient's emotions or behaviors such as a personality inventory. These tests can reveal whether you tend to be optimistic, pessimistic or compassionate, or if you are likely to trust others or be competitive. Other tests assess a person's abilities, skills and motivations. For instance they could assess the work-related skills or value. Many mental health professionals have their own set of assessment tools they prefer to use. They may also combine these tools with other methods, like interviewing clients or recording physiological functions. The MMPI-2 is one of the most commonly used psychometric tests around the world. It assesses your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It has 10 scales of clinical validity, and three subscales to detect defenses, lies and inconsistencies in responses. Treatment Many people experience difficulties and some may even suffer from a mental disorder. Mental illness can affect the whole family. It can cause unemployment and homelessness, substance abuse, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and a less enjoyable life. Treatment for mental disorders is extremely efficient and can greatly improve the quality of life of a person. The treatment consists of some type of therapy and medication. Some patients require a stay in a psychiatric hospital. Through a mental assessment the doctor will determine the extent to which a person thinks about, remembers and processes information (cognitive function). The doctor will examine and ask questions of the person. The doctor will also ask the person about their relationship with other people. The mental health test could include tests to assess short-term memory, which is the ability to recall information immediately after completing a second intellectual task. The test could include learning four concepts unrelated to each other or sentences, objects, or someone's name and address. After 3 to 5 minutes you would be asked to recall the information. The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a popular test for self-report to gauge anxiety. In some instances the doctor may order an examination for physical health to rule out neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, which can have similar symptoms to some mental disorders. During a physical examination, the doctor will check the patient's reflexes and sense perception. He will also check their gait and posture. The doctor might also perform a blood or urine test to rule out infection or other conditions that could interfere with the patient's mental health. The most commonly used treatments for mental disorders involve the use of psychiatric medication and talking therapies. Talking therapies include psychotherapy as well as group therapy. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines are all commonly prescribed medicines. Psychiatric medications can ease symptoms, but they aren't always efficient. The effectiveness of a treatment depends on the severity and type of the disorder, as well as the person's reaction to it, as well as how long the patient spends in treatment. Being treated early can stop the symptoms from becoming worse and help make recovery more likely.