A Full Psychiatric Assessment
A psychiatric examination is the first step towards receiving the proper treatment for your mental health. The psychiatrist will ask you a number of questions about your work and home life, sources of stress, any major traumatic experiences you have had, as well as whether you've had issues with alcohol or drugs.
Background and History
A full psychiatric evaluation, also known as psycheval, is a multidisciplinary procedure that takes place in hospitals. It involves psychiatric nurses, psychologists, occupational therapy, and social workers. The psychiatrist, however, takes the lead in taking a detailed medical history and performing an examination of mental health. This information may be obtained through direct observation of the person being examined their caregivers as well as through specific psychological tests.
The doctor will inquire about the patient's health issues and what the patient has done in the last few months, weeks, and years. They will also inquire about your family and personal health. This information will allow the doctor to understand what is causing the symptoms and if they're due to a different issue.
During this time, the psychiatrist will take an examination of the medical history and determine whether there is any history of anxiety, depression or other psychiatric issues within the family. They will also ask whether there are any physical concerns such as heart disease or diabetes and what medication the patient is taking or was prescribed.
The psychiatrist will also keep track of any current symptoms and the duration they've been suffering. They will also ask the person about their lifestyle like their work and home life. They will also discuss previous treatments and the degree of compliance. Often family members and carers give information that the patient hasn't disclosed but it is a matter of confidentiality and does not violate their rights to privacy.
Based 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 test cognitive abilities. These tests can test spatial abilities, concentration memory, memory, and communication abilities.
All psychiatric examinations must be conducted by professionals who are experienced and qualified. This will ensure the diagnosis is accurate and that the patient receives a treatment plan that is best suited to their needs.
Mental Status Test
Mental status examinations (MSEs) can be frightening for both the patient and the physician. It's a "snapshot" of the patient in a specific moment, and can be useful in describing the patient's actions and thoughts at that time. The MSE can also prove useful in showing how a patient's mental state changes in time, ranging from depression to mania.
The MSE begins with the physician's initial observations of the patient during the process of taking a history. The way a patient interacts the examiner and with their surroundings can reveal crucial information about the root of the mental illness. This includes the dishevelled look of a person who is depressed or the provocative style of manic patients. It could also be a sign of lack of motivation or effort in someone who is depressed or on antipsychotic medication.
It is best to conduct a psychiatric exam when the patient is relaxed, cooperative and willing. Both the patient and examiner might feel uncomfortable during the interview. It is crucial to make the right impression. The MSE should only be an element of the overall intake assessment. Its results should also be carefully compared with other results such as imaging studies or laboratory tests.
Like the physical exam, the MSE does not lend itself to a structured approach and most of it is determined from the physician's unstructured observations during history-taking. However, a thorough MSE should include descriptions of general appearance and behavior, alertness and attention in speech and motor activities as well as mood and affect, thought and perception, attitude and insight. It should also contain a comprehensive evaluation of higher cognitive abilities like parietal lobe function (pictorial construction and discrimination between right-left and left, spatialization of objects) and frontal lobe executive or diffuse cortical functions (judgment abstract reasoning, memory).
It is vital that the MSE is incorporated into the context of the entire intake assessment and that physicians interpret the results with sensitivity and care. A thorough MSE can reveal a wide variety of abnormalities, including those that are specific to psychiatric disorders however, it must be seen as a single data point in the overall history of the patient and is of limited clinical value by itself.
Examining the Content of Thoughts
The thought content section is the biggest of the MSE sections and should contain information on delusional thinking (thoughts that are not true) for example, jealous, persecutory or grandiose ideas as well as hallucinations (hearing or seeing things others do not) Preoccupations (such as obsessions, worries or phobias); and suicidal thoughts. These questions should be asked directly. The intensity and extent of the psychotic thinking should be described. Also whether or not they correspond to the mood (e.g. a depressed patient hearing voices that are angry or instigating them to kill themselves versus hallucinations that are calm and soothing).
Thought process is the coherence, logic, relevance and flow of the client's thoughts as they respond to questions from the examiner during the MSE interview. Doctors also look for signs that the thought process is oriented towards a goal or disorganized and if it is a rapid flow from one topic to another without any clear more info connection between them. Disorganized, tangential and circumstantial associations are thought patterns that can indicate mental health conditions such as mania, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Psychologists and neuropsychologists also test the client's focus on task and capacity to store information in short-term memory. This can be determined by self-reports, examiner observation or tests that are brief, such as counting backwards from 100 and then multiplying it by sevens. They also assess the client's strategies to cope and their cognitive performance in daily life, which is evaluated through direct questions and behavioral observations.
During the MSE the psychologists will observe the client's facial expressions and body language to determine if they seem nervous or shy. They also observe the client's agitation and fidgeting to determine if they are anxious or scared. Psychologists typically use the MSE in combination with other assessments and tests to make an assessment and develop the treatment plan. Psychologists are trained to identify if a client's behavior is due to a mental disorder, or if it is due to a different cause, such as addiction, accident or a medication side result. This is essential in determining the best treatment and follow-up.
Evaluation of Mood, Anxiety, and Stress
It's normal for people to experience difficult times. But when these problems start to affect relationships, daily activities and even sleep, it may be time to make an appointment for a psychiatric evaluation. The mental health test is also referred to as a "psych evaluation" and is usually conducted by a psychiatrist or doctor. The procedure 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 will want to collect all the relevant information so that they can make a correct diagnosis and recommend the best treatment for you.
A psychiatric evaluation will include an examination of your previous medical history and a physical examination. This is to ensure that there are no physical issues that could be causing your symptoms such as a thyroid problem or neurologic disorder.
Your psychiatrist will also ask about any previous psychiatric or medical issues and whether you are currently taking any medication. If a patient is unable to provide an account due to their mental condition, it is essential that their family and caregivers can answer the questions. This isn't a breach of confidentiality and allows the doctor to gather more details than he would during a face-toface conversation.
During the psychiatric examination, the physician will assess the patient's emotional state by paying attention to their tone of voice and body language. They will also evaluate their thoughts to see whether they are goal-oriented and related. The doctor will assess, for example, how the patient can focus and switch between thoughts during the interview. This is an important part of the evaluation, since those who are psychotic or manic may not be able to think clearly or quickly shift their focus.
For many people, a psychiatric evaluation is the first step to get the appropriate treatment they require. Despite the stigma associated with mental illness, it's essential that anyone who suspects suffering from the symptoms of a mental disorder seek out an evaluation. Do not let your fear or anxiety stop you from seeking help. It could have a serious impact on you and others around.