Mental Health Assessment – What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
If you suffer from a mental health problem it is crucial to seek out help. Mental illness can be as severe as physical ailments.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of gender, age or What is a Mental Health Assessment ethnicity. APP recognizes the need to combat discrimination.
What is a Mental Health Assessment?
A mental health assessment is a process that is used to determine how an individual is functioning psychologically, socially and developmentalally. It can also be used to diagnose conditions such as depression and neurological diseases like dementia.
A healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe their physical condition during the initial assessment. They might inquire about the patient’s symptoms and what’s been occurring. They can also assess your mental health the way the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning).
There are a number of different tests that can be performed during an assessment. These can be formal and standardized or informal and non-standardized. These tools may include a checklist of problems and a memory test or self report screening tool such as the GHQ or MMSE. These tools may be administered by general practitioners or mental health assessments for adults health professionals.
Sometimes, patients will require laboratory tests to identify a condition. This may include blood or urine samples. Usually the tests aren’t painful. The only discomfort could be the injection of the blood sample that could feel like a small pinch or the sensation of stinging. In more severe cases it is possible that an MRI scan or EEG might be required.
When a healthcare professional is performing an assessment, it is crucial that they have the most complete picture. This involves taking into consideration the patient’s lifestyle, family history, and the environment. This information is considered when deciding the best treatment for the patient.
What can happen during an assessment at a mental health facility?
The evaluation is a chance to let healthcare professionals to understand your situation. It is important to use this time to discuss your concerns and ask any questions you have. It is also important to be provided with enough information about different treatments, to allow you to make an informed choice.
Staff should greet you in a warm and friendly manner with respect and empathy when you arrive (NICE 2009b). People who wish to wait alone or in a group should have a comfortable waiting area.
In the course of the mental exam, your doctor will ask you about your thoughts and feelings, and how they impact your day-to-day life and whether or not you’ve attempted to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also be watching how you act. They might be able to observe how you speak or if you keep eye contact. They will also test your memory and ability to think by asking you questions that are simple such as recalling short lists or naming common objects and shapes.
If you fall under section 2 of the Mental Health Act, the AMHP will assist and guide you throughout the assessment. You may bring a relative or friend to the appointment or opt to have an advocate who is a professional representing your views and interests. They could be volunteers like those who work for charities or professionals such as lawyers.
Some people have difficulty to discuss their mental health with healthcare professionals, especially in the case of previous negative experiences. Children may not realize that changes in their moods and behaviour are a cause for concern, while others might not know who to turn to for assistance. It is vital that healthcare professionals are aware of the impact of past poor experiences and strive to build trust.
What should I do if not happy with the assessment?
If you have been assessed under the Mental Health Act and you are not satisfied with the results you may make a complaint to the CQC. See our guide on making complaints for more details.
People who use mental health services often have multiple appointments with a range of specialists and may find it difficult to keep track of all the appointments. It is crucial to try and be as open and honest as possible with the person conducting your assessment. If you aren’t, you may give the professional a false impression of your health condition and this could impact your treatment.
A mental illness is a condition that can alter your mood, thoughts and behavior. It can cause problems with work, relationships, and even everyday activities. Depression anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia are all common ailments. You can seek help for mental illness from your GP or family members, as well as by visiting a local NHS CAMHS.
Getting the right assessment and treatment is crucial to improving your mental health. NHS England works hard to ensure that everyone receives appropriate treatment at the right time. This includes reducing delays and ensuring that the right information is available to anyone who needs it. To help with this, we are changing the way we store and share information.
We want to see all local mental healthcare services be able record and share data similar to other NHS organisations. This will help to improve safety and quality of treatment. We want all providers to be able to access accurate and current data in real-time, wherever they are. This is part of the NHS’s mission Data Saves Lives which aims to eliminate the obstacles to information sharing across the health and healthcare system.
What should I do if want an additional opinion?
If you think that the health professionals involved in your assessment aren’t taking your concerns seriously, there are some things you can do. You can request your manager to send another professional out to look over your situation or call an NHS helpline within your region for assistance. If you reside in England the NHS provides a service known as EIT which sends out a crisis response team to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups, or charitable organizations such as Mind or Rethink for advice.
You might want to seek an additional opinion from a different medical professional or doctor or even from your GP. This is a great idea in case you are uncertain about your diagnosis or treatment options or if there’s disagreement between your doctors over the best method of treatment.
A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions provide significant value, and only a small portion of the cost of the first opinion. Experts can offer new perspectives and insights that could change the course of a patient’s treatment.
A second opinion could be required in the event that your healthcare professional has missed a possible cause of your symptoms. This can happen for many reasons, such as misdiagnosis or simply not taking the time to listen attentively to your story.
At Dementech, we can arrange a private mental health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We offer standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we collaborate with the majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that your treatment for psychiatric issues is covered. If, however, you don’t have insurance, we are still able to provide excellent and affordable treatment.
What do I do if require a second opinion from a specialist?
If you are dissatisfied with the results of your mental health assessment and want a second opinion, it’s possible to get this. It’s not an official right however, most doctors are willing to make it happen. You can ask your GP or the mental health services to make this happen. They should be able give you details of local advocacy services.
The doctor will evaluate and may perform additional tests like blood tests and X-rays. The specialist will discuss their findings with you as well as your treatment options. This could include hospitalization or other options. When talking to you, the doctor should take into account your age, What is a Mental Health Assessment gender and social background, as well as your sexual orientation or disability, religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional, and your sexual orientation.
A second opinion can be beneficial because it lets you review the advice of various experts and gain an unbiased view of your medical situation. It can make you feel more comfortable regarding your diagnosis and treatment options and can also give you more details on the possible side effects of each option.
You may have a very justification to seek an additional opinion. You might be concerned that you suffer from an unusual or rare condition and you’d like to have an opinion from a specialist on the diagnosis and treatment options. Or maybe you have read about other treatments that your provider doesn’t offer and you’re interested in knowing whether they’re safe for you.
A private Psychiatrist will usually see you within a couple of days and have access to your entire health history. They can also schedule an appointment via video on Skype, Facetime or a telephone call and send a medical report directly to your GP.