General Psychiatric Assessment: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
General Psychiatric Assessment: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Blog Article
General Psychiatric Assessment
The challenges of carrying out psychiatric assessments in general medical settings are numerous. There are many issues to be faced, including privacy issues, ward rounds, assessments by other specialists, secure meals, and planned family visits.
It is also difficult to quantify outcomes in this situation, due to particular challenges for specific outcomes related to disease and patient and referrer satisfaction ratings.
Medical History
The first step in a comprehensive psychiatric examination is to determine the patient's medical history. This will include details of their current health and any medications they're taking in addition to any medical issues that have occurred in the past that may have influenced their health and well-being. This information can also help the physician determine the appropriate psychological tests and how many appointments will be necessary prior to making diagnosis.
This step is often difficult to complete on medical wards because of the limited space available as well as interruptions from ward rounds, assessments by other specialties and health professionals, protected mealtimes and scheduled visitors. It is essential to locate a quiet place to conduct the examination and then schedule an appointment that doesn't interfere with any of these activities. It is also beneficial to ask the person who refers you what their specific concerns are so that you can identify precisely what type of psychiatric evaluation is required.
When carrying out psychiatric assessments on medical wards of general hospitals, it is important to be aware that the physical health issues the patient is suffering from can influence or even overshadow their psychiatric signs and behaviors. Overshadowing of diagnostics is a common problem and is difficult to avoid. For example when the patient was admitted to a delirium hospital and they have a pre-existing diagnosis of dementia in their medical record It is tempting to 'overshadow' the delirium as if that it is caused by an mental illness, rather than perform a full delirium screen to rule out treatable causes such as stroke.
It is essential that the psychiatrist who is conducting the assessment of the patient seeks to establish the connection between the patient's physical and mental problems and to elicit any concerns or complaints that the patient has about their treatment, care or the way their health condition is being managed. Reference Osborn and Warner (1998) recommends a basic model for achieving this. However, it could be difficult to implement in the real world.
Family History
The psychiatrist will inquire about your family history to determine if there are any mental health problems in your family. They'll also inquire about any traumas you've experienced or abuse, and your current social standing (including your relationships, work and whether you have support from home). You may be asked questions about your beliefs in religion as well as about your goals and goals. The psychiatrist will then make an assessment and create a treatment plan to fit your requirements.
The psychiatrist should also check physical symptoms. They will check the patient's blood pressure, listen to the lungs and heart and examine for any other medical issues that may be causing or aggravate the psychiatric symptoms.
It is often helpful for the psychiatrist to obtain an entire physical exam from the general practitioner but this isn't always feasible especially for patients who are very ill and inpatients on psychiatric wards. The patients on these wards may only have sporadic face-to-face contact with psychiatrists, or none at all. In such instances, it is essential that psychiatric nurses or care coordinators play a prominent role in ensuring that patients' physical health concerns are met.
Psychiatrists must also comprehend why a person is being referred to them and what they are hoping to achieve through their psychiatric assessment. They need to be able to interpret medical letters and investigate reports of tests received from a GP or other health professional. They must communicate effectively with the medical team of the patient about what investigations have been conducted so that any medication or other treatments can be coordinated.
The medical history is a key element of any psychiatric assessment, and this must include the patient's own psychiatric diagnosis and past treatment and details about their alcohol and drug usage. If you can, it's essential to gather a family history to determine the risk of developing certain disorders like bipolar disorder. It is useful to make use of screens that record the lifetime psychiatric information of informants and their first-degree family members, however, it is equally essential to collect the complete psychiatric records of all family members.
Signs and symptoms
During the psychiatric assessment the doctor will ask you about your symptoms and how they've affected your life. Your psychiatrist will also inquire about any relevant issues including your family history. It can be a bit intrusive at times, but you need to answer honestly and completely to ensure a precise diagnosis.
If you're suffering from mental health issues like anxiety or depression it is crucial to undergo a psychiatric assessment to see whether or not you need treatment. While it is normal to have periods of low mood or stress from time to time but if the symptoms last longer than a few weeks and affect your daily functioning it is likely you require treatment.
In addition to discussing your symptoms, your psychiatrist will also ask about any other issues that could be impacting you, such as family and work problems or abuse of substances. They will also ask about how to get a psychiatric assessment your physical health, sleeping habits, and if you've tried other ways to help your symptoms.
Your psychiatrist may also inquire about your previous experiences with mental illness. They can also use standardized assessment tools or psychological tests to get a better understanding of your current situation. These tests can include personality tests, questionnaires or cognitive tests to gauge your level of distress.
If your psychiatric examination shows that you have psychotic symptoms, for example hallucinations and delusions which are quite different from what is considered to be real, the psychiatrist might need to perform an in-depth exam and send you to the hospital for observation. You will have to undergo a second assessment by a psychiatrist before being allowed to go home.
Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates will provide you with the support and care you require. The team of friendly and experienced professionals are committed to giving you the information you require about the diagnosis you have received and possible treatment options. You can book your psychiatric examination on the internet or by calling us now.
Psychological Tests
The use of various tests is an important part of a psycho-psychological evaluation. Psychological tests are written evaluations or verbal evaluations that measure unobserved aspects of a person's personality. They are used to determine the person's emotional health and personality traits. They can also be used to determine the severity of a specific mental illness, for example, depression or anxiety. Psychological testing is usually conducted by psychologists who have been trained. The patient must follow specific instructions to obtain accurate results.
Psychiatric assessments can vary in terms of the type and quantity of psychological tests they use dependent on the person's condition and symptoms. A general psychiatric evaluation could be brief, like the Mini-Mental State Examination, or in-depth and lengthy, like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Neuropsychological testing can be used to determine if a patient has a concussion or brain injury.
All types of psychiatric examinations provide a snapshot into the patient's emotional and psychological functioning. They are carried out by psychologists, doctors and sometimes psychiatrists in the hospital setting to assess a person's current mood, emotional reactivity and cognitive abilities. Private therapists are also able to conduct them in their offices to collect data to develop the development of a treatment plan and to determine whether the patient could benefit from medication or another form of therapy.
A few examples of psychological assessments include intelligence & achievement tests, which measure certain kinds of cognitive functioning (often referred to as IQ) and performance against a normative group. Other tests are designed to assess the ability to perform tasks, for example, a word association test or a memory test. Psychologists are the only experts with extensive training and expertise to administer and interpret psychological tests.
The purpose of a psychiatric assessment is to match the patient with a doctor who can provide treatment and management. The doctor will explain the diagnosis to the patient and explain how it relates to their symptoms. The doctor will also discuss the prognosis. This is how a particular diagnosis can be expected to progress over time.