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Mental Health Assessment – The First Step to Diagnosing a Mental Health Problem When people seek mental healthcare they may be overwhelmed by their emotions. They may not know how they should deal with them. Fortunately, family members are able to recognize when something is amiss and help them take the next step. The assessment process is where therapists collect information and analyse it to determine the client's specific needs. It can be informal or formal, standardized or non-standardized, self-report or therapist-administered. Mental health A mental health assessment is a process where a professional examines to determine if a person may have a mental health issue. A medical examination, observation, and tests can be part of the process. It can take a lot of time, and sometimes the examination may require multiple appointments. It is important to be honest with your medical professional and to answer all questions honestly. This will enable the health professional to provide an accurate diagnosis. Psychologists and psychiatrists use different methods to assess your mental health. You can be offered written or verbal assessments. These are called psychological tests and can include tests that look for specific conditions. They are typically used together with interviews and observations to establish a diagnosis. The MMPI-2 test is among the most frequently used tests. It measures a variety of mental disorders. Another test that is frequently used is the Y & Z Test, which measures a person's response to anxiety and stress. Mental health professionals will assess the cognitive performance of patients during an assessment. This will include a detailed description of the patient's alertness and level of consciousness in relation to their motor and speech activities as well as their moods and feelings, their thoughts and perception as well as attitudes and insight. They will also assess the ability to follow directions, recall things and think abstractly. If you are concerned that your child might have mental illness, it is important to refer your child to a professional to be assessed. This could be a psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor. It is important to make sure the appointment is long enough for the professional to understand what is happening to your child and the way they are feeling. It is recommended for the child to be with the professional during the entire or part of the assessment. It is important to inform your child that taking an assessment isn't a punishment, and that you're hoping the expert can discover what's going on to be able to treat it. It could be helpful to remind them that everyone is down and anxious now and every now and then, but if the feelings are persistent they need to be addressed. Symptoms Mental health issues can alter how you think, feel, and behave. It can make it hard to manage daily life and relationships. Counselling and medication may help. It's normal to feel concerned or sad, but when the changes persist and disrupt your life, it is more serious. If someone you know has changes in their moods and behavior that are disturbing or making it difficult to live day-to-day, talk to them about it. If you suspect they are at risk of suicide or self-harming, call triple zero (0000) immediately. About 264 million people suffer from anxiety, depression disorders, and other mental illnesses. These symptoms include low mood, difficulty sleeping or concentrating and changes in drinking or eating. The condition can be triggered by a myriad of causes including brain chemicals, genes, or stress. Traumatic events like a car crash, a natural disaster, or war can also trigger it. Other causes can be an ancestor's history of mental illness, taking certain medications or having issues with your physical health. There isn't a single test that can identify mental disorders. A psychiatrist, a different medical doctor or a clinical psychologist can diagnose mental health disorders. Mental health professionals employ a system of classification called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM which categorizes disorders into categories like anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder. Non-categorical models, such as the one developed by German psychiatrist Kraepelin in the 19th century, as well as more recent ones, such as the dimensions models, are alternative methods to diagnose. There is ongoing scientific debate about the relative merits of categorical and non-categorical systems. Certain people who suffer from mental health problems are stigmatised and this can lead to poorer outcomes. In addition, there are many different movements and organisations working to educate people about mental health problems and dispel the myths surrounding them. They include the Royal College of Psychiatrists' campaign Changing Minds, and the Carter Centre in the United States, which supports journalism fellowships that allow journalists to study and write stories about mental health and illnesses. Diagnosis Finding a mental health issue diagnosed is the first step to managing your symptoms. A diagnosis can help your doctor determine what's causing your mood or behavior problems and decide on the most effective treatment. Depending on your illness it could be that you require outpatient treatment, hospitalization, or medication. A mental health assessment could also help your doctor find out if there is something else related to a physical illness, could be the cause of your symptoms. During the mental state exam the doctor will ask you questions to find out the way you feel and think. They may also do a physical exam to check for signs of weakness in your muscles and changes in your eyesight or trouble walking. online mental health assessment will ask you about any medications you take in addition to over-the-counter medications and supplements. There are a variety of mental health tests that range from simple questionnaires to brain imaging techniques. Certain tests are designed to detect specific illnesses, such as depression or anxiety. Others are used to test the person's performance, such as memory or concentration. The cognitive test is one of the most important parts in the mental health checkup. It identifies any disorders that affect your thinking. Your doctor will assess your alertness, capacity to concentrate and pay attention as well as your memory, reading comprehension and the use of language to communicate. They might even ask you to read an article and ask about it later, to check for paraphasic errors (mistakes in pronunciation), semantic errors (mistakes in meaning) and neologisms (meaningless words that are written the same as real words but lack significance). Some tests, such as personality inventories, test the person's behavior or emotions. These tests can reveal whether you are optimistic, pessimistic, compassionate or competitive or if your character is more inclined to be a person of trust or be competitive. Other tests assess a person's abilities, skills and motivations. For example they can assess the work-related skills or value. Many mental health professionals prefer to use their own assessment tools. They may also combine these tools with other methods, like interviewing clients or recording physiological functions. The MMPI-2, for example, is the world's most commonly used psychometric test, which measures the way your thoughts, feelings and behaviors influence you. It includes 10 scales of clinical validity, and three subscales to detect lies, defensiveness, and inconsistent responses. Treatment Many people have tough times, and some suffer from even a mental disorder. Mental illness can affect the whole family. It can cause unemployment, substance abuse and homelessness, as well as inappropriate detention. It can also result in suicide and a reduced quality of life. Treatment for mental disorders can be extremely effective and improve the quality of life for a person. Treatment is a combination of therapy as well as medications. Certain patients need to be in a mental hospital. In a mental health assessment in a mental health assessment, a doctor will find out how well the individual thinks and how well he/she remembers and processes information (cognitive functioning). The doctor will ask the person questions and examine the person. The doctor will also ask the person about their relationship with other people. The mental health assessment may include tests to assess short-term memory, which is the ability to recall information immediately after completing a second mental task. The test could include learning four unrelated concepts or items, a sentence or a person's name and address. After 3 to 5 minutes you will be asked to remember the information. The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a popular test for self-report to gauge anxiety. In some instances, the doctor will order a physical examination to rule out neurological issues such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, which can exhibit similar symptoms to other mental disorders. During the physical examination, the doctor will check the person's reflexes, sensory perception, gait, and posture. The doctor may also do an urine or blood test to rule out infection or other conditions that could interfere with the patient's mental health. The most commonly used treatments for mental disorders involve talking treatments and psychiatric medication. Talking treatments include psychotherapy in groups and group therapy. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed medications. Psychiatric medications can ease symptoms but are not always effective. The effectiveness of any treatment depends on the type and severity of the disorder, the person's reaction to it, as well as how much time the person spends in treatment. Getting treatment early can prevent the symptoms from getting worse and can make recovery more likely.