Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
If you are suffering from a mental health problem it is crucial to seek help. Mental illness can be as severe as physical ailments.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. APP recognises the need to combat discrimination.
What is a mental health assessment?
A mental health assessment is a test used to see how well someone is functioning psychologically, socially and developmentalally. It also helps diagnose conditions like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia.
In an initial evaluation, a healthcare professional will talk to a patient and observe them physically. They may ask about the patient's health issues and what has been occurring. They can also assess the way the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning).
When assessing there are a variety of tests that can be conducted. They could 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 can be administered by a general physician or done by mental health professionals.
Sometimes, people will require tests in the lab to identify a condition. This may include urine or blood samples. The tests are generally not painful. The only discomfort is caused by the injection of blood that may be felt as a small pinch or itching. In more serious instances, an MRI scan or EEG might be required.
It is crucial for a healthcare professional to have the most complete picture possible when conducting an assessment. This includes taking into consideration the history of the patient's family as well as their lifestyle and environment they reside in. This information will be considered when deciding on the best treatment for the patient.
What should be done during an assessment in mental health services?
The evaluation is a chance to let healthcare professionals listen and understand your situation. It is advisable to use this opportunity to express your concerns and ask any questions you may have. You should be well-informed about the various treatments available to make an informed choice.
You should be greeted with a warm, welcoming, empathic and respectful manner by staff upon your arrival (NICE, 2009b). Individuals who want to sit in solitude or in a group must have a comfortable waiting space.
In the course of your mental health assessment, your doctor may ask you questions regarding your thoughts and feelings, how they impact your daily life, and whether you have tried to manage symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also observe the way you behave. They might be able to observe how you speak or if you keep eye contact. mental health checkup will also test your memory and reasoning skills by asking simple questions, such as recalling brief lists and naming common objects or shapes.
If you are a victim of section 2 of the Mental Health Act, the AMHP will guide and support you through the process of assessing. You can invite a relative or friend to the appointment or opt to have a professional advocate represent your interests and opinions. They could be volunteers like those who work for charities or professionals such as lawyers.
Some people have difficulty to talk about their mental health issues 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 worry. Other families may not know where to turn for help. It is vital that all healthcare professionals understand the consequences of previous bad experiences and work hard to establish trust.
What should I do if not happy with the assessment?
If you've been assessed under the Mental Health Act and you are not happy with it you may make a complaint to the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make an inquiry for more details.
Patients who seek mental health services typically have a lot of different appointments with various professionals and may find it difficult to keep track of all the appointments. It is important to try and be as transparent and honest as possible with the person doing your assessment. If you're not then the professional could get a wrong picture of how you are doing and this can affect your treatment.
Mental illness can affect your mood and thinking. It can cause difficulties with relationships, work and everyday activities. Depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia are all common conditions. You can get help for a mental illness from your physician, friends and family or by visiting the nearest NHS CAMHS.
Making sure you receive the proper assessment and treatment is crucial to improving your mental health. NHS England works hard to ensure that everyone receives proper treatment at the right time. This includes reducing delays and making sure that the right information is available to everyone who requires it. To help with this, we are also changing the way we collect and share information.
We want all local mental health services to be able to record and share data in the same manner as other NHS organizations. This will improve security and quality of the care. Our goal is for 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 is designed to remove the barriers to a more efficient sharing of information across the health and social care system.
What should I do if require a second opinion on something?
You are able to take action if you believe that health professionals involved in the evaluation of your case don't consider your opinion seriously. You can ask the supervisor of your mental health service for a different specialist to discuss the situation with you, or call one of the NHS helplines to get assistance in your region. If you reside in England, the NHS has a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) that will send an emergency response team to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups or charities such as Mind or Rethink for advice.
You may want to get an additional opinion, either by a medical professional or another physician. Your GP is also able to provide an additional opinion. This is a good idea when you are not sure about your diagnosis or treatment options or if there's disagreement between your doctors over the best course of action.
A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions offer significant value, with only a fraction of the cost of the first opinion. The experts can provide new perspectives and information that could alter the course of a patient's treatment.
Another reason for seeking another opinion is that the initial healthcare provider or doctor may have missed a potential cause or impact of your symptoms. This can happen for various reasons, including misdiagnosis and simply not taking the time to listen carefully to your story.
Dementech can arrange an individual mental assessment with one of our psychiatrists. We provide standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we partner with a variety 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 capable of providing excellent and affordable care.
What should I do if I need a second opinion from an expert?
You can arrange a second opinion if you are dissatisfied with your mental health evaluation results. It's not an official right however, most doctors are willing to make it happen. You can request your GP or the mental health services to make it happen. They should be able to give you the contact information for local advocacy services.
The doctor will look at and possibly perform further tests such as blood tests and X-rays. They will inform you about the results and discuss the options available for treatment. This could include medications, hospitalization or other options. The doctor should take into account your age, gender and social background, as well as religious beliefs, sexual orientation and disability as well as religious or cultural beliefs when speaking with you.
A second opinion is beneficial because it allows you to compare medical advice and get a fresh view of your medical situation from a different doctor. It can give you more confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and can provide more information about potential adverse effects.
There could be a good reason to want a second opinion. For example, you might think you may have an unusual or rare illness and you want another specialist to weigh in on the diagnosis and treatment options. Or maybe you have seen other treatments your physician doesn't recommend and you want to know whether they are safe for you.
A private Psychiatrist will usually see you within a few days and can access your entire health history. They can also arrange a video consultation via Skype, Facetime or a telephone call and send a medical report directly to your GP.