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Mental Health Assessments An assessment is an essential tool for helping people to know their mental health. There are a range of tools, from standardized to self-report, used by professionals for this purpose. The most common is a mental state exam, which allows counselors and doctors to observe a client's appearance, attitude and behavior as well as mood and emotions. thought content and insight. Symptoms Mental health issues can cause people to change their mood, thoughts and behaviour. These changes can impact their ability work and socialize. Mental illness is a serious health problem. Many of the same diseases that can impact physical health can also affect mental health. Everyone experiences ups and downs in their mood. If these changes are drastic and last for a prolonged period of time, it could be a sign you suffer from a mental disorder. Common symptoms include changes in sleeping, eating habits or energy levels, an extreme change in or decrease in emotions such as sadness, anger or happiness, difficulty recalling information or concentrating and feeling tired constantly. If you are concerned about someone close to you, it's important not to ignore them. Making contact with a helpline, or contacting a health professional early can stop mental health problems getting worse. A lot of these changes are caused by life events, such as loss of the job, family issues or an accident that is serious. It is important to seek treatment for mental illness in order to ensure that it doesn't interfere with your work or relationships. Certain of these disorders can be treated through counselling or medication. Certain conditions require hospitalization. There are more than 200 recognized mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Some of these can be life-threatening. Some phobias are milder and don't affect your daily life as significantly. Mental health is affected in many ways, including genetics as well as biological differences, life experiences, stress, lifestyle decisions and how society treats its members. It is important to recognize that mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. It can be treated just like heart disease. Mental illness can be treated and many sufferers recover with the appropriate treatment. This can include medication such as antidepressants or sedatives, or psychotherapy (talk-therapy). Combining treatments is often the most effective. Support groups and self-help groups can be beneficial for certain people. History The history of mental health issues is a central part of any examination. Apart from examining the signs and symptoms, and performing psychological tests A psychiatrist needs to know your medical history and whether you have had any relatives with mental illness. They will inquire about your current medications, as well as any substance or alcohol abuse you may have encountered in the past. In certain instances doctors might ask you to keep a diary of your symptoms or bring along a friend or relative so they can get a full description from their perspective. A mental health assessment can be the first step taken by some people to seek treatment for a specific issue. It is typically initiated by a doctor or another professional who refers the person to the doctor however, it can also be initiated directly by the individual. The psychiatric examination will give the doctor with the necessary information to establish an assessment. Western civilization has considered mental illness as the result of supernatural forces or demonic possession for the majority of recorded history. This led to primitive methods such as drilling a small hole in the skull (trepanning). The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of a more humane approach to treating the mentally ill, as doctors began to abandon these superstitions and adopt logical explanations/theories for their patients. The term “mental” is used in two different ways: as a way to describe a state of wellbeing and as a concept that includes psychiatry and therapy. Mental health is being pushed to become an independent discipline. However, there has not been a complete distinction between it and psychotherapy. The definition of mental health has varied depending on the culture, but most systems incorporate elements like self-realization, feeling of accomplishment, happiness; and control over one's environment. However these standards are influenced by cultural values that can exclude adolescents who have not fully developed their potential, people who have low incomes, those who live in impoverished communities, and minorities who experience discrimination and rejection. Other assessment tools can be used to assess a person’s mental health. These include the DSM-5 Checklist that lists of specific disorders as well as the Life Events Checklist which can screen for potentially distressing or traumatic events that occur in a patient’s life. Physical Exam The physical examination of a patient with a suspected mental health problem is generally conducted by a medical doctor or psychiatrist. The examination could be part of a comprehensive physical examination, or when a doctor suspects a specific illness such as dementia, schizophrenia or abuse of drugs. The test gives the opportunity to assess the person's appearance, emotional state and their response to questions. The doctor who is examining will ask the patient questions regarding how long they've had symptoms and any family history of mental health problems. The doctor will also want to know about any medications the patient uses or has used in the past including prescription medications and supplements. A psychiatric assessment is crucial because it helps to find out what's happening inside the person and what type of treatment is most likely to assist. A diagnosis is essential and, depending on the final diagnoses the patient may require medical or inpatient care. The diagnosis is typically made at a hospital, although some individuals undergo a mental health assessment done at home by an accredited professional. Assessment of cognitive function is a crucial element of a mental examination. This includes the capacity of paying attention, remembering and organizing information, solving problems and making decisions. It also includes fundamental skills such as the ability to interact with others. In order to assess cognition, an individual is asked to respond to open-ended or standard questions and write short stories. The evaluation of thought content involves the examination of a variety of things, like hallucinations that may be auditory, visual or tactile; thoughts of having special powers or status, or even being a target for other people; paranoid thinking and irrational fears; obsessive and compulsive behavior and compulsions; lack of connection (making unrelated connections between various topics); and depressive and suicidal thoughts. Clinical tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging or blood tests are often required to complement a mental health evaluation. These tests can help to rule out other disorders and diseases which may trigger similar symptoms to mental illness. Tests The mental state examination focuses on the various aspects of a patient's condition by direct questioning and objective observation. A health professional observes the patient's mood and behavior and level of activity, and their general appearance. It could also include a series of oral or written tests, such as standardized rating scales that evaluate symptoms. The MMPI-2 is a common depression test. There are a myriad of other tests to measure the levels of anxiety, intelligence and autism. A patient's history and physical examination will provide vital information that will aid in determining if their symptoms are related to a psychological condition or a medical condition like diabetes, hypothyroidism or addiction to drugs. Additionally, certain physical conditions, such as selective brain lesions or certain types of tumors present with similar symptoms to psychological disorders and may require clinical or laboratory tests such as blood tests, CT scans or MRI as an addition to the mental health assessment to make a diagnosis. Psychological testing can be important in mental health tests. It can give valuable information on how the patient thinks about others, interacts with them and remembers things. These tests can be useful to identify signs like hallucinations or the tendency to make irrelevant connections between subjects. A psychiatric assessment may include questions regarding the patient's family history, including psychiatric illnesses and other illnesses. It will ask the length of time that symptoms have been present and the severity of them, as well as whether they interfere with everyday activities. The patient will be asked about previous mental illness and the treatment they received. It is important for the patient to be honest with their answers as it will assist the health professional discern the extent of the person's condition. During the interview, the health care professional will be listening to the patient's speech and how they interact. They will also inquire of the patient about any prescription or non-prescription medicines or supplements they are taking and how these affect their mental health.