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Mental Health Assessment – What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? If you suffer from mental health issues it is essential to seek assistance. Mental illness is as serious as physical disease. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of age, gender or race. APP recognises the need to fight discrimination. What is a mental health assessment? A mental health evaluation is an assessment that determines how an individual is performing psychologically, socially, and developmental. It can also be used to diagnose illnesses such as depression or neurological diseases like dementia. In an initial evaluation an healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe them physically. They may ask about the patient's symptoms and what's happening. They also assess the person's ability to think and reason as well as recall (cognitive function). There are a variety of different tests that can be conducted during an assessment. They could be formal and standardized or informal and non-standardized. They could include a troubleshooting checklist, a memory test or a self-report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. online mental health assessment may be administered by general practitioners or mental health professionals. Sometimes, people require lab tests to help determine if they have a problem. This could include urine or blood samples. Usually the tests aren't painful. The only discomfort may be the injection of the blood sample which may be a little painful or the sensation of stinging. In more severe cases, an MRI scan or EEG could be required. It is important for a healthcare professional to have the most complete picture possible when conducting an assessment. This includes taking into account the patient's lifestyle, family history and their environment. This information will be considered when deciding on the ideal treatment option for the patient. What happens during an assessment at a mental health service? The exam should be an opportunity for healthcare professionals to be attentive and understand the situation for you. It is advisable to use this opportunity to voice your concerns and ask any questions you have. You should also be given enough information about different treatments, to allow you to make an informed decision. The staff should greet you in a warm and friendly manner, with empathy and respect, upon arrival (NICE 2009b). Individuals who want to wait alone or in a group must have a comfortable waiting area. During the mental exam the doctor will ask you questions about your thoughts and emotions and how they affect your daily routine, and if you've attempted to manage symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also observe the way you behave. For example, they may look at how you speak and whether you are able to make eye contact. They may also test you on your memory and reasoning abilities by asking you simple questions, such as recalling brief lists and naming common shapes or objects. If you fall under section 2 of Mental Health Act, the AMHP will help and guide you through the assessment. You can bring a companion or a relative along to the appointment or opt to use an advocate who will represent your interests and opinions. They could be volunteers such as charity workers, or professionals, like lawyers. Many people find it difficult to discuss their mental health with healthcare professionals, particularly if they've had negative experiences in the past. Many children are unaware that changes in their mood or behaviour are reason for concern. Other families may not know where they can turn for help. It is essential that healthcare professionals are aware of the effects of their previous experiences and work hard to establish trust. What should I do if not satisfied with the assessment? If you've been referred to under the Mental Health Act and you are not happy with it, you can make a complaint to the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make complaints for more details. It can be challenging for those who utilize mental health services to keep track of all their appointments. It is essential to be as honest and transparent as you can to the person who is evaluating your condition. If you do not then you could give the doctor a false impression of your health condition and this could affect your care. A mental illness is a condition that may influence your mood, thinking and behavior. It can cause difficulties with relationships, work and even everyday activities. Depression anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia are all common disorders. You can get help for a mental illness by talking to your doctor or family members and friends, or visiting the nearest NHS CAMHS service. The key to improving mental health is receiving the right assessment and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives the appropriate treatment at the right time. This means reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring the correct information is accessible to everyone who requires it. To help with this, we are changing the way we record and share information. We want to ensure that all local mental health services able to collect and share data the same as other NHS organisations. This will improve the safety and quality of treatment. We want all providers to have access accurate and current data in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which aims to reduce the barriers to efficient sharing of information across the health and social care systems. What should I do if need to seek to get a second opinion? You are able to decide to take action if you think that health professionals involved in the assessment of your case don't consider your opinion seriously. You can ask the manager of your mental health service for a different specialist to discuss the situation with you, or you could contact one of the NHS helplines to get assistance in your region. If you live in England the NHS offers a service called EIT which sends an emergency response team to your home. You can also seek help from local groups of volunteers or charities, like Mind or Rethink. You might want to seek a second opinion from another doctor or medical specialist, or even from your GP. You should do this in the event that you aren't sure of your diagnosis or treatment options, or when the doctors aren't agreeing on the best course. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions provide significant value and are only a tiny fraction of the cost of a first opinion. The reason for this is that experts are able to provide new perspectives and more information that can change the direction of a patient's treatment. Another reason for seeking a second opinion is that the initial doctor or healthcare professional may have missed a possible cause or impact of your symptoms. This could be due to a variety of reasons like an incorrect diagnosis or a doctor who doesn't listen to your story. At Dementech we can arrange a private health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We provide standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we work with a variety of major private insurance companies to ensure that your treatment for psychiatric issues is covered. However, if you do not have insurance, we are in a position to provide top quality and affordable treatment. What should I do if I need an additional opinion from a specialist? If you are not satisfied with the results of your mental health assessment and want an additional opinion, it's possible to get this. It's not an official right, but doctors are usually willing to make it happen. You can request the mental health service or your GP to arrange this. They should be able to provide you information about local advocacy services. The doctor will evaluate and possibly perform further tests such as blood tests or an X-ray. They will then inform you about their findings and discuss your options for treatment. This could include medications or hospitalization, as well as other options. When speaking to you your doctor, the doctor must consider your age, gender and social background as well as your sexual orientation or disability, religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional and your sexual preference. A second opinion is useful as it allows you to compare medical advice and get an entirely new perspective on your health situation from a different physician. It can help you gain confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and also provide you with more details about possible side effects. You might have a very compelling reason to seek a second opinion. You might be concerned that you may have an unusual or rare condition and want a second opinion from a specialist on your diagnosis and treatment options. You may have read about treatments that your provider does not offer and would like to know if they are safe for you. A private Psychiatrist should be able to visit you within several days and will usually have access to all of your medical 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.