Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? It is crucial to seek help if you have a problem with your mental health. Mental illness can be as severe as physical ailments. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of gender, age or race. APP recognizes the need to combat discrimination. What is a mental health assessment? A mental health assessment is a test used to see how well one is functioning psychologically socially and developmentally. It can also be used to diagnose conditions like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia. In an initial evaluation the healthcare professional will talk to the patient and observe them physically. They might also ask questions about their symptoms and what they've been going through. They also will assess the way the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning). There are many different tests that can be carried out during an assessment. These can be formal and standardized, or informal and non-standardized. They could include a problem checklist as well as a memory test. self-reporting screening tools such as the GHQ or MMSE. These tools may be administered by general practitioners or mental health professionals. Sometimes, lab tests are required to diagnose the presence of a disease. This may include urine or blood samples. The tests are generally not painful. The only discomfort may be caused by the injection of blood which can feel like a tiny pinch or the sensation of stinging. In more serious instances it is possible that an MRI or EEG scan could be required. When a healthcare professional conducts an assessment, it is crucial that they have the most complete picture. This means taking into account the patient's family history as well as their lifestyle and environment they reside in. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment for the patient. What happens during an assessment at mental health services? The examination is a chance for health professionals to be attentive and understand what is happening to you. It is important that you take this opportunity to share your concerns and ask questions. You should be well-informed about the various treatments available to make an informed decision. The staff should greet you in a warm and welcoming manner, with empathy and respect at the time of your arrival (NICE 2009b). A comfortable waiting area should be made available to those who wish to wait in a private space or with others. In the course of your mental health assessment Your doctor might ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings and how they affect your daily routine, and if you've tried to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also watch the way you behave. For example, they may examine your speech and if you make eye contact. They will also test your memory and reasoning skills by asking questions like recalling short lists and naming common shapes and objects. If you fall within section 2 of Mental Health Act, the AMHP will assist and guide you through the process of assessing. You may bring a friend or relative with you to the appointment or opt to have an advocate who can represent your views and interests. They could be professionals like lawyers or even charity workers. Some people find it hard to discuss their emotional health with healthcare professionals, especially in the event of negative experiences in the past. Children may not realize that changes in their mood and behaviour are a cause for anxiety, whereas other families might not know who to for help. It is important that all healthcare professionals are aware of the consequences of their previous experiences and that they work hard to build a trusting relationship. What should I do if I am unhappy with the assessment? If you are unhappy with the diagnosis you received under the Mental Health Act, you may file a complaint to the CQC. Learn more about how to make complaints for more details. Patients who seek mental health services typically have many different appointments with various professionals. It can be difficult to keep track of all the appointments. It is crucial to be as honest and transparent as possible with the person who is evaluating you. If you aren't then you could give the professional an inaccurate impression of your health condition and this could impact your treatment. Mental illness can affect your mood and thinking. It can lead to problems with work, relationships and day-to-day activities. Some common conditions include anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. You can get help for mental illness by speaking to your GP as well as your family and friends or visiting the nearest NHS CAMHS service. https://www.iampsychiatry.com/booking-private-mental-health-assessment to improving mental health is getting the appropriate assessment and treatment. NHS England works hard to ensure that everyone receives appropriate treatment at the right time. This includes reducing wait times and ensuring the right information is accessible to everyone who needs it. To support this, we are changing the way that we collect and share information. We want all local mental health services to be able to record and share data in the same way as other NHS organisations. This will improve safety and quality of treatment. Our goal is that all providers have access to current and accurate information, in real-time regardless of where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which is designed to remove the barriers to a more efficient sharing of information within the health and social care system. What should I do if would like to get an additional opinion? If you think that the health professionals involved in your assessment do not take your concerns seriously, there are things you can do. You can ask the manager of your mental health service for a different specialist to examine the situation with you, or you could call one of the NHS helplines to get assistance in your region. If you live in England, the NHS offers a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) that can send an emergency response team to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups, or charities such as Mind or Rethink for advice. It is possible to seek another opinion, whether from a medical specialist or another doctor. Your GP can also provide an alternative opinion. This is advisable when you're not sure about your diagnosis or treatment options or if the doctors disagree about the best treatment option. A study published in American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of substantial value and costing a fraction of what the initial opinion would have cost. Experts can provide fresh perspectives and provide information that could change the course of a patient's treatment. A second opinion is necessary when your healthcare professional has not identified a cause for your symptoms. This could be due to a number of reasons, including misdiagnosis and simply not taking the time to listen carefully to your story. At Dementech We can organize a private mental health evaluation for you with our psychiatrists. We offer 50-minute consultations. cooperate with the majority of the major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric treatment are covered. However, if you don't have insurance, we are still capable of providing excellent and affordable care. What should I do if require a second opinion from a specialist? You should be able to arrange a second opinion if you are unhappy with your mental health assessment results. You don't have a legal right to this however, doctors are very unlikely to refuse to arrange it for you. You can ask your GP or the mental health services to help make this happen. They should be able to give you details of local advocacy services. The specialist will examine and possibly perform further tests, such as blood tests and X-rays. They will then inform you about their findings and discuss your options for treatment. This might include a hospital stay or other options. When talking to you your doctor, the doctor must take into consideration your gender, age, gender and social background as in addition to your sexual orientation and disability, as well as your religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional and your sexual orientation. A second opinion can be useful as it allows you review the advice of various experts and gain a new perspective on your health situation. It can help you feel more comfortable regarding the diagnosis and treatment options and also provide you more details on the possible side effects of each option. There may be a compelling reason to seek to get a second opinion. You may be worried that you have an unusual or rare illness and would like to get a second opinion from a specialist regarding your diagnosis and possible treatment options. Perhaps you've been reading about other treatments your provider doesn't offer and you're interested in knowing whether they're safe for you. A private Psychiatrist should be able to visit you within just a few days and will usually have access to all your medical records. They can also schedule an online video consultation using Skype or Facetime and a medical report to be directly sent to your GP.