Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
It is important to get assistance if there is a problem with your mental health. Mental illness is as serious as physical illness.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity, religious belief, social, cultural or political background. APP acknowledges the need to combat discrimination.
What is a Mental Health Assessment?
A mental health assessment is an examination that is used to determine how someone is functioning psychologically, socially and developmentalally. It also helps diagnose disorders like depression or neurological diseases like dementia.
A healthcare professional will talk to the patient and assess their physical condition during the initial assessment. They might also ask questions regarding their symptoms and what they have been going through. They will also assess the person's ability to think and reason, as well as remember (cognitive function).
When assessing there are a variety of tests that are conducted. They could be formal, standardized tests or informal, non-standardized tests. They could include a checklist of problems and a memory test or self report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general practitioner or performed by mental health professionals.
Sometimes, patients will require laboratory tests to diagnose a disorder. These tests can include blood or urine samples. Usually these tests aren't painful. The only discomfort may be the injection of the blood sample which could be a little painful or itching. In more serious cases it is possible that an MRI scan or EEG could be required.
It is crucial for healthcare professionals to have the most complete picture possible when they conduct an assessment. This involves taking into consideration the patient's family history as well as their lifestyle and surroundings in which they live. This information is considered when deciding on the best method of treatment for the patient.
What can happen during an assessment at a mental health facility?
The examination should be an opportunity for health professionals to listen and comprehend what is happening to you. It is advisable to use this opportunity to discuss your concerns and ask any questions you may have. It is also important to be provided with enough information about different treatments, so that you are able to make an informed choice.
The staff should greet you in a warm and friendly manner with respect and empathy, upon arrival (NICE 2009b). People who wish to wait alone or in a group need to have a comfortable waiting space.
In the course of the mental exam the doctor will ask you about your thoughts and emotions, how they impact your day-to-day life and whether or not you've attempted to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also look at the way you conduct yourself. They might be able to observe how you speak or if you maintain eye contact. They will also test you on your memory and reasoning skills by asking questions like recalling short lists and naming common objects or shapes.
If you fall under section 2 of the Mental Health Act, your AMHP will support and guide you throughout the process of assessing you. You may bring an individual or a friend to the appointment or opt to have an advocate from a professional represent your views and interests. They could be professionals such as lawyers or charity workers.
Some people have difficulty to talk about their emotional wellbeing with health professionals, particularly when they have had negative experiences. Children may not realize that changes in their mood or behaviour are a cause for worry, and others might not know who to turn to for help. It is crucial that healthcare professionals are aware of the effects of past experiences that were not positive and that they are able to build a trusting relationship.
What should I do if am unhappy with the assessment?
If you've been referred to under the Mental Health Act and you are not satisfied with the results you may make a complaint to the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make a complaint for more information.
It can be difficult for those who are dependent on mental healthcare services to keep track of all their appointments. It is important to be as honest and open as possible with the person conducting your assessment. If you don't then you could give the professional wrong impressions of your health condition and this could impact your treatment.
Mental illness can affect your mood and thinking. It can affect your relationships, work and daily activities. Depression anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia are all common disorders. You can seek help for mental illness from your doctor or family members, as well as by visiting an NHS local CAMHS.
Making sure you receive the proper diagnosis and treatment is essential to improving your mental health. NHS England works hard to make sure everyone receives the appropriate treatment at the right time. This means reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring that the correct information is accessible to all who require it. We are also making changes to the method we record and share data to help with this.
We want all local mental health services to be able collect and share data in the same manner as other NHS organizations. This will enhance safety and quality of care. We want all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date information in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which aims to reduce the barriers to a more efficient sharing of information within the health and social care systems.
What should I do if need to seek a second opinion?
You are able to take action if you feel that health professionals involved in the assessment of your case do not take your opinions seriously. You can request your manager to send another expert to review your case or contact an NHS helpline in your area to get help. If you live in England and have a problem, the NHS has a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) that will send an emergency response team to your home. You can also seek assistance from local groups of volunteers or charities, like Mind or Rethink.
It is possible to seek an additional opinion, either by a medical professional or another physician. Your GP is also able to offer an additional opinion. You should do this if you're unsure of your diagnosis or treatment options or when the doctors aren't agreeing on the best course.
A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions offer significant value and are only a small portion of the cost of a first opinion. The reason for this is that experts can provide new perspectives and information that can change the course of care for a patient.
Another reason to seek a second opinion is that the initial doctor or healthcare professional might have missed a potential cause or effect of your symptoms. This can happen for a number of reasons, including misdiagnosis or simply not taking the time to listen attentively to your story.
Dementech can arrange for an individual mental assessment with one of our psychiatrists. We offer standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we partner with most major private insurance providers to ensure that your treatment for psychiatric issues is covered. However, if you do not have insurance, we're capable of providing excellent and affordable care.
What should I do if I need an additional opinion from an expert?
If you are dissatisfied with the results of your mental health assessment and want an additional opinion, it should be possible to arrange this. It's not a legal right, but doctors are usually willing to facilitate it. You can ask your GP or the mental health services to help make this happen. They will be able to provide you the contact information for local advocacy services.
The doctor will evaluate and possibly perform further tests like blood tests or an X-ray. They will then inform you about their findings and talk about the options available for treatment. This might include medication, a hospital stay or other options. When talking to you your doctor, the doctor must take into consideration your gender, age, and social background as well as your sexual orientation and disability, as well as your religion, cultural or religious beliefs and your sexual orientation.
A second opinion can be beneficial as it allows you to examine the advice of a medical professional and get an entirely new perspective on your medical situation from a different expert. online mental health assessment can help you feel more confident regarding your diagnosis and treatment options and it can also give you more details on the potential adverse effects of each option.
You may have a very justification to seek to get a second opinion. You may be worried that you may have an unusual or rare disease and you'd like to have an opinion from a specialist on your diagnosis and possible treatment options. Or maybe you have seen other treatments your physician doesn't recommend and you want to know if they are suitable for you.
A private Psychiatrist should be able to consult with you within several days and will usually have access to all of your medical records. They can also schedule video consultations via Skype, Facetime or a phone call, and then send the medical report directly to your GP.