Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
It is important to get help if you have problems with your mental health. Mental illness is as serious as physical disease.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity irrespective of gender, age race, religion, ethnicity or political, social or cultural background. APP recognizes the need to fight discrimination.
What is a mental health assessment?
A mental health assessment is a test that aims to assess how someone is functioning psychologically, socially and developmentalally. It can also be used to diagnose conditions such as depression and neurological diseases such as dementia.
A healthcare professional will meet with the patient and assess their physical state during an initial assessment. They may ask about the patient's health issues and what's been occurring. They also will assess how the person thinks, makes decisions and remembers (cognitive functioning).
There are a number of different tests that can be performed during an assessment. They can be formal and standardized or informal and non-standardized. These tools could include a checklist of problems and a memory test or a self report screening tool such as the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by general practitioners or mental health professionals.
Sometimes, people will require laboratory tests to determine if they have a problem. This could include urine or blood samples. Most of the time the tests aren't painful. The only discomfort may be the injection of the blood sample which may feel like a slight pinch or itching. In more serious cases the need for an MRI or EEG scan may be required.
It is crucial for healthcare professionals to have the most accurate picture when conducting an assessment. This means taking into account the history of the patient's family as well as their lifestyle and environment they reside in. This information is taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment for the patient.
What happens during an assessment at mental health services?
The assessment should be a time for health professionals to be attentive and understand what is happening to you. It is advisable to use this opportunity to voice your concerns and ask any questions you might have. You should also receive enough information about different treatments, to allow you to make an informed decision.
The staff should greet you in a warm and welcoming manner with respect and empathy when you arrive (NICE 2009b). A comfortable waiting area should be made available for those who prefer to wait on their own or with a group of people.
In the course of the mental exam the doctor will ask you about your thoughts and feelings, and how they impact your daily life, and whether or not you've tried to manage your symptoms on your own. Your doctor will also observe the way you conduct yourself. For example, they may examine your speech and whether you are able to make eye contact. They will also test your memory and ability to think by asking you simple questions, like recalling short lists or the names of common shapes and objects.
If you fall within section 2 of the Mental Health Act, your AMHP will assist and guide you throughout the assessment. You can bring a friend or family member along to your appointment or opt to have an advocate instead who will represent your interests and views. They could be volunteers, like those who work for charities, or professionals, like lawyers.
Some people find it difficult to discuss their mental health issues with health professionals, particularly if they have had previous negative experiences. Many children are unaware that changes in their moods or behavior could be reason for worry. Some families might not know where to go for help. It is vital that healthcare professionals are aware of the impact of past poor experiences and work hard to establish trust.
What should I do if I'm not satisfied with the assessment?
If you are not satisfied with the treatment you received under the Mental Health Act, you can file a complaint with the CQC. For more information, please see our guide on how to make a complaint.
Patients who seek mental health services often have multiple 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 assessing you. If you do not you could give the doctor a false impression of your condition and this could impact your treatment.
Mental illness can influence your mood and thoughts. It can cause problems with relationships, work and even everyday activities. Common conditions include anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia. You can get help for a mental illness by talking to your GP as well as your family and friends or visiting a local NHS CAMHS service.
The key to improving mental health is receiving the right diagnosis and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure everyone gets the proper treatment at the appropriate time. This includes reducing wait times and ensuring that the right information is accessible to everyone who requires it. We are also making changes to the way we record and share data to support this.
We would like to see all local mental health services be able collect and share data the same as other NHS organisations. This will increase safety and the quality of treatment. Our goal is for all providers to have access to up-to-date and accurate data in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which is designed to remove the barriers to efficient sharing of information across the health and social care systems.
What should I do if want to get a second opinion?
You may take action if you believe that health professionals involved in the assessment of your case do not consider your opinion seriously. You can ask your manager to send another professional out to review your situation or contact an NHS helpline in your area to get help. If you live in England the NHS offers a service called EIT which sends out a crisis response team to your home. You can also seek advice from local groups of volunteers or charities, like Mind or Rethink.
You might want to seek an additional opinion from a different doctor or medical specialist, or even your GP. It is recommended to do this in the event that you aren't sure of your diagnosis or treatment options or when the doctors aren't agreeing on the best treatment option.
A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that second opinions provide significant value, and only a tiny portion of the cost of the first opinion. Experts can provide fresh perspectives and insights that could change the course of the patient's treatment.
Another reason to seek an additional opinion is that the initial doctor or healthcare professional might have missed a possible reason or cause for your symptoms. This could be due to a variety reasons like a mistaken diagnosis or a physician who doesn't listen to your personal story.
At Dementech we can arrange a private mental health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We offer 50-minute consultations and collaborate with a majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric treatment are covered. If, however, you do not have insurance, we are in a position to provide top quality and affordable treatment.
What should happen if I require a second opinion from a specialist?
Read the Full Guide can arrange an additional opinion if you are dissatisfied with your mental health evaluation results. It's not a legal right, but doctors are usually willing to facilitate it. You can request the mental health service or your GP to arrange this. They should be able to give you details of local advocacy services.
The doctor will examine you and may perform further tests, such as blood tests and an scan. The specialist will discuss their findings with you and the treatment options available to you. This could involve medication or hospitalization as well as other options. When speaking to you your doctor, the doctor must take into consideration your gender, age, gender and social background, as well as your sexual orientation or disability, religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional, and your sexual orientation.
A second opinion can be beneficial because it lets you compare medical advice and get a fresh view of your healthcare situation from a different physician. It can make you feel more confident about your diagnosis and treatment options and also provide you more information about the potential adverse consequences of each option.
You may have a very good reason to want to get a second opinion. For instance, you could think you may have a rare or unusual illness and would like a second opinion from a specialist to weigh in on the diagnosis and treatment options. Perhaps you've read about other treatments that your physician doesn't recommend and you're interested in knowing if they are suitable for you.
A private Psychiatrist will usually meet with you within a few days and has access to your entire health history. They can also schedule video consultations via Skype, Facetime or a phone call and then send the medical report directly to your GP.