Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
If you are suffering from an issue with your mental health, it is important to seek out help. Mental illness is as serious as physical disease.
Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, religious belief, social, cultural or political background. APP acknowledges the need to fight discrimination.
What is a Mental Health Assessment?
A mental health evaluation is an assessment that determines how people are functioning psychologically, socially, and in terms of developmental. It also helps diagnose diseases like depression and neurological diseases such as dementia.
In the initial assessment an healthcare professional will talk to the patient and observe them physically. They might also ask questions regarding their symptoms and what they've been going through. They will also test the person's capacity to think and reason, as well as remember (cognitive function).
In an assessment there are a variety of tests that are conducted. They could be formal and standardized or informal and non-standardized. These tools could include a checklist of problems as well as a memory check or self-report screening tool such as the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general practitioner, or they can be performed by an expert in mental health.
Sometimes, people will require laboratory tests to determine if they have a problem. This could include blood or urine samples. The tests are generally not painful. The only discomfort could be caused by the injection of blood which can feel like a tiny pinch or itching. In more serious instances it is possible that an MRI or EEG scan might be required.
When a healthcare professional is performing an assessment, it is important that they have the most complete picture. This includes taking into consideration the history of the patient's family as well as their lifestyle and environment they reside in. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment for the patient.
What should happen during an assessment at mental health services?
The assessment is a chance for healthcare professionals to listen and understand what is happening to you. It is advisable to use this opportunity to discuss your concerns and ask any questions you might have. You should be informed enough about the various treatment options to make an educated decision.
Staff should greet you in a warm and welcoming manner with respect and empathy, upon arrival (NICE 2009b). A comfortable waiting area should be made available for use by people who wish to wait in a private space or with a group of people.
During the mental evaluation during the mental evaluation, your doctor will inquire with you about your thoughts and feelings, and how they impact your daily routine and whether or not you've tried to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also observe the way you conduct yourself. They might be able to be observing your speech or if you maintain eye contact. They will also test your memory and ability to think by asking you questions that are simple such as recalling short lists or naming common shapes and objects.
If you fall within section 2 of Mental Health Act, the AMHP will assist and guide you through the process of assessing. You can bring a friend or a relative along to the appointment or opt to have an advocate, who can represent your views and interests. mental health assesment could be volunteers like those who work for charities or professionals such as lawyers.
Many people find it difficult to discuss their emotional well-being with healthcare professionals, particularly if they've had negative experiences in the past. Some children do not realise that changes in their moods and behaviour are a cause for worry, and other families might not know who to for assistance. It is essential that all healthcare professionals comprehend the impact of past poor experiences and work hard to build trust.
What should I do if I am unhappy with the assessment?
If you are not satisfied with the diagnosis you received under the Mental Health Act, you can lodge a complaint with the CQC. Learn more about how to make an inquiry for more details.
People who use mental health services often have many different appointments with various professionals. It can be difficult to keep track of them all. It is crucial to be as honest and transparent as you can to the person who is assessing you. If you don't, you may give the professional a false impression of your condition, and this could affect your care.
Mental illness can influence your mood and thoughts. It can affect your relationships, work and daily activities. Depression as well as anxiety disorders and schizophrenia are all common disorders. You can get help for a mental illness from your GP or family members, as well as by visiting the nearest NHS CAMHS.
The key to improving mental health is receiving the right assessment and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives proper treatment at the appropriate time. This means reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring that the right information is available to everyone who requires it. We are also making changes to the method we record and share information to facilitate this.
We would like to see all local mental healthcare services be able record and share data similar to other NHS organizations. This will increase security and quality of care. Our goal is for all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date data in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part the NHS's commitment Data Saves Lives which aims to eliminate the obstacles to information sharing across the health and healthcare system.
What do I do if require a second opinion on something?
You are able to take action if you feel that health experts involved in the assessment of your case do not consider your opinion seriously. You can request your manager to send another professional out to look over your situation, or call an NHS helpline in your area to get help. If you live in England the NHS offers a service called EIT that will send an emergency response team to your home. You can also contact local voluntary groups, or charities like Mind or Rethink for advice.
You might want to seek a second opinion, either by a medical professional or another physician. Your GP can also provide a second opinion. This is a great idea in case you are uncertain about your diagnosis or treatment options, or if there is a disagreement between the doctors on the best course of action.
A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of great value and costing only less than what the first opinion would have cost. Experts can offer new perspectives and information that could alter the course of a patient's treatment.
A second opinion is needed when your healthcare professional has missed a possible cause of your symptoms. This could be due to a variety of causes including a misdiagnosis or a doctor who isn't listening to your story.
Dementech can arrange for a private mental assessment with one of our psychiatrists. We offer 50-minute consultations and work with the majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that psychiatric services are covered. If you don't have health insurance, we are able to provide top-quality care at a cost-effective price.
What should happen if I require a second opinion from a specialist?
If you are unhappy with the results of your mental health assessment and would like an additional opinion, it's possible to get this. There is no legal right to this however, doctors will often refuse to make it happen for you. You can ask the mental health services or your GP to arrange this. They will be able to provide you the details of local advocacy services.
The doctor will look at and possibly perform further tests, such as blood tests and an X-ray. They will then inform you about their findings and talk about your options for treatment. This might include a hospital stay or other options. When speaking to you, the doctor should take into account your age, gender and social background, as along with your sexual preference, disability, religion and religious beliefs, cultural or traditional and your sexual orientation.
A second opinion can be beneficial as it allows you review the advice of various experts and gain an unbiased view of your medical situation. It will make you feel more confident regarding your diagnosis and treatment options and also provide you more details on the possible side effects of each treatment.
You might have a very strong reason for wanting another opinion. You may be worried that you have an unusual or rare illness and you'd like to have an additional opinion from a specialist regarding your diagnosis and treatment options. Perhaps you've read about other treatments that your doctor doesn't provide and you want to know if they are safe for you.
A private Psychiatrist will usually be able to visit you within a few days and will normally have access to your health records. They can also arrange video consultations via Skype, Facetime or a phone call and then send an official medical report directly to your GP.