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mental health assesment – What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? It is essential to seek help if you have a problem with your mental health. Mental illness is just as serious as physical ailments. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, religious belief, social, cultural or political background. APP recognises the need to combat discrimination. What is a mental health assessment? A mental health assessment is a test that aims to assess how one is functioning psychologically socially and developmentally. It can also aid in diagnosing conditions like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia. A healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe their physical state during the initial assessment. They might also ask questions about their symptoms or what they've been going through. They will also assess the person's ability to think and reason as well as recall (cognitive function). When assessing there are a variety of tests that are conducted. They can be formal, standardized tests or informal tests that are not standardized. These tools could include a list of issues as well as a memory check or self-report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general practitioner, or they can be administered by mental health professionals. Sometimes, lab tests are necessary to diagnose the presence of a disease. These tests could include urine or blood samples. Most of the time these tests aren't painful. The only discomfort may be the injection of the blood sample which may feel like a slight pinch or the sensation of stinging. In more serious cases it is possible that an MRI or EEG scan could be required. It is essential for a healthcare professional to have the most accurate picture when they carry out an assessment. This involves taking into consideration the patient's lifestyle, family history, and the environment. This information is taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment for the patient. What should happen during an assessment at a mental health facility? The assessment should be a time for healthcare professionals to be attentive and understand the situation for you. It is important that you use this opportunity to discuss your concerns and ask questions. You should also receive enough information about different treatments, so that you are able to make an informed choice. Staff should greet you in a warm and friendly manner with respect and empathy at the time of your arrival (NICE 2009b). Individuals who want to wait on their own or in a group need to have a comfortable waiting area. During the mental evaluation, your doctor will ask you about your thoughts and feelings, and how they impact your daily life, and whether or not you've attempted to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also be observing your behavior. For instance, they could examine your speech and whether you are able to make eye contact. They may also test your reasoning and memory skills by asking simple questions such as recalling short lists and naming common objects or shapes. If you fall under 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 appointment, or you can choose to use an advocate who will represent your interests and views. They could be volunteers, like those who work for charities or professionals like lawyers. Some people find it hard to discuss their emotional well-being with healthcare professionals, especially when they've had bad experiences in the past. Some children do not realise that changes in their mood or behaviour are a cause for worry, and other families might not know who to turn to for assistance. It is essential that all healthcare professionals are aware of the consequences of previous poor experiences and that they work hard to establish a trusting relationship. What should I do if unhappy with the results of the test? If you've been assessed under the Mental Health Act and you aren't happy with it, you can make a complaint to the CQC. Learn more about how to make complaints for more details. It can be a challenge for people who use mental healthcare services to keep track of all their appointments. It is essential to be as open and honest as possible with the person who is conducting your assessment. If you don't then you could give the doctor an inaccurate impression of your health condition and this could affect your care. A mental illness is a condition that can influence your mood, thinking and behaviour. It can cause problems with work, relationships and day-to-day activities. Some common conditions include anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. You can get help for mental illness from your GP, friends and family or by visiting the nearest NHS CAMHS. The main factor in improving mental health is receiving the appropriate assessment and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives proper treatment at the appropriate time. This includes reducing delays and ensuring that the right information is available to anyone who needs it. We are also making adjustments to the way we collect and share data to help with this. We would like to see all local mental healthcare services able to record and share data similar to other NHS organizations. This will improve the safety of patients and improve the quality of the care. We want all healthcare providers to be able to access accurate and current data in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part the NHS's mission Data Saves Lives which aims to eliminate the obstacles to information sharing across the health and care system. What do I do if require a second opinion on something? If you feel that the health professionals involved in your assessment don't take your concerns seriously, there are some things you can do. You can ask the manager of your mental health services to have a different doctor discuss the situation with you, or you could contact one of the NHS helplines to get assistance in your region. If you reside in England the NHS provides a service known as EIT which sends an emergency response team to your home. You can also seek assistance from local voluntary groups or charities, such as Mind or Rethink. You may want to get a second opinion, either from a medical professional or another doctor. Your GP is also able to provide an additional opinion. This is a great idea when you are not sure about your diagnosis or treatment options, or if there is disagreement between your doctors over the best course of action. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of great value and costing less than what the initial opinion would have cost. This is because experts are able to offer new perspectives and information that could alter the course of a patient's care. Another reason for seeking a second opinion is that the original doctor or healthcare professional may have missed a potential cause or effect of your symptoms. This can happen for various reasons, such as misdiagnosis or simply not taking the time to listen carefully to your story. At Dementech, we can arrange a private health evaluation for you with our psychiatrists. We provide standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we work with the majority of major private insurance providers to ensure that your mental health treatment is covered. If you do not have health insurance, we will provide top-quality care at an affordable price. What should happen if I require a second opinion from a specialist? You are likely to be able to get an appointment for a second opinion if are dissatisfied with the mental health evaluation results. It's not an official right however, doctors are generally willing to facilitate it. You can request your GP or the mental health services to help make this happen. They should be able give you information on local advocacy services. The doctor will evaluate and possibly perform further tests, such as blood tests and an X-ray. They will then inform you about their findings and talk about the options available for treatment. This might include hospitalization, or other options. The doctor should consider your age, gender social background, your social background, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability and cultural or religious beliefs when speaking with you. A second opinion is useful as it allows you to compare medical advice and get an updated view of your health situation from a different doctor. It can give you more confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options and provide more information on possible adverse effects. You may have a compelling reason to seek a second opinion. For instance, you could suspect that you have a rare or unusual illness and want a different doctor to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment options. You may have read about treatments that your provider doesn't offer and are interested in knowing if they are suitable for you. A private Psychiatrist will typically be able to visit you within a few days and will typically have access to all of your health records. They can also arrange an appointment via video on Skype, Facetime or a phone call and then send a medical report directly to your GP.