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Mental Health Assessment – The First Step to Diagnosing a Mental Health Problem When people seek mental health services, they often feel overwhelmed by their emotions and may not know what to do. Fortunately, family members are often able to discern when something is wrong and help the person take action. Assessment is the process through which therapists gather and analyze data to determine the client's needs. It can be informal or formal, standardized or non-standardized, self-report or therapist-administered. Mental health A mental health assessment is a procedure in which professionals examine a person to determine if they might have problems with their mental health. The procedure may involve an examination by a doctor, observations and tests. The assessment may be lengthy and may require several appointments. It is important to be open with the medical professional and to answer all questions in a professional manner. This will allow the professional to provide an accurate diagnosis. Psychologists and psychiatrists employ a variety of methods to assess your mental health. You can be offered written or verbal assessments. These tests are referred to as psychological tests and may include tests that are standardised to detect specific problems. These tests are often used with interviews and observations to determine the condition of a person. The most commonly used tests are the MMPI-2 that measures various types of mental disturbances, and the Y & Z test, that is designed to assess the person's response to stress and anxiety. Mental health professionals will evaluate the cognitive functioning of the patient during an assessment. This will include an assessment of the patient's alertness, level of consciousness as well as speech and motor activity, mood and feelings, thought and perception, as well as their attitudes and perception. They will also test the ability to remember things as well as think abstractly and follow directions. If you have concerns that your child might be suffering from a mental illness It is crucial to refer them to a professional to be assessed. This could be a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor. It is essential that the professional has sufficient time to understand the child's circumstances and how they feel. It is best if the child is with the health professional throughout all or a portion of the examination. You should explain to your child that going for an assessment isn't a punishment, and that you're hoping the professional can find out what's going on so that it can be addressed. It could be helpful to remind them that everyone feels down and anxious every now and every now and then, but if the feelings are persistent they need to be addressed. Symptoms Mental health disorders can alter your thinking, feel, and behave. It can make it difficult to deal with daily life and relationships. Counselling and medication can help. Everyone feels sad or worried at times, but it's more serious when these changes affect your life and keep happening. Talk to someone about their changes in their mood and behavior that make it difficult to function on a daily basis. If you think they're at risk of suicide or self-harming, call triple zero (0000) immediately. About 264 million people suffer from depression, anxiety disorders and various mental illnesses. They can be characterized by symptoms like depression, trouble concentrating or sleeping, and changes in eating and drinking. The condition can be triggered by a variety of factors including brain chemicals, genes, or stress. Stressful events such as the crash of a vehicle, natural disaster, or war can cause it. Other reasons could be a family history of mental illness, using certain medications or having issues with your physical health. There is no one test that can identify mental disorders. A psychiatrist, a medical doctor, or a clinical psychologist, can diagnose mental health problems. Mental health professionals use a system of classification called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM which classifies disorders into categories such as anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Non-categorical models, such as the one developed by German psychiatrist Kraepelin in the 19th century, and more recent ones including the dimensions models, are alternative approaches to diagnosis. There is a scientific debate on the relative merits of categorical and non-categorical system. Stigmatisation can lead to negative outcomes for people suffering from mental illness. There are a variety of movements and organisations that work to educate people on mental health issues and dispel the myths about them. The Royal College of Psychiatrists campaign Changing Minds and the Carter Centre, based in the United States which provides fellowships to journalists for research and writing about mental illness and illness, are two examples. Diagnosis The first step in addressing your symptoms is to get a diagnosis of a mental illness. A diagnosis will aid your doctor in determining what's causing your mood and behavioral issues and choose the most effective treatment. Depending on the illness, you might need outpatient treatment, hospitalization or medication. A mental health assessment could aid your doctor in finding out if something else related to an illness of the body, may be causing your symptoms. In the course of the mental state examination Your doctor may ask you questions to find out how you feel and think. They may also perform physical examinations to check for any muscle weakness and changes in vision or difficulty walking. They will inquire about any medication you are taking that is not prescription-only and supplements. There are many different kinds of mental health tests, from simple self-report questionnaires to brain imaging techniques. Certain tests are utilized for screening specific illnesses, such as anxiety or depression. Others are used to test a person's functioning like memory or concentration. One of the most important aspects of a mental health assessment is the cognitive evaluation, which checks for issues that affect how you think. Your doctor will test your alertness, concentration, memory, reading comprehension, and language usage. You might be asked to read a brief text and then be asked about it later. This is to look for paraphasic mistakes (mistakes made in pronunciation), semantic mistakes (mistakes that are interpreted as meaning), and neologisms. Some tests, such as personality inventories, assess the patient's mood or behavior. These tests can reveal whether you are more optimistic, pessimistic or empathetic, or if you are likely to trust others or be competitive. Other tests evaluate the capabilities, abilities, and motivations. For instance they can assess work-related competency or job-related value. Many mental health professionals prefer using their own assessment tools. mental health screening can also mix these tools with other methods, like interviewing clients or recording physiological functions. The MMPI-2 for instance, is the world's most widely used psychometric test that examines how your thoughts, feelings and actions influence your life. It includes 10 main clinical scales and three subscales to detect the presence of defensiveness, lies and inconsistencies in responses. Treatment Many people experience difficult times, and some suffer from even a mental disorder. Mental illness can affect all members of the family. It can result in unemployment and homelessness, substance abuse, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and a less enjoyable life. Treatment for mental disorders is extremely effective and can significantly improve a person's life. Treatment involves some kind of therapy and medication. Some patients may have to be hospitalized in a mental health facility. During a mental health assessment during a mental health assessment, the doctor will find out the level of thinking ability of the patient and how well he or she remembers and processes information (cognitive functioning). The doctor will examine and ask questions of the person. The doctor may also ask about how the patient gets along with other people. The mental health assessment could include tests to assess short-term memory, which is the ability to recall information quickly after completing an intellectual task. The test could include learning four unrelated objects or concepts, a sentence or a name and address, then being asked to remember them after 3 to 5 minutes. The Beck Anxiety Inventory, a popular self-report test for anxiety assessment is used to measure anxiety. In some cases, the doctor will order an examination to rule out neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease, which may be similar to mental disorders. During a physical exam, the doctor will check the patient's reflexes as well as their sensory perception. Also, he will examine their posture and gait. The doctor can also conduct urine or blood tests to rule out infection or other conditions that could affect the patient's mental health. Talking therapies and psychiatric medication are the most common treatments for mental disorders. Talking therapies include psychotherapy as well as group therapy. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed medications. Psychiatric medication can help relieve symptoms, but it's not always efficient. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the severity and type of disorder and the response of the patient and the length of time spent in treatment. Early treatment can help stop the symptoms from becoming worse and aid in recovery.