General Psychiatric Assessment
There are a variety of challenges when conducting psychiatric assessments in general medical settings. There are many challenges such as privacy concerns, ward rounds, assessments by other specialists, secured mealtimes and scheduled family visits.
In this regard it can be a challenge to measure outcomes, especially when it comes to specific outcomes due to illness.
Medical History
The first step in a comprehensive psychiatric examination is to understand the patient's medical history. This includes information about the patient's current health and any medications they're taking, as well as any significant previous medical issues that may affect their current health and well-being. This information can aid the doctor in determining what psychological tests might be appropriate and how many appointments they will have to schedule before making an assessment.
This process can be difficult to complete in medical wards due to the limited space and interruptions by the ward's rounds, examinations from other specialties, allied health professionals and protected mealtimes. It is crucial to find an area with enough privacy to conduct the examination and to schedule an appointment that does not conflict with any of these activities. It is also useful to ask the person who refers you what their specific concerns are so that you can determine exactly what kind of psychiatric examination is required.
It is essential to keep in mind that physical health issues can affect or even overshadow psychiatric symptoms. Overshadowing of diagnostics is a common issue and is very difficult to avoid. If patients are admitted with delirium, but has an indication of dementia in their medical records, it could be tempting to "shadow the delirium' and assume that it is due to their mental illness. This is in contrast to carrying out a full screen for delirium to rule out treatable reasons such as stroke.
It is important that the psychiatrist who is assessing the patient tries to establish a relationship between the psychiatric and physical concerns of the patient as well as to elicit concerns or complaints from the patient regarding their treatment, their care or how their health condition is being managed. The basic model suggested in Reference Osborn and Warner (1998) is a simple schema for achieving this, but it can be difficult to implement this in practice.
Family History
The psychiatrist will inquire about your family history to determine if there are any mental health issues within your family. They'll also want to know about any experiences of abuse or trauma and your current social situation (including work, relationships and whether you have a support system at home). You may be asked questions about your beliefs in religion and about your ambitions and hopes. The psychiatrist will provide an assessment, and then create a treatment plan that meets your requirements.
Physical symptoms are also crucial and it is essential that the psychiatrist evaluate these as well. They will check their blood pressure, listen and feel the lungs and heart and look for other medical conditions which could be causing the psychiatric symptom.
It is often helpful for the psychiatrist to obtain a full physical from the patient's general practitioner however, this isn't always possible especially for patients who are seriously ill or inpatients on psychiatric hospitals. Those on these wards may have only sporadic face-toface contact with psychiatrists or none at all. In such cases it is important that psychiatric nurses and care coordinators play an active role in ensuring that these patients' physical health concerns are met.
Psychiatrists should also to understand why a patient has been referred and what they hope to achieve through their psychiatric assessment. They must be able to read medical letters, review reports of tests, and communicate effectively with a patient's medical team to coordinate any medication or treatment.
The medical history is an essential aspect of any psychiatric examination, and this must include the patient's own mental health diagnosis and previous treatment, as well as information about their alcohol and drug use. If you can, it's essential to gather the family history to determine the risk of certain disorders like bipolar disorder. Screens that are brief to gather lifetime psychiatric information on informants and first-degree relatives can be useful but there is merit in having a complete family history of psychiatric issues as well.
Symptoms
During the psychiatric examination your doctor will inquire with you about your symptoms and how they have impacted your life. Your psychiatrist will also ask you about your family history and other issues that could be relevant. The process can be uncomfortable at times, but it is essential that you answer honestly and completely to ensure that a correct diagnosis can be determined.
It is important to have an assessment for psychiatric disorders in case you suffer from mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. This will tell you whether you require treatment. It is normal to have periods of low mood and stress however should they last for more than one or two days or interfere with your daily activities, then you may need treatment.
Your doctor will inquire about your symptoms and any other issues that are affecting you, such as family or work-related issues or addiction issues. They will also ask you about your physical health, sleeping habits, and whether or not you have tried other methods to alleviate your symptoms.
Your psychiatrist may also ask you questions about your previous experiences with mental illness and they may also use standardized assessment tools or psychological tests to gain more understanding of your current situation. These tests could include personality assessments, questionnaires or cognitive tests that measure your level of distress.
If your check here psychiatric examination finds that you suffer from psychotic symptoms, for example hallucinations and delusions that are quite different from what is considered to be real, then the psychiatrist might have to conduct an extensive exam and admit you to the hospital to be observed. In such cases you'll need be re-evaluated by another psychiatrist before you are able to return home.
Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates will give you the support and care you require. The team of skilled and caring professionals are dedicated to ensuring that you have all the information you require about your diagnosis and treatment options. You can book a psychiatric examination online or over the phone today.
Psychological tests
The use of various tests is an important part of a psycho-psychological evaluation. Psychological tests are written or oral assessments that are designed to test unobserved elements. They are commonly used to evaluate a person's personality traits and emotional functioning. They can be used to determine the severity of a certain mental illness, for example, depression or anxiety. Psychological testing is typically conducted by an experienced psychologist who has been trained. The patient must follow specific instructions to obtain accurate results.
Psychiatric assessments can vary in terms of the type and quantity of psychological tests they utilize according to the individual and their presenting symptoms. A general psychiatric examination could be brief, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MSE) or more thorough and time-consuming tests, such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A thorough neuropsychological test can be used to determine the presence of concussion, brain injury or other neurological issues.
All types of psychiatric assessments offer a glimpse of the patient's psychological and emotional functioning. They are performed by psychologists, doctors, and sometimes psychiatrists in the hospital setting to assess a person's current mood, emotional reactivity and cognitive capabilities. Private therapists may also conduct them in their offices to gather data for a treatment plan, and to determine whether patients would benefit from medication or another form of therapy.
A few examples of psychological assessments include intelligence & achievement tests which test certain types of cognitive functioning (often referred to as IQ) and performance against a normative group. Other tests are designed to test the ability of a task, such as memory tests or the test of word association. Psychologists are the only professionals who have extensive training as well as experience conducting and interpreting psychological tests.
A psychiatric examination is designed to match the patient with a doctor that can provide treatment and management. The doctor will explain the diagnosis to the patient and how it is related to their symptoms. The doctor will also talk about the prognosis. This is how a diagnosis can be likely to develop over time.