A Full Psychiatric Assessment
A psychiatric examination is the first step to receiving the proper treatment for your mental health. The psychiatrist will ask you lots of questions about your job and home life, sources of stress, any major traumatic experiences you have endured, and whether you've had alcohol or drug problems.
Background and History
A full psychiatric examination, also known as psycheval, is a multidisciplinary process that is carried out in hospital settings. It involves psychiatric nursing and occupational therapy, psychologists, and social workers. However, the psychiatrist plays the lead in taking a detailed medical history and carrying out a mental state examination. This information can be gathered through direct observation, the person being examined and their family members and also through specific psychological tests.
The doctor will inquire with the person about their symptoms and what they have been doing in the last few weeks, months, and years. They will also inquire about your family and personal health. This information will help the doctor to understand what is the cause of the symptoms, and if they're the result of another condition.
During this phase during this time, the psychiatrist will conduct an examination of the medical history and determine whether there is a history of depression, anxiety or other psychiatric issues in the family. They will also need to be aware of if the patient suffers from any physical issues, such as diabetes or heart disease and what medications they are taking or were prescribed in the past.
The psychiatrist will also keep track of any current symptoms and the duration they have been present. They will also ask the person about their lifestyle including their work and home life. They will also discuss previous treatment and the level of compliance. Often, family members and carers give information that the patient hasn't disclosed however, it is a matter of confidentiality and doesn't violate their rights to privacy.
Depending on the severity of symptoms, a range of other tests and observations could be required. These could include laboratory tests, blood pressure readings or electroencephalography (EEG), which measures brain activity. They might also use IQ tests, which measure the ability to think. These tests can measure spatial abilities, concentration memory, memory, and communication skills.
It is important that all psychiatric tests are performed by qualified and skilled experts. This will ensure that the diagnosis is correct and that the person receives a treatment plan that is best suited to their needs.
Mental Status Test
Mental status examinations (MSEs) can be a terrifying experience for both the patient and the physician. It's a "snapshot" of the patient at a specific moment, and is useful to describe the patient's behavior and thoughts at that time. The MSE can also prove useful in describing how a patient's mental state changes in time, ranging from depression to mania.
The MSE starts when the doctor begins to make the first observations about the patient. This is usually done during the taking of the history. The way a patient interacts the examiner and their environment can reveal crucial information about the root of the psychiatric disturbance. This includes the discolored appearance of a person who is depressed or the provocative style of manic patients. It can also indicate an absence of motivation or energy, such as in a depressed individual or agitated person on antipsychotic medication.
It is ideal to conduct a psychiatric test when the patient is at ease and cooperative. Both the patient and the examiner might feel uncomfortable during the interview. It is essential to make the right impression. The MSE should only serve as a small part of the overall intake evaluation. Its results must be compared carefully with those from other sources, such as imaging studies or tests in the laboratory.
The MSE is not as structured as physical examinations and most of the information gathered is taken by the physician during the history-taking process. However, a thorough MSE should include descriptions of general appearance and behavior, alertness and attentiveness in speech and motor activities, mood and affect, thoughts and perception, attitude and insight. It should also include a thorough evaluation of higher cognitive functions such as parietal lobe functions (pictorial construction and right-left discrimination, as well as localization of objects in space) and frontal lobe executive or diffuse cerebral cortical functions (judgment, abstract reasoning, memory).
It is essential that the MSE is incorporated into the context of the entire intake evaluation and that physicians interpret the results with sensitivity and care. A thorough MSE can reveal a wide range of abnormalities, including those that are specific to psychiatric disorders but it must be viewed as a single data point within the overall patient's history and has little clinical value on its own.
Assessing Thought Content
The most important part of the MSE is the thought content. It should contain details on delusional thoughts (thoughts that are not real) that include persecutory or grandiose ideas; hallucinations, (hearing things or seeing things that others can't); preoccupations, (such as worries or obsessions); and suicidal thinking. These questions should be clearly asked. The severity and the extent of the psychopathic thinking needs to be described. Also the extent to which they correspond to the mood (e.g. a depressed patient hearing voices that are angry or encouraging them to kill themselves versus hallucinations that are soothing and calm).
Thought process is the logic, relevance, coherence and flow of the client's thoughts as they respond to the questions of the examiner during the MSE interview. The doctor will also determine if the thought process is disorganized or goal-directed and if it flits from one topic to another without any apparent connection between them. Disorganized, tangential, and circumstantial associations are thought patterns that can indicate mental health conditions like schizophrenia, mania and bipolar disorder.
Additionally, psychologists and neuropsychologists examine the client's ability to focus attention and hold information in their memory. This can be determined by observing examiners, the client's self-report or tests such as counting backwards from 100 by sevens. They also can assess the client’s coping mechanisms and cognitive performance by assessing it through direct questions and behavioral observations.
During the MSE, psychologists observe the client's facial expressions as well as body language to determine if they appear to be withdrawn or aggressive. They also look at the client's nervousness or fidgeting to determine if they're scared or anxious. Psychologists typically use the MSE along with other assessments and tests to determine a diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan. Psychologists are also trained to detect if the client's behavior is consistent with a particular mental illness or is instead caused by a different reason such as alcohol abuse, injury or an adverse reaction to medication. This information is crucial in determining the most appropriate treatment and follow-up care.
Assessment of anxiety and mood
There are times when we all experience hardships and when those issues start to interfere with relationships, daily tasks and even one's ability to sleep, it might be the right time to schedule a psychiatric assessment. Also read more called a psych eval, this mental health exam is typically performed by a psychiatrist or physician. The process can be a bit daunting and you'll usually have a lot of information that you'll need to provide. It's important to remember that your psychiatrist is looking to gather all the information so they can make an accurate diagnosis and suggest the appropriate treatment for you.
A psychiatric examination will consist of an examination of your prior medical history and a physical examination. This is to confirm that there are no physical problems that could be causing your symptoms such as thyroid issues or a neurologic condition.
Your doctor will also inquire about any psychiatric or medical problems and whether you are currently taking any medication. In cases where patients are incapable of providing a full account due to their mental health it is essential that the caregivers and family members of the patient are able to answer the questions of the doctor. This isn't a breach of confidentiality, and allows the doctor to gather more information than he could in a face-toface interview.
During the psychiatric interview the doctor will examine the patient's emotional state by paying attention to their voice tone and body language. They will also assess their thoughts to see if they are goal-directed and related. The doctor will examine, for example, how well the patient is able to focus and switch between ideas during the interview. This is a vital piece to the assessment as a manic or psychotic patient may not be able to think clearly and swiftly shift their focus of thought.
For many people an evaluation for psychiatric issues is their first step towards getting the appropriate treatment they require. It is essential that anyone who believes that they are suffering from the symptoms of mental illness get an evaluation. Do not let your anxiety or fear stop you from seeking assistance. It could have serious consequences for you and others around.