What Is The Heck What Is General Psychiatric Assessment?
What Is The Heck What Is General Psychiatric Assessment?
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General Psychiatric Assessment
The difficulties associated with conducting mental health assessments in general medical settings are many. This includes privacy issues, ward rounds and assessments by other specialties, protected meals and scheduled visits from family members.
In this regard it can be challenging to determine the impact of outcomes, especially when it comes to disease-specific outcomes.
Medical History
The first step in a general psychiatric evaluation is to determine the patient's medical background. This includes information about the patient's current condition and any medications they're taking and any major past medical issues that may have affected their current health and well-being. This information can help the professional decide what psychological tests might be appropriate and the number of appointments they will require before determining an assessment.
This step can be difficult to complete on medical wards because of the limited space and interruptions by visits to wards, assessments from other specialties as well as allied health professionals, and protected mealtimes. It is important to arrange an appointment time that is not in conflict with the other activities listed above and find a quiet space for the assessment to take place. The referrer's specific concerns will help determine what type of psychiatric evaluation is needed.
When conducting psychiatric examinations on the medical wards in general hospitals, it is crucial to keep in mind that physical health issues the patient is suffering from can influence or even overshadow their psychiatric symptoms and behavior. Overshadowing of diagnostics is a frequent issue and is hard to avoid. If a patient is admitted with delirium but has an indication of dementia in their medical records, it may be tempting to "shadow" the delirium', assuming that it is due to the mental illness they have already suffered from. This is not as effective as performing a complete screen for delirium to rule out treatable reasons such as stroke.
It is essential that the psychiatrist who is assessing the patient tries to establish the connection between the patient's physical and psychological problems and to elicit any concerns or complaints the patient has about their treatment, care or the way their health condition is being managed. Reference Osborn & Warner (1998) suggests a basic model for achieving this. However, it can be difficult to implement in practice.
Family History
The psychiatrist will ask you about your family history to determine if there is a mental health issue within your family. They will also ask about any traumas you've experienced or abused, as well as your current social standing (including your work, relationships and if you receive the support of your family). You might be asked about your beliefs in religion as well as your goals and dreams. The psychiatrist will provide a diagnosis, and then create a treatment plan that meets your needs.
The psychiatrist should also look at physical symptoms. They will examine the patient's blood pressure and listen to the heart and lungs and search for any other medical conditions that could be causing or aggravating the psychiatric symptoms.
It is often beneficial for the psychiatrist to get an entire physical exam from the patient's general practitioner however, it's not always possible particularly for those who are seriously ill or inpatients on psychiatric hospitals. Those on these wards may only have sporadic face-to-face contact with psychiatrists, or perhaps none at all. In these cases it is essential that the psychiatrist's nurses or care coordinators take an proactive role in ensuring the physical health needs of patients are met.
Psychiatrists should also to understand why a patient is being referred to them and what they expect to accomplish with their psychiatric assessment. They must be able to read medical letters, investigate reports of tests, and communicate effectively with a patient's medical team to determine the best treatment or medication for the patient.
The medical history is an essential component of any psychiatric evaluation and should include the patient's own psychiatric diagnosis and past treatment, as well as information about their drug and alcohol use. It is also important to obtain a complete family history, if possible to determine the risk of certain disorders, like bipolar disorder, which is known to run in families. It is beneficial to make use of screens that record the lifetime psychiatric information of informants and their first-degree relatives, but it is equally essential to collect an entire family psychiatric history.
Signs and symptoms
During the psychiatric examination, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and how they have impacted your life. Your doctor will also inquire about your family history and any other issues that could be relevant. The process can be uncomfortable at times, but it's vital that you speak truthfully and completely so that a precise diagnosis can be determined.
It is important to have a psychiatric assessment when you are suffering from mental health issues, like anxiety or depression. This will tell you if you need treatment. While it is normal to be afflicted with depression or stress from time to time however, if these symptoms last more than several weeks and impact your daily activities it is likely you need treatment.
Your psychiatrist will ask you about your symptoms as well as any other issues that are affecting you, such as family or work issues, or substance abuse. They will also ask about your physical health, sleep habits and if you have tried other methods to treat your symptoms.
Your psychiatrist might also ask you about your experiences with mental illness. They may also use standardized assessment tools or psychological tests to get a better understanding of your current situation. These tests could include personality assessments, questionnaires or cognitive tests to determine your level of distress.
If your psychiatric assessment shows that you have psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and psychiatrist assessment near me delusions that are a significant departure from what is believed to be real, then the psychiatrist may need to conduct an extensive exam and send you to the hospital for observation. In such cases you'll need to be evaluated by a different psychiatrist before returning home.
If you're in need of an evaluation of your psychiatric condition, Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates can provide the care and support you deserve. The team of helpful and experienced professionals is committed to giving you the information you need about your diagnosis and treatment options. You can schedule your psychiatric evaluation via the internet or call us today.
Psychological Tests
The use of various tests is an essential part of a psycho-psychological evaluation. Psychological tests are either written or verbal evaluations designed to measure unobserved constructs. They are used to evaluate the person's emotional health and personality characteristics. They can be used to determine a mental illness' severity, such as depression or anxiety. Psychological testing is usually conducted by a psychologist who is trained and requires the patient to follow specific instructions to obtain exact results.
Psychological assessments can differ in the number and type of psychological tests they utilize dependent on the person's condition and symptoms. A general psychiatric test could be brief, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MSE) or more detailed and time-consuming, like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Neuropsychological tests can be used to determine if there's an injury to the brain or concussion.
All types of psychiatric examinations provide a look at the patient's psychological and emotional functioning. In the hospital, doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists may conduct these tests to evaluate the patient's mood, emotional reactivity and cognitive abilities. Private therapists can also conduct them in their offices to gather data to develop the development of a treatment plan and to determine whether patients would benefit from medication or another type of therapy.
A few examples of psychological assessments include tests of intelligence and achievement, which measure certain kinds of cognitive functioning (often referred to as IQ) and performance against a normative group. Other tests are designed to assess the ability to perform tasks, such as a word association or memory test. Psychologists are the only professionals with extensive training as well as experience conducting and interpreting psychological tests.
A psychiatric evaluation is designed to match the patient with a medical professional that can provide treatment and management. After the exam is complete the doctor will inform the patient about the diagnosis and the relationship to their presenting symptoms. The doctor will also inform the patient about the prognosis. This is how a diagnosis is expected progress over time.