A mental health evaluation is when a mental health professional, such as your doctor, a psychologist, or a psychiatrist, examines you to discover if you have a mental illness and what treatment options are available.
Everyone has their ups and downs. However, the negative feelings a person has on the inside — depression, anxiety, a desire to avoid people, difficulty thinking — may be more than the ups and downs that most people experience from time to time. It’s critical to take action if symptoms like these start to interfere with your or a loved one’s life. Early intervention has been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms and increase the likelihood of a full recovery.
What To Expect
Sometimes people feel overwhelmed or afraid of what they perceive or anticipate about the mental health evaluation. The following are the common tests and questions you should expect during the evaluation.
Physical Examination
Symptoms of a physical ailment can sometimes be mistaken for a mental disorder. A physical examination can help determine if anything else is at play, such as a thyroid condition or a neurological problem.
Lab Tests
To rule out a medical condition, your doctor may perform blood tests, a urine test, a brain scan, or other tests.
Mental Health And Personal History
Your doctor will inquire about the duration of your symptoms, your personal or family history of mental illness, and any previous psychiatric therapy. Your doctor may also inquire about your personal history or lifestyle.
Mental Evaluation
Your doctor will question you about your thoughts, feelings, actions, how your symptoms affect your daily life, what causes them to improve or worsen, and how you’ve attempted to cope with them.
Cognitive Evaluation
Your doctor will examine your capacity to think effectively, recall facts, and employ mental reasoning during the examination.
We hope you now understand what mental health evaluation entails. To pass the mental health evaluation you will need to cooperate with your doctor and answer all questions honestly.
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