Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment? It is crucial to seek assistance if there is an issue with your mental health. Mental illness is as serious as physical disease. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of age, gender race, religion, ethnicity or political, cultural or social background. APP recognises 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 in terms of development. It also helps diagnose conditions like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia. A healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe their physical condition in the initial evaluation. They might inquire about the patient's symptoms as well as what's happening. They can also assess the way the person thinks, reason and remembers (cognitive functioning). There are a number of different tests that can be performed during an assessment. These can be formal and standardized, or informal and non-standardized. They could include a problem checklist or a memory test, or self-reporting screening tools like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can either be administered by general practitioners or by mental health professionals. Sometimes, people require lab tests to help identify a condition. These tests may include urine or blood samples. These tests are usually not painful. The only discomfort may be caused by the injection of blood, that may be felt as a small pinch or itching. In more serious instances, an MRI or EEG scan may be required. It is crucial for healthcare professionals to have the most complete picture possible when they conduct an assessment. This means taking into account the history of the patient's family, lifestyle, and the environment they reside in. This information will be considered when deciding on the best treatment for the patient. What can happen during an assessment at mental health services? The exam is a chance for healthcare professionals to be attentive and understand what is happening to you. It is essential that you use this opportunity to discuss your concerns and ask questions. You should be informed enough about the different treatments to make an informed choice. It is important to be greeted with a warm, welcoming and compassionate manner by staff on arrival (NICE, 2009b). Anyone who wants to wait on their own or in a group must have a comfortable waiting area. During the mental assessment, your doctor may ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings and how they affect your daily routine, and if you've attempted to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also be watching the way you behave. They might be able to examine your speech patterns or if you maintain eye contact. They can also test your memory and ability to reason by asking you questions that are simple such as recalling short lists or the names of common shapes and objects. If you are a victim of section 2 of the Mental Health Act, the AMHP will help and guide you through the process of assessing. You may bring an individual or a friend to your appointment or opt to have a professional advocate represent your views and interests. They could be volunteers such as charity workers or professionals, like lawyers. Some people have difficulty to talk about their mental health issues with healthcare professionals, especially in the case of previous negative experiences. Some children do not realise that changes in their mood or behavior are cause for concern, while other families might not know who to turn to for help. It is essential that all healthcare professionals are aware of the impact of previous poor experiences and work hard to establish a trusting relationship. What should I do if not satisfied with the assessment? If you are unhappy with the treatment you received under the Mental Health Act, you can lodge a complaint with the CQC. See our guide on making an inquiry for more details. It can be challenging for those who utilize mental healthcare services to keep their appointments. It is important to be as open and honest as possible with the person who is evaluating you. If you are not then the professional could get a wrong picture of what you're doing and this could affect the care you receive. Mental illness can affect your mood and thinking. It can cause problems with work, relationships and day-to-day activities. Common conditions include depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. You can get help with a mental illness by talking to your doctor or family members and friends, or going to an NHS local CAMHS service. Making sure you receive the proper assessment and treatment is key to improving your mental health. NHS England is working hard to ensure everyone gets the proper treatment at the appropriate time. This includes reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring that the right information is available to anyone who needs it. We are also making changes to the way we record and share information to facilitate this. We want to ensure that all local mental health services be able collect and share data like other NHS organizations. This will enhance safety and quality of treatment. We want all healthcare providers to have access accurate and current information in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment Data Saves Lives which aims to reduce the barriers to sharing information across the health and healthcare system. What do I do if require a second opinion on something? If you believe that the health professionals involved in your assessment do not take your concerns seriously, there are things you can do. You can ask the supervisor of your mental health service for a different specialist to discuss the situation with you, or you could contact one of the NHS helplines for assistance in your area. If you reside in England, the NHS has a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) which will send an emergency response team to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups or charities like Mind or Rethink for advice. You may decide to seek a second opinion from another doctor or medical specialist, or even from your GP. This is a good option in case you are uncertain about your diagnosis or treatment options, or if there is disagreement between doctors regarding the most appropriate method of treatment. A study published in American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of significant value and costing only just a fraction of what a first opinion would have cost. Experts can provide fresh perspectives and insights that could change the course of a patient's treatment. A second opinion could be needed if your doctor or healthcare professional has missed a possible cause of your symptoms. This can be due to various reasons, including misdiagnosis or simply not paying attention carefully to your story. At Dementech we can organize a private mental health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We offer consultations lasting 50 minutes and cooperate with the majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric treatments are covered. However, if you do not have insurance, we are still able to provide excellent and affordable treatment. What do I do if require an additional opinion from an expert? You should be able to arrange an appointment for a second opinion if are dissatisfied with the mental health assessment results. You don't have a legal right to this, but doctors will rarely refuse to do it for you. You can request the mental health service or your GP to arrange this. They should be able to give you information on local advocacy services. The doctor will evaluate your body and perform additional tests, including blood tests and an radiograph. They will then inform you about their findings and talk about the options for treatment. This might include a hospital stay or other options. When talking to you your doctor, the doctor must consider your gender, age, and social background, as along with your sexual preference or disability, religion as well as your religious or cultural beliefs, and your sexual orientation. A second opinion is beneficial because it allows you to compare medical advice from different experts and to get an entirely new perspective on your medical situation. https://www.iampsychiatry.com/booking-private-mental-health-assessment can help you gain confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and can provide more information on possible side effects. You may have a very justification to seek a second opinion. You may be worried that you suffer from an unusual or rare disease and would like to get an opinion from a specialist regarding your diagnosis and treatment options. You might have read about treatments that your doctor does not offer and want to know if these are suitable for you. A private Psychiatrist will usually see you within a couple of days and have access to your entire health history. They can also schedule an online video consultation through Skype or Facetime and an official medical report to be sent directly to your GP.