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Mental Health Assessment – What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? It is important to get help if you have an issue with your mental health. Mental illness can be as severe as physical illness. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. APP recognizes the need to combat discrimination. What is a Mental Health Assessment? A mental health assessment is an examination used to see how well an individual is functioning psychologically, socially and developmentally. It can also aid in diagnosing diseases like depression and neurological diseases such as dementia. A healthcare professional will talk to the patient and observe their physical condition in the initial evaluation. They may inquire about the patient's symptoms as well as what's been happening. They will also check how the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning). There are many different tests that can be performed during an assessment. They could be formal, standardized tests or informal, non-standardized tests. They could include a problem checklist, a memory test or self-reporting screening tools like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by general practitioners or by mental health professionals. Sometimes, lab tests are required to diagnose the presence of a disease. This could include blood or urine samples. These tests are usually not painful. The only discomfort is the injection of the blood sample, which could be a little painful or the sensation of stinging. In more serious instances the need for an MRI scan or EEG might be required. It is essential for a healthcare professional to have the most complete picture when they carry out an assessment. This involves taking into consideration the patient's lifestyle, family history and the environment. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate course of treatment for the patient. What happens during an assessment at a mental health service? The examination should be an opportunity for health professionals to listen and comprehend what is happening to you. It is crucial to use this opportunity to discuss your concerns and ask questions. You should also be given sufficient information regarding the various options, allowing you to make an informed decision. 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 made available for those who prefer to wait on their own or with others. During the mental assessment the doctor will ask you about your thoughts and feelings, how they affect your daily routine and whether or not you've tried to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also look at your behavior. For example, they may examine your speech and whether you are able to make eye contact. They will also test you on your memory and reasoning abilities by asking you 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 assist and guide you through the assessment. You can bring a companion or a relative along to your assessment or opt to have an advocate who can represent your views and interests. They could be volunteers, like charity workers, or professionals, like lawyers. Some people find it difficult to discuss their emotional well-being with health professionals, especially if they've had negative experiences in the past. Children may not realize that changes in their mood or behaviour could be cause for concern. Others families might not know where to turn for assistance. It is vital that all healthcare professionals understand the impact of previous negative experiences and strive to establish trust. What should I do if I'm not satisfied with the assessment? If you've been referred to under the Mental Health Act and you are not satisfied with the results you may make a complaint to the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make complaints for more details. It can be a challenge for those who utilize mental health services to keep their appointments. It is important to try and be as open and honest as you can with the person conducting your assessment. If you don't honest, the professional could be able to get a false impression of what you're doing and this can affect your care. Mental illness can affect your mood and mental thinking. It can cause difficulties in relationships, work, and daily activities. Common conditions include anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. You can get help for a mental illness by talking to your GP as well as your family and friends or going to a local NHS CAMHS service. The proper diagnosis and treatment is essential to improving your mental health. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives the appropriate treatment at the right time. This includes reducing delays and ensuring the correct information is accessible to everyone who requires it. We are also making changes to the way we collect and share data to support this. We want to see all local mental healthcare services be able keep and share information similar to other NHS organisations. This will increase security and quality of the care. Our aim is for all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date information, in real-time regardless of where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which seeks to eliminate the barriers to efficient sharing of data across the health and social care system. What should happen if I need to seek an additional opinion? You may take action if you believe that health professionals involved in the assessment of your case don't consider your opinion seriously. You can ask the supervisor of your mental health services for a different professional to examine the situation with you, or contact one of the NHS helplines to get assistance in your area. If you reside in England the NHS provides a service known as EIT that will send out a crisis response team to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups, or charitable organizations like Mind or Rethink for advice. You could decide to get a second opinion from another doctor or medical specialist, or even your GP. 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 course. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of substantial value and costing just a fraction of what a initial opinion would have cost. This is because the experts are able to offer new perspectives and information that can alter the course of care for a patient. A second opinion may be needed when your healthcare professional has not identified a cause for your symptoms. This can be due to a variety reasons, such as a misdiagnosis or a doctor who does not listen to your personal story. Dementech can arrange for an individual mental assessment with one of our psychiatrists. We offer 50-minute consultations and work with the majority of the major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric treatments are covered. If, however, you do not have insurance, we're able to provide excellent and affordable treatment. What do I do if require an additional opinion from a specialist? You should be able to arrange an appointment for a second opinion if are dissatisfied with the mental health evaluation results. It's not an option that is legally protected, but doctors are usually willing to make it happen. You can contact the mental health service or your GP to arrange this. They should be able to give you the details of local advocacy services. The doctor will examine you and may perform further tests, such as blood tests and a scan. They will inform you about the results and discuss your options for treatment. This could include medication, hospitalization, or other options. When talking to you, the doctor should consider your age, gender and social background, as along with your sexual preference and disability, as well as your religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional and your sexual orientation. mental health check can be beneficial as it allows you to compare medical advice and get a fresh view of your healthcare situation from a different doctor. It can give you more confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and can provide more information on possible side effects. There could be a justification to seek a second opinion. For instance, you may suspect that you have an unusual or rare illness and want a different doctor to evaluate your diagnosis and treatment options. Perhaps you've read about other treatments that your provider doesn't offer and you're interested in knowing if they are safe for you. A private Psychiatrist will usually be able to see you within a few days and will typically have access to all of your health records. They can also schedule an online video consultation through Skype or Facetime and an official medical report to be sent directly to your GP.