How To Explain Mental Health Assessment To Your Grandparents
Mental Health Assessment – What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? If you have a mental health problem it is crucial to seek help. Mental illness can be as severe as physical illness. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity irrespective of age, gender race, religion, ethnicity or political, social or cultural background. APP recognizes the need to fight discrimination. What is a mental health assessment? A mental health evaluation is an assessment that determines how someone is functioning socially, psychologically, and in terms of developmental. It can also be used to diagnose conditions like depression or neurological diseases like dementia. During an initial assessment, a healthcare professional will talk to the patient and observe them physically. They may also ask questions regarding their symptoms and what they've been going through. They will also check how the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning). During an assessment there are a variety of tests that can be conducted. They could be formal standardized tests or informal, non-standardized tests. These tools may include a list of issues as well as a memory check or self report screening tool such as the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general physician, or they can be performed by mental health professionals. Sometimes, laboratory tests are needed to determine the presence of a disease. This could include blood or urine samples. These tests are typically not painful. The only discomfort could be the injection of the blood sample that could feel like a slight pinch or the sensation of stinging. In more serious instances it is possible that an MRI or EEG scan could be required. When a healthcare professional performs an assessment, it's crucial that they have the most complete picture. This includes taking into consideration the history of the patient's relatives as well as their lifestyle and environment they reside in. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment option for the patient. What happens during an assessment at mental health services? The assessment should be an opportunity for healthcare professionals to listen and understand what is happening to you. It is essential that you take this opportunity to share your concerns and ask questions. You should be well-informed about the various treatments available to make an informed choice. Staff should greet you in a warm and friendly manner with respect and empathy at the time of your arrival (NICE 2009b). A comfortable waiting area should be provided to those who prefer to wait on their own or with a group of people. During the mental evaluation during the mental evaluation, your doctor will inquire with you about your thoughts and feelings, how they affect your daily life, and whether or not you've tried to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also watch how you act. They might examine your speech patterns or if you keep eye contact. They can also test your memory and ability to reason by asking you questions that are simple such as recalling short lists or naming common objects and shapes. If you fall within section 2 of the Mental Health Act, your AMHP will be there to guide and support you throughout the assessment. You can invite an individual or a friend to your assessment or choose to have an advocate who is a professional representing your interests and opinions. They could be professionals such as lawyers or even charity workers. Many people find it difficult to discuss their mental health with healthcare professionals, especially when they have had negative experiences. Many children are unaware that changes in their mood or behaviour are an indication of anxiety. Others families might not know where they can turn for assistance. It is vital that healthcare professionals are aware of the consequences of previous bad experiences and work to establish trust. What should I do if I'm unhappy with the results of the test? If you are dissatisfied with the treatment you received under the Mental Health Act, you can lodge a complaint with the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make an inquiry for more details. Patients who seek mental health services typically have many different appointments with a variety of specialists and may find it difficult to keep track of all the appointments. It is essential to try and be as honest and open as possible with the person conducting your assessment. If you don't, the professional may have a different view of how you are doing and this could affect your care. Mental illness can influence your mood and thoughts. It can cause problems with relationships, work and daily activities. The most common disorders are anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. You can get help with a mental illness by talking to your doctor, family and friends or visiting an NHS local CAMHS service. The proper assessment and treatment is crucial to improving your mental health. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives proper treatment at the right time. This includes reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring that the correct information is accessible to everyone who requires it. To facilitate mental assessment , we are also changing the way we store and share information. We want to see all local mental health services able to record and share data like other NHS organisations. This will increase security and quality of care. Our goal is for all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date data, in real time regardless of where they are. This is part of the NHS's mission Data Saves Lives which aims to reduce the barriers to information sharing across the health and care system. What should I do if I require a second opinion on something? You can take action if you feel that health professionals involved in the assessment of your situation do not take your concerns seriously. You can request your manager to send a different professional to look over your situation or contact an NHS helpline within your region for assistance. If you live in England the NHS offers a service called EIT which sends out a crisis response team to your home. You can also seek help from local volunteer groups or charities, such as Mind or Rethink. You might want to seek another opinion, whether from a medical specialist or another physician. Your GP can also offer an alternative opinion. This is advisable if you're unsure of your diagnosis or treatment options, or in the event that your doctors disagree on the best option for you. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions offer significant value, and only a tiny fraction of the cost of a first opinion. The experts can provide new perspectives and provide information that can alter the course of the patient's treatment. Another reason for seeking a second opinion is that the original doctor or healthcare professional might have missed a potential reason or cause for your symptoms. This could be due to various reasons, such as misdiagnosis or simply not paying attention carefully to your story. At Dementech We can arrange a private health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We offer 50-minute consultations. work with the majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric treatments are covered. However, if you don't have insurance, we are still capable of providing excellent and affordable care. What should I do if require a second opinion from a specialist? If you are not satisfied with the results of your mental health assessment and would like to seek a second opinion, it's possible to request this. There is no legal right to do this however, doctors will often refuse to arrange it for you. You can ask the mental health service or your GP to arrange this. They should be able to give you the contact details for local advocacy services. The specialist will examine and possibly perform further tests, such as blood tests and an X-ray. They will then inform you about the results and discuss your options for treatment. This might include hospitalization, or other options. The doctor should consider your age, gender, social background, sexual orientation, religion as well as your disability, religious or cultural beliefs when discussing your concerns with you. A second opinion can be useful because it allows you to compare medical advice from different experts and gain an entirely new perspective on your healthcare situation. It can help you feel more confident regarding your treatment options and diagnosis and also provide you more details about the possible side consequences of each option. You may have a very good reason to want an additional opinion. You may be worried that you have an unusual or rare condition and you'd like to have an additional opinion from a medical professional regarding your diagnosis and treatment options. Or maybe you have been reading about other treatments your physician doesn't recommend and you're interested in knowing whether they are safe for you. A private Psychiatrist can usually meet with you within a couple of days and have access to your entire health history. They can also schedule an online video consultation using Skype or Facetime and an official medical report to be sent directly to your GP.