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Mental Health Assessments An assessment is a crucial instrument to help people know their mental health. Professionals use a variety tools to help with this that include self-reports and standard tools. A mental status exam is one of the most common. It allows counselors and doctors to observe the client's appearance as well as their attitude and behavior. They can also track their mood, emotions, and thoughts. Signs and symptoms Mental health issues can cause people to alter their emotions, thoughts and behavior. This can impact their ability to work and interact with other people. Mental illness is a serious health condition and many of the same issues that affect our physical health are connected to our mental health, like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Every person experiences ups and downs in their mood. However, if the changes are extreme and persist for a long period it could be an indication of a mental illness. Some common symptoms are changes in sleep and eating habits or levels of energy; an extreme increase or reduction in emotions like sadness, joy or anger; trouble remembering or concentrating and feeling exhausted constantly. It is important to not dismiss your concerns about someone you care about. Early intervention can stop mental health issues from getting worse. Many of these changes are caused by life events, like loss of a job, family problems or an accident that is serious. It is important to seek treatment for a mental illness so it doesn't impact your relationships and work. Certain illnesses can be treated with counselling or medication. Some conditions require hospital treatment. There are over 200 mental disorders that can be classified as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and depression. Some of them are life-threatening. Some phobias are less severe and don't affect daily life as severely. Mental health can be affected in a variety of ways, such as genetics and biological differences, life experiences and stress, lifestyle choices and how society treats its citizens. It is essential to understand that mental illness should not be viewed as a cause for shame. Like heart disease or diabetes, it can be treated and improved. Mental illness is treatable and a lot of sufferers will recover with proper treatment. This could include psychotherapy (talk therapy) or medication, such as antidepressants and sedatives. Combining treatments is often the most effective. Self-help groups and support groups can be beneficial for some people. History The history of mental health problems is a central part of any examination. Apart from examining symptoms and conducting psychological tests, a psychiatrist will need to be aware of your medical history as well as whether you have any family members with mental illness. They will ask about your current medications and any other drug or alcohol use you have experienced in the past. In some cases, a doctor might request that you keep a log of your symptoms, or bring an individual or a relative along to get the full picture from their perspective. For some people an assessment of their mental health is a first step in seeking treatment for a condition. It is often triggered by a physician or other professional who refers the person to the doctor but it could also be initiated directly by the person. The psychiatric assessment will give the professional the information they need to establish a diagnosis. Through the entirety of recorded the history of mankind, Western civilization's view of mental illness was based on supernatural forces and demonic possession, which led to primitive treatment methods like drilling a hole into the head (trepanning). The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of a more humane approach to treating the mentally ill, as doctors began to abandon these superstitions and adopt logical explanations/theories for their patients. Today, the term “mental health” is used in both ways: to describe the state of being well-being as an umbrella term that covers psychiatry as well as psychotherapy. While there is a general movement to establish mental health apart from psychiatry to establish it as a separate discipline but this distinction has not yet been fully recognized. Mental health is defined differently in different cultures, however the majority of them have elements like self-realization and satisfaction, happiness, and mastery of one's surroundings. These criteria are influenced however, by the values of the culture that can exclude those who aren't reaching their full potential, those who live in low-income areas, those who live in areas that are deprived and minorities who are subject to discrimination and reject. Other assessment tools can be used to assess the mental health of a person. These include the DSM-5 Checklist that lists of specific disorders as well as the Life Events Checklist which can check for distressing or traumatic events in the life of a patient. Physical Examination A medical doctor or psychiatrist will usually conduct the physical examination of a patient suspected of having a mental health issue. The examination may be part of the physical examination, or can be done when a health care provider believes that a specific condition such as schizophrenia, dementia or addiction to drugs is at play. The test is a chance to assess the person's appearance, emotional state and their response to questions. The doctor who is examining will ask the patient questions regarding how long they've had symptoms and any family history of mental health problems. The doctor will also want to know about any drugs the person uses or has used in the past including prescription medications and supplements. A psychiatric examination is necessary to discover what is going on within a person and what type of treatment is appropriate. A diagnosis is essential and, depending on the final diagnosis the patient may require inpatient care or medication. The diagnosis is typically done in a hospital. However, some individuals may have a mental assessment done at home by an authorized professional. The assessment of cognitive function is an important component of a mental test. This is the ability to concentrate, remember and organize information as well as solve problems and make decisions. It also includes the fundamental skills like the ability of interfacing with others. To evaluate cognition, an individual is asked to respond to open-ended or standard questions and write short stories. The assessment of thought content involves searching for a variety things, including hallucinations that may be visual, auditory or olfactory. illusions of special abilities or status, or even being a target for others; paranoid thoughts; irrational fears or obsessions and compulsions; lack of connection (making unrelated connections between various subjects); and depressive and suicidal thoughts. Often clinical tests are required as an adjunct to an assessment of mental health including blood work or magnetic resonance imaging to rule out other diseases and disorders that can cause similar symptoms as mental illness. Tests The mental state exam is a method to evaluate a patient by observing and asking questions. It involves a health professional monitoring the patient's behavior mood, activity level and general appearance. It may also include the use of written or verbal tests, including standardized rating systems that assess symptoms. this link private mental health -2 is a common depression test. There are a variety of other tests to measure the levels of anxiety, intelligence and autism. The patient's medical history and physical examination can provide valuable information that can be used to determine whether the symptoms are caused by an illness of the mind or a medical issue such as hypothyroidism, diabetes or abuse of drugs. In addition, some physical conditions, such as selective brain lesions or specific kinds of tumors can present with similar symptoms to those of psychological disorders and might require clinical or laboratory tests such as blood tests, CT scans or MRI as an adjunct to the mental health assessment to make an assessment. Psychological testing is an important element of an assessment of mental health and can provide valuable information on how well the patient is able to think, recalls, and interacts with other people. These tests can provide valuable information to identify signs such as hallucinations, or the tendency to make irrelevant connections between different subjects. A psychiatric health evaluation may also include questions about the patient's family history of mental illness and other diseases. It will cover how long the symptoms have been present, the extent of their effects, and if they hinder everyday activities. It will also inquire about any prior psychiatric issues the patient has experienced and the type of treatment they've received in the past. It is important for the patient to be honest about their responses since it will allow the health professional gain a better understanding of the patient's health. During the interview, the health care professional will listen to the patient's speech and how they interact. They will also inquire about any supplements or medications the patient is taking that are prescription or non-prescription and how they affect their mental health.