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Mental Health Assessments An assessment is a crucial instrument for helping people understand their mental health. Professionals utilize a variety of tools for this purpose that include self-reports and standard tools. A mental status exam is one of the most commonly used. It permits counselors and doctors to observe the client's appearance as well as their attitude and behavior. They can also track their mood thoughts, emotions, and mood. Signs and symptoms People who experience mental health issues often experience changes in their moods, thinking and behavior. They may be unable to work and interact with other people. Mental illness is a serious health problem. Many of the same conditions that impact physical health can also affect mental health. Every person experiences ups and downs in their mood. However, if the changes are severe and persist for a long period it could be a sign of mental illness. Some common symptoms include a change in sleep, eating or energy levels, an extreme change in or decrease in emotions like anger, sadness or happiness, trouble recalling information or concentrating and being tired all the time. If you are concerned about your loved ones it's important to not ignore them. Early intervention can prevent mental health issues from becoming worse. These changes are usually triggered by life events such as a loss of work, family issues or a major accident. It is crucial to seek treatment for mental illness in order to avoid it interfering with your work or relationships. Some of these illnesses may be treated with counseling or medication. Certain conditions require hospitalization. There are over needs assessment for mental health iampsychiatry.com that can be classified as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety disorders. Some of these are very serious and could be life threatening. Others are more mild and don't affect everyday life, like certain phobias. Mental health can be affected in many ways, including by genetics and genetic differences, life experiences and stress, lifestyle choices, and how society treats its members. It is crucial to realize that mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. Just like heart disease or diabetes it is treatable and improved. Mental illness can be treated and a lot of sufferers will recover with proper treatment. This may include antidepressants or sedatives, or psychotherapy (talk-therapy). Combining treatments is usually most effective. Self-help groups and support groups can be beneficial to some people. History A mental health history is an essential element of any examination. A psychiatrist should also know your medical history, and whether you have relatives with mental illness. They'll also ask you about your current medications and any past drug abuse or alcoholism that you may have suffered from. In some cases, doctors may ask you to write down your symptoms in journals or bring a family or friend member to be able to hear the whole story. For some an assessment of their mental health is a first step in finding treatment for a problem. It is usually initiated by a doctor or another professional referring the person however, it can be initiated by the person. The psychiatric evaluation will provide the professional with the information needed to establish a clear diagnosis. Western civilization has viewed mental illness as the result of supernatural forces or demon possession throughout recorded time. This led to primitive methods like 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 today in two ways: as a method to describe a state of health and as a concept that includes psychotherapy and psychiatry. Although there is a broad movement to separate mental health apart from psychiatry and establish it as its own discipline however, this distinction is yet to be fully established. The definition of mental health is different depending on the culture, however, most systems include elements like self-realization, a sense of accomplishment; happiness; and control over one's surroundings. However these criteria are influenced by the cultural values that could exclude teenagers who aren't fully achieving their potential, those with low incomes, or who live in impoverished communities or who suffer discrimination and rejection. Other assessment tools are utilized to help determine the health of a person's mental state and wellbeing, such as the DSM-5 checklist, which includes lists of symptoms for specific disorders, as well as the Life Events Checklist, which can be used to identify potentially traumatizing or stressful events in a patient's life. Physical Examination The physical examination of a patient with a suspected mental health issue is usually performed by a medical professional or psychiatrist. The exam may be part of the physical examination, or could be conducted when a health care provider believes that a particular illness such as schizophrenia, dementia or abuse of drugs is involved. The exam is a good chance to examine the patient's general appearance, and also the manner they respond to questions, their emotional state and whether they are hungry, thirsty or tired. The doctor will ask about the duration of symptoms and if there is a family history of mental illness. The doctor will also want to know about any drugs the person is taking or has used in the past such as over-the-counter medicines and supplements. A psychiatric assessment is important to identify what is happening inside a person and what type of treatment might be beneficial. A diagnosis is important and, depending on the final diagnosis the patient may require inpatient treatment or medication. The diagnosis is typically taken in a hospital. However, some people might have a mental evaluation done at home by a licensed professional. Evaluation of cognitive function is a major element of a mental examination. This includes the ability to pay attention, remembering and organizing information, resolving problems, and making decisions. It also includes basic skills such as the ability of interfacing with others. In order to assess cognition, the person is asked to answer open-ended or standardized questions and complete short stories. The assessment 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 or obsessions and compulsions; a lack of connection (making no connections between different topics) and depressive or suicidal thoughts. Sometimes, clinical tests are needed in conjunction with a mental health assessment including blood work or magnetic resonance imaging to rule out other diseases and disorders that may cause similar symptoms to mental illness. Tests The mental status examination explores multiple aspects of a patient's condition through direct questioning and objective observation. It involves a health care provider observing the patient's behavior, mood, activity level and overall appearance. It may also include a series written or verbal tests that include standardized rating systems that evaluate symptoms. The MMPI-2 is a common depression test. There are other tests that can be used to assess anxiety, intelligence, and autism. A patient's history and physical examination will provide important information that can help determine if the symptoms are related to a psychological condition or a medical condition like hypothyroidism, diabetes, or abuse of drugs. Certain physical conditions like certain kinds of tumors or selective brain lesions, can also present with the same symptoms as psychological disorders. These conditions may require laboratory or clinic testing such as blood tests, CT scans, or MRIs, as an adjunct to a full mental health examination. Psychological testing is a crucial component of the mental health assessment. It can provide valuable information on how a patient is able to think, recalls, and interacts with other people. These tests can be useful to help identify symptoms such as hallucinations, or the tendency to make unrelated connections between different subjects. A psychiatric health assessment could also include questions about the patient's family history of psychiatric illnesses and other ailments. It will ask how long symptoms have been present, and their severity, as well as whether they affect daily activities. The patient will be asked about previous disorders of the psyche and the treatment they received. It is important for the patient to be honest in their answers as it will help the health care professional gain a better understanding of the patient's condition. During the interview, the health care professional will also pay attention to the way the patient speaks and how they interact with others. They will also inquire about any medications or supplements the patient is taking in the form of prescription or non-prescription, and how they affect their mental health.