A Full Psychiatric Assessment
A psychiatric assessment is the first step towards receiving the proper treatment for your mental health. The psychiatrist will ask you a number of questions about your work and home life, sources of stress, any major traumatic experiences you have had, as well as whether you've had alcohol or drug problems.
Background and Histories
A full psychiatric evaluation, also known as psycheval, is a multidisciplinary procedure that takes place in hospital settings. It involves psychiatric nursing, psychologists, occupational therapy, and social workers. The psychiatrist is the one who compiles an extensive medical record and conducts a mental assessment. This information can be gathered by direct observation of the person being evaluated and their carers and through specific psychological tests.
The doctor will inquire with the person about their symptoms and what they have been doing in the past few months, weeks and years. They will also want to know about family and personal health. This information will aid the doctor in determining what is causing symptoms and if they are caused by a different illness.
During this time, the psychiatrist will take a medical history and determine whether there is an ancestry of depression, anxiety or other psychiatric disorders within the family. They will also want find out if the patient is suffering from any physical ailments like diabetes or heart disease, and what medications they are currently taking or were prescribed in the past.
The psychiatrist will also be aware of any symptoms that are present and the amount of time they've been suffering. They will also inquire with the patient about their life like their work and home life. They will also talk about previous treatment and the degree of compliance. In many cases, family members and carers give information that the patient has not told them but this is an issue of confidentiality and does not violate their rights to privacy.
Based on the severity of the symptoms, a number of additional tests and examinations could be required. These could include laboratory tests, blood pressure readings or electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain activity. They could also use the IQ test, which measures cognitive ability. These tests can test spatial skills memory, concentration, memory, and communication skills.
All psychiatric assessments should be conducted by a professional who are experienced and qualified. This will ensure that the diagnosis and treatment plan is correct.
Mental Status Test
The mental status examination (MSE) can be a terrifying experience for the physician and patient alike. It is a "snapshot" which is a snapshot of the patient at a certain moment. It is used to document the patient's thoughts and behaviours at that specific moment. The MSE can also be helpful in describing how a person's mental state changes over time, such as from depression to mania.
The MSE starts with the doctor's initial observations of the patient, typically during the history-taking. The way a patient interacts and behaves around the examiner can reveal an awful lot about the root cause of mental disorder. This includes the dishevelled appearance of a depressed person or the provocative style of manic patients. It could also signal a lack of motivation or effort as in a depressed patient or agitated person on antipsychotic medication.
It is best to conduct a psychiatric exam when the patient is calm, cooperative and willing. It is a stressful and uncomfortable experience for the patient and the examiner, and it is essential to present a positive impression. The MSE should be a relatively small portion of the overall intake assessment and the results should be carefully evaluated in conjunction with the findings from other sources, such as imaging studies or laboratory tests.
Similar to the physical exam it is the MSE is not as well suited to a structured approach and much of it is obtained by the physician's unstructured observations during the history-taking. Nevertheless, a detailed MSE should include descriptions of the general appearance and behavior, alertness and attention in speech and motor activities as well as mood and affect, thinking and perception, attitude and insight. It should also include a detailed evaluation of higher cognitive abilities like parietal lobe function (pictorial construction, right-left discrimination, the localization of objects in space) and frontal lobe executive or diffuse cerebral cortical functions (judgment, abstract reasoning memory).
It is important that the MSE be viewed as part of a thorough intake evaluation, and that physicians interpret results with sensitivity and care. A thorough MSE can reveal a wide spectrum of abnormalities, which includes many that are specific to psychiatric disorders but it must be viewed as a single data point in the overall history of the patient and has little clinical value by itself.
Assessment of Thought Content
The thought content section is the largest of the MSE sections and should include information about delusional thinking (thoughts that are not true) 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 thoughts. These questions should be directly asked. The extent and intensity of the psychotic thoughts must be outlined, along with whether they are mood compatible or incongruent (e.g. someone who is depressed hears voices that are angry or encouraging them to kill themselves, versus hallucinations that are peaceful and calm).
Thought process refers to the logic, relevance, coherence and flow of the client's thoughts when they respond to the examiner's questions during the MSE interview. Physicians will also determine if the thought process is unorganized or goal-oriented, and when it flits between one topic and the next without any clear connection. Disorganized, tangential or circumstantial associations are thought processes that may indicate mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, mania and bipolar disorder.
Psychologists and neuropsychologists also evaluate the client's focus on task and capacity to store information in short-term memory. This can be measured by examiner observations, self-reports or brief tests such as counting backwards starting at 100 and multiplying it by sevens. They also evaluate the client's coping strategies and their cognitive performance in daily life, which can be measured through direct questioning and behavioral observation.
During the MSE the psychologists will observe the client's body language and facial expressions to determine if they seem nervous or shy. They also observe the client's nervousness or fidgeting to determine if they're scared or anxious. Psychologists often employ the MSE along with other tests and assessments to establish a diagnosis and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Psychologists are also trained to detect whether the client's behavior is consistent with a particular mental illness or is instead due to another cause such as alcohol abuse, injury or an adverse reaction to medication. This information is crucial in determining the most appropriate treatment and follow-up.
Assessment of anxiety and mood
We all have tough times and when those issues become a problem for relationships, daily activities and even the ability to sleep, it could be the right time to schedule a psychiatric evaluation. Also called a psych evaluation and a mental health check, this test is usually performed by a psychiatrist or a doctor. It can be a bit difficult, and you'll have to provide a lot of personal information. It's crucial to know that your doctor will be trying to gather all the facts so they can provide a correct diagnosis and recommend the best treatment for you.
A psychiatric examination will consist of a review and physical examination of your medical history. This is to ensure that your symptoms are not caused by a physical issue such as thyroid disease or an illness of the nervous system.
Your doctor will also inquire about any past psychiatric and medical problems, as well as whether you are currently taking any medications. When patients are unable to provide a background due to their mental health it is crucial that their caregivers and family members are able to respond to the physician's questions. This is not a breach of confidentiality and it allows the doctor to obtain more detailed information than psychiatric assessment he could in a face-to-face conversation.
During the psychiatric consultation, the doctor will examine the emotional state of the patient through observation of their body expression and voice. They will also evaluate their thoughts to see whether they are goal-oriented and related. The doctor will also examine the way in which well the patient can concentrate and switch between ideas during the interview. This is an essential aspect to the evaluation as psychotic or manic patients might not be able to think clearly and quickly shift their attention.
A psychiatric assessment is often the first step in getting the care you need. It is crucial that anyone who believes that they are suffering from the symptoms of mental illness should seek an evaluation. Don't let your fear or anxiety stop you from seeking help because it could have life-threatening consequences for you and those who are around you.