General Psychiatric Assessment
There are many challenges to performing psychiatric examinations in general medical settings. There are numerous challenges such as privacy concerns and ward rounds, evaluations by other specialists, secured meals and planned family visits.
In this regard it can be a challenge to measure outcomes, especially when it comes to disease-specific outcomes.
Medical Histories
The first step in a comprehensive psychiatric examination is to determine the patient's medical history. This will include information about the patient's current condition as well as any medications they are taking and any major past medical problems that could affect their current health and well-being. This information will also help the physician determine which psychological tests are appropriate and the number of appointments they might require before determining a diagnosis.
This process is often difficult to complete on medical wards due the limited space available as well as interruptions during visits to the ward, assessments by other specialties and health experts, protected mealtimes, and planned visits. It is important to find a time that doesn't clash with any of these activities and find a quiet space for the assessment to take place. Inquiring about the referrer's specific concerns will help you determine which psychiatric evaluation is needed.
When performing psychiatric assessments on the medical wards of general hospitals, it is important to keep in mind that physical health problems a patient presents with can affect or even obscure their psychiatric signs and behaviors. This is a common problem that is referred to as diagnostic overshadowing and is very difficult to avoid. If the patient is admitted to hospital with delirium and has a diagnosis of dementia in their medical records, it could be tempting to "shadow the delirium', assuming that it is due to their existing mental illness. This is in contrast to carrying out a full screen for delirium to rule out treatmentable causes like 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 solicit complaints or concerns from the patient regarding their treatment, their care, or how their condition is managed. Reference Osborn & Warner (1998) recommends the most basic approach to accomplishing this. However, it can be difficult to implement in real life.
Family History
The psychiatrist will inquire about your family history to see whether there are any mental health issues within your family. They'll also want know about any experiences of abuse or trauma and your current social circumstances (including your relationships, work and whether you have support at home). You could be asked about your religious beliefs 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 check physical symptoms. They will examine their blood pressure, listen and feel the heart and lungs as well as look for other medical conditions that may be causing the psychiatric symptom.
It is often beneficial for a psychiatrist to get an all-encompassing physical from the general practitioner of the patient but this isn't always possible especially for patients who are extremely sick and inpatients on psychiatric wards. These patients may have only very little or no face-to-face interaction with psychiatrists. In these cases, it is important that psychiatric nurses or care coordinators take an active part in ensuring these patients' physical health concerns are taken care of.
Psychiatrists also need to understand the reason why the patient is being referred to them, and what they are hoping to accomplish from their psychiatric examination. They should be able to interpret medical letters, review reports of tests, and communicate effectively with a person's medical team to coordinate any medication or treatment.
The medical history is an essential element of any psychiatric assessment and must include the patient's diagnosis of psychiatric illness and treatment history and details about their alcohol and drug use. It is also essential to collect a detailed family history, if you can, in order to establish the likelihood of developing certain disorders, like bipolar disorder, which is known to occur in families. Screens to collect life-long psychopathological information from informants and first-degree relatives can be useful but there is value in obtaining a full family history of psychiatric disorders in addition.
Symptoms
During the psychiatric examination Your doctor may ask you about symptoms and how they impact your life. Your doctor will also inquire about your family history and other issues that may be relevant. The interview may be uncomfortable at times, but it is vital that you speak truthfully and fully so that an accurate diagnosis can be given.
It is crucial to have an assessment for psychiatric disorders in case you suffer from mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression. This will determine if you need treatment. It is normal to experience periods of stress and low mood however when they last longer than one or two days or interfere with your daily activities, then you may require treatment.
Your psychiatrist will inquire about your symptoms as well as any other issues that are impacting you, like family or work issues or abuse of substances. They will also ask you about your physical health, your sleeping habits, and whether or not you've tried other methods to treat your symptoms.
Your psychiatrist could also inquire about your past experiences of mental illness. They could also employ standardized assessment tools or psychological tests to gain a better understanding of your situation. These tests could include questionnaires, personality tests or cognitive tests to gauge the level of stress you are experiencing.
If the psychiatric evaluation shows that you are experiencing psychotic symptoms, caused by hallucinations, delusions or hallucinations that are a significant departure from reality as a consensual entity, the psychiatrist will need to conduct a more thorough exam and may have to admit you to a hospital for observation. In such cases you'll need be evaluated by a different psychiatrist before you are able to return home.
If you're in need of a psychiatric evaluation, Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates can provide you with the care and support you deserve. The team of knowledgeable and friendly professionals are committed to ensuring that you have the necessary information regarding your diagnosis and treatment options. You can schedule your psychiatric evaluation online or by phone now.
Psychological tests
The use of different tests is a crucial aspect of a psycho-psychological evaluation. Psychological tests are either written or verbal assessments that are designed to test unobserved constructs. They are used to assess a person's emotional functioning and personality traits. They can be used to determine the severity of a particular mental illness, for example, anxiety or depression. Psychological testing is typically conducted by an experienced psychologist who has been trained. The patient must follow specific instructions for accurate results.
Psychiatric assessments can vary in the amount and type of psychological tests they use according to the person and their symptoms. A general psychiatric examination could be brief, like the Mini-Mental State Examination, or in-depth and lengthy, like a Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A thorough neuropsychological test can be used to determine the presence of a brain injury, concussion or other neurological disorders.
All kinds of psychiatric assessments offer a glimpse of the patient's psychological and emotional functioning. They are conducted by doctors, psychologists and sometimes psychiatrists in hospitals to evaluate a person's present mood, emotional reactivity and cognitive capabilities. Private therapists can also conduct them in their offices to gather information for the development of a treatment plan and to determine if patients would benefit from medication or a different type of therapy.
Psychological evaluations include intelligence & achievement tests which test certain types of cognitive functioning (often referred to as IQ) and performance in comparison to a normed group. Other tests are designed to evaluate the ability to complete tasks, such as a word association or memory test. Psychologists are the only professionals with a vast amount of training and experience to administer and interpret psychological tests.
how to get a psychiatric assessment is designed to connect the patient with a physician that can provide treatment and management. The doctor will explain the diagnosis to the patient and explain how it is related to their symptoms. The doctor will also talk about the prognosis, which is how a particular diagnosis is likely to develop in time.