Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
If you have mental health issues it is essential to seek out help. Mental illness is just as serious as physical ailments.
Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of gender, age or ethnicity, religious belief, social, cultural or political background. APP recognizes the need to fight discrimination.
What is a Mental Health Assessment?
A mental health assessment is an examination that determines the extent to which someone is functioning socially, psychologically, and in terms of developmental. It also helps diagnose diseases like depression and neurological diseases like dementia.
A healthcare professional will talk to the patient and observe their physical state during the initial assessment. They may ask about the patient's health issues and what has been occurring. They will also assess the person's ability to think and reason as well as recall (cognitive function).
In an assessment various tests can be administered. They can be formal, standardized tests or informal tests that are not standardized. They could include a list of issues and a memory test or self-report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can either be administered by general practitioners or mental health professionals.
Sometimes, people will require lab tests to help diagnose a disorder. This could include blood or urine samples. These tests are typically not painful. The only discomfort may be caused by the injection of blood which can feel like a tiny pinch or itching. In more severe instances it is possible that an MRI scan or EEG might be required.
It is essential for healthcare professionals to have the most complete picture when conducting an assessment. This involves taking into consideration the history of the patient's family, lifestyle, and the environment they reside in. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the ideal treatment option for the patient.
What happens during an assessment at a mental health service?
The evaluation is a chance for healthcare professionals to understand your situation. It is essential that you make use of this opportunity to talk about your concerns and ask questions. You should also be given enough information about different treatments, so that you are able to make an informed decision.
The staff should greet you in a warm and welcoming manner with respect and empathy when you arrive (NICE 2009b). A comfortable waiting area should be available for those who wish to wait in a private space or with a group of people.
During the mental evaluation, your doctor will ask you about your thoughts and emotions, how they impact your daily life, and whether or not you've tried to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also observe how you act. They might examine your speech patterns or if you maintain eye contact. They will also test you on your memory and reasoning abilities by asking you simple questions like recalling short lists and naming common shapes and objects.
If mental health diagnostic assessment fall under section 2 of Mental Health Act, the AMHP will guide and support you throughout the assessment. You can invite a relative or friend to your appointment or opt to have a professional advocate represent your interests and views. They could be professionals, such as lawyers or even charity workers.
Many people find it difficult to discuss their emotional health with healthcare professionals, especially when they've had bad experiences in the past. Many children are unaware that changes in their moods or behavior could be cause for concern. Other families may not know where they can turn for assistance. It is important that healthcare professionals are aware of the impact of previous poor experiences and work hard to establish a trusting relationship.
What should I do if am not satisfied with the evaluation?
If you are not satisfied with the treatment you received under the Mental Health Act, you can file a complaint with the CQC. See our guide on making complaints for more details.
People who use mental health services typically have many different appointments with a range of professionals. It can be difficult to keep track of them all. It is crucial to be as honest and open as possible with the person conducting your assessment. If you're not, the professional may have a different view of what you're doing and this can affect your care.
A mental illness is a condition that may alter your mood, thoughts and behavior. It can lead to problems with work, relationships and day-to-day activities. Depression as well as anxiety disorders and schizophrenia are all common conditions. You can seek help for a mental illness by talking to your GP, family and friends or visiting an NHS local CAMHS service.
The most important factor in improving mental health is getting the appropriate assessment and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives the appropriate treatment at the right time. This includes reducing delays and making sure that the correct information is accessible to everyone who needs it. To support this, we are changing the way that 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 the safety of patients and improve the quality of treatment. Our aim is for all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date data in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives which aims at reducing the barriers to information sharing across the health and healthcare system.
What should happen if I need to seek a second opinion?
If you believe that the health professionals who participated in your assessment aren't taking your views seriously, there are some things you can do. You could ask the manager of your mental health service for a different specialist to examine the situation with you, or contact one of the NHS helplines for support in your region. If you reside in England, the NHS has a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) that can send an emergency response team to your home. You can also seek advice from local volunteer groups or charities, such as Mind or Rethink.
You may want to get an additional opinion, either from a medical specialist or another physician. Your GP can also provide a second opinion. It is recommended to do this when you're not sure about 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 the first opinion. This is because experts can provide new perspectives and additional information that can change the course of a patient's care.
Another reason for seeking a second opinion is that the original doctor or healthcare professional may have overlooked a possible cause or effect of your symptoms. This can happen for a number of reasons, including misdiagnosis or simply not paying attention 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 a variety of major private insurance companies to ensure that your psychiatric treatment is covered. However, if you don't have insurance, we're capable of providing excellent and affordable care.
What should happen if I want a specialist second opinion?
You can arrange an additional opinion if you are dissatisfied with your mental health assessment results. You don't have a legal right to this however, doctors are very unlikely to refuse to make it happen for you. You can request the mental health services or your GP to arrange this. They will be able to provide you the contact details for local advocacy services.
The doctor will look at and possibly perform further tests like blood tests and X-rays. The specialist will discuss their findings with you as well as the treatment options available to you. This could include medication or hospitalization, as well as other options. The doctor should take into account your gender, age, social background, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and disability as well as religious beliefs when talking with you.
A second opinion is beneficial because it lets you examine the advice of a medical professional and get an updated view of your healthcare situation from a different expert. It can help you gain confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and also provide you with more information about potential side effects.
There may be a good reason to want a second opinion. For instance, you could believe that you suffer from an uncommon or rare condition and you want another specialist to evaluate your diagnosis and treatment options. You might have read about treatments your doctor does not offer and would like to know if they are safe for you.
A private Psychiatrist should be able to consult with you within several days and will typically have access to all of your medical records. They can also schedule an online video consultation through Skype or Facetime and medical reports to be sent directly to your GP.