General Psychiatric Assessment
There are numerous challenges in conducting psychiatric assessments in general medical settings. This includes privacy issues assessment, ward rounds, and visits by other specialties, secure time for meals and visits from family members.
It can be difficult to measure outcome in this setting, with particular challenges for specific outcomes related to disease and patient and referrer satisfaction ratings.
Medical Histories
The first step in a general psychiatric assessment is to understand the patient's medical background. This will include information about the patient's current health, any medications they are taking and any major past 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 might need to make before making the diagnosis.
This step can be difficult to complete in medical wards due to the small space and interruptions caused by the ward's rounds, examinations from other specialties as well as allied health professionals, and scheduled meal times. It is essential to locate a quiet place to conduct the examination and then schedule an appointment that does not interfere with any of these activities. It is also helpful to inquire from the referrer what their particular concerns are so that you can determine exactly what kind of psychiatric evaluation is required.
It is essential to keep in mind that physical health issues can influence or even obscure the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This is a problem that is referred to as diagnostic overshadowing and can be very difficult to avoid. For example when the patient was admitted for a delirium and has a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia in their medical record it can be tempting to "shadow" the delirium and assume it is due to their existing mental illness instead of carry out a full delirium screen to rule out treatable causes such as stroke.
It is essential that the psychiatrist assessing the patient tries to establish a connection between the psychiatric and physical concerns of the patient and to elicit concerns or complaints from the patient about their treatment, care, or how their condition is being managed. Reference Osborn & Warner (1998) recommends the most basic approach to accomplishing this. However, it could be difficult to implement in the real world.
Family History
The psychiatrist will inquire about your family history to see if there are any mental health problems within your family. They will also ask about any past traumas or abused, as well as your current status in the social world (including your work, relationships, and if you have the support of your family). You might be asked questions about your beliefs regarding religion as well as about your goals and hopes. The psychiatrist will make an assessment and design a treatment plan that meets your needs.
The psychiatrist should also look at physical symptoms. They will examine their blood pressure, listen and feel the lungs and heart as well as examine for any other medical conditions that could be causing the psychiatric sign.
It is usually beneficial for the psychiatrist to get a full physical from the patient's general practitioner however, this isn't always possible particularly for those who are extremely sick or inpatients on psychiatric hospitals. The patients on these wards may only have very infrequent face-to-face contact with psychiatrists or none at all. In such cases it is essential that psychiatric nurses and care coordinators play a prominent role in ensuring that patients' physical health issues are met.
Psychiatrists should also be able comprehend why a person has been referred and what they are hoping to achieve with their psychiatric evaluation. They must be able to interpret medical letters and examine the results of tests provided by the GP or another health professional. They must communicate effectively with the medical team of the patient about the investigations carried out so that any treatment or medication can be coordinated.
The medical history is a crucial component of any psychiatric assessment. It must include information about the patient's psychiatric diagnosis and treatment history as well as any alcohol and drug usage. If possible, it is important to obtain an entire family history to assess the risk of developing certain disorders such as bipolar disorder. It is helpful to use brief screens that collect lifetime psychiatric data on informants and their first-degree relatives but it is also essential to collect the complete psychiatric records of all family members.
Symptoms
In the course of a psychiatric evaluation your doctor will inquire with you about your symptoms and how they have affected your life. Your psychiatrist will inquire about any pertinent issues, such as your family history. It may be uncomfortable at times, but it is important to answer honestly and completely to ensure that you receive a correct diagnosis.
If you are suffering from mental health issues like depression or anxiety it is crucial to seek a psychiatric examination to determine if you require treatment. It is normal to have periods of low mood and stress, but when they last longer than a few days or affect your daily life, then you might require treatment.
In addition to discussing your symptoms Your psychiatrist will inquire about any other issues that may be impacting you, including problems at work or with your family, or addiction issues. They will also ask you about your physical health, your sleeping habits and whether or not you've tried other methods to help with your symptoms.
Your psychiatrist may also ask you questions regarding your previous experiences with mental illness and they might use standard assessment tools or psychological tests to gain understanding of your current situation. These tests may include personality tests, questionnaires or cognitive tests that measure the level of stress you are experiencing.
If the psychiatric assessment shows that you are experiencing psychotic symptoms that are marked by hallucinations or delusions that are a significant departure from the reality of consensual, the psychiatrist will need to conduct a more thorough exam and may have to admit you to hospital to be observed. You will need to undergo a second assessment by a psychiatrist before you are allowed to go home.
Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates will provide you with the support and care you require. The team of experienced and caring professionals are dedicated to providing you with the information you need about your diagnosis and treatment options. You can schedule your psychiatric exam via the internet or call us today.
Psychological tests
The use of a variety of tests is an important part of a psycho-psychological evaluation. Psychological tests are either written or verbal assessments that are designed to test unobserved aspects. They are commonly used to evaluate the traits of a person's personality and emotional functioning. They can be used to determine the severity of a particular mental illness, for example, depression or anxiety. Psychological testing is usually conducted by a trained psychologist and requires the patient to follow certain instructions to obtain exact results.
Psychiatric assessment can vary in regards to the number and type psychological tests employed, based on the symptoms of an individual. A general psychiatric examination can be brief, like the Mini-Mental State Examination, or in-depth and lengthy, like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A thorough neuropsychological test can be used to determine the presence of brain injuries, concussions, or other more info neurological conditions.
All kinds of psychiatric examinations can provide a picture of the patient's psychological and emotional state. They are carried out by psychologists, doctors and sometimes psychiatrists in the hospital setting to evaluate a person's present mood, emotional reactivity and cognitive abilities. Private therapists may also conduct these tests in their offices to gather data for the development of a treatment plan and to determine if the patient could benefit from medication or a different type of therapy.
Psychological evaluations include intelligence & achievement tests which test certain types of cognitive functioning (often called IQ) and performance in comparison to a normed group. Other tests are designed to test the ability of tasks, like a memory test or the test of word association. Psychologists are the only professionals who have extensive training as well as experience the administration and interpretation of psychological tests.
A psychiatric exam is designed to match the patient with a doctor who can offer treatment and management. After the exam is completed, the doctor will inform the patient of the diagnosis and how it relates to their current symptoms. The doctor will also talk about the prognosis, which is how a particular diagnosis can be likely to develop over time.