Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?
If you have an issue with your mental health it is essential to seek help. Mental illness can be as serious as physical illness.
Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. APP acknowledges the need to combat discrimination.
What is a Mental Health Assessment?
A mental health assessment is an examination used to see how well one is functioning psychologically socially, and in terms of development. It also helps diagnose disorders like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia.
A healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe their physical condition during the initial assessment. They may also ask questions about their symptoms and what they've been going through. They will also test the person's ability to think and reason, as well as remember (cognitive function).
In an assessment there are a variety of tests that can be conducted. They could be formal standardized tests or informal tests that are not standardized. They could include a list of issues and a memory test or a self report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general practitioner or performed by a mental health professional.
Sometimes, lab tests are necessary to diagnose a disorder. These tests can include urine or blood samples. The tests are generally not painful. The only discomfort may be the injection of the blood sample which could feel like a small pinch or sting. In more serious instances, an MRI or EEG scan could be required.
When a healthcare professional conducts 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 surroundings in which they live. This information will be taken into consideration when deciding on the most appropriate treatment option for the patient.
What should be done during an assessment for mental health services
The examination will let healthcare professionals to understand your situation. It is important to use this time to discuss your concerns and ask any questions you have. You should be informed enough about the different treatments to make an informed decision.
Staff should greet you with a warm and welcoming manner, with empathy and respect when you arrive (NICE 2009b). Anyone who wants to wait on their own or in a group must have a comfortable waiting area.
During the mental evaluation the doctor will ask you about your thoughts and feelings, how they affect your daily life, and whether or not you've attempted to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also observe your behavior. For instance, they could examine your speech and if you make eye contact. They may also test your memory and reasoning abilities by asking you simple questions, such as recalling brief lists and naming common shapes and objects.
If you fall under section 2 of the Mental Health Act, your AMHP will be there to guide and support you throughout the assessment. You may bring a friend or a relative along to your assessment or opt to use an advocate, who can represent your interests and views. They could be professionals such as lawyers or charity workers.
Many people find it difficult to discuss their emotional health with healthcare professionals, especially when they've had bad experiences in the past. Children may not realize that changes in their mood or behaviour can be a cause for concern. Some families might not know where to go for help. It is important that all healthcare professionals are aware of the consequences of their previous experiences and that they work hard to establish a trusting relationship.
What should I do if I am not satisfied with the evaluation?
If you are unhappy with the treatment you received under the Mental Health Act, you can file a complaint with the CQC. Check out our guide on how to make complaints for more details.
People who utilize mental health services typically have a lot of different appointments with a variety of professionals. It can be difficult to keep track of them all. It is important to be as honest and transparent as you can to the person who is evaluating your condition. If you don't, you may give the professional wrong impressions of your health condition and this could impact your treatment.
Mental illness can affect your mood and thinking. It can cause problems with relationships, work, and everyday activities. The most common disorders are depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. You can get help for mental illness by speaking to your GP, family and friends or going to the nearest NHS CAMHS service.
The main factor in improving mental health is getting the right assessment and treatment. NHS England is working hard to ensure that everyone receives right treatment at the appropriate time. This means reducing the time taken to get treatment and ensuring that the correct information is accessible to all who require it. We are also making adjustments to the way we collect and share data to help with this.
We want all local mental health services to be able record and share data in the same manner as other NHS organisations. This will help to improve the quality and safety of care. We want all healthcare providers to have access accurate and up-to-date information in real-time, wherever they are. This is part of the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives, which aims to reduce the barriers to efficient sharing of information across the health and social care systems.
What should I do if need to seek to get a second opinion?
If you think that the health professionals involved in your assessment do not take your concerns seriously, there are a few things you can do. You can ask your manager to send a different professional to look over your situation or contact an NHS helpline in your area for support. If mental health assessor reside in England the NHS offers a service called EIT, which will send an emergency response team to your home. You can also seek advice from local voluntary groups or charities, such as Mind or Rethink.
It is possible to seek a second opinion, either from a medical professional or another doctor. Your GP is also able to provide an additional opinion. It is recommended to do this in the event that you aren't sure of your diagnosis or treatment options or if the doctors disagree about the best treatment option.
A study published in American Journal of Medicine found second opinions to be of significant value and costing only just a fraction of what a first opinion would have been. This is because experts can provide new perspectives and additional information that could alter the direction of a patient's treatment.
A second opinion could be required if your doctor or healthcare professional has not identified a cause for your symptoms. This could be due to many reasons, such as misdiagnosis or simply not taking the time to listen attentively to your story.
At Dementech we can arrange a private health assessment for you with our psychiatrists. We provide standard consultations of 50 minutes, and we work with a variety of major private insurance providers to ensure that your treatment for psychiatric issues is covered. If, however, you do not have insurance, we're able to provide excellent and affordable care.
What do I do if need a second opinion from a specialist?
You should be able to arrange an additional opinion if you are dissatisfied with your mental health evaluation results. There is no legal right to this however, doctors will often refuse to make it happen for you. You can request your GP or the mental health services to make it happen. They should be able give you details of local advocacy services.
The doctor will evaluate and may perform additional tests like blood tests and an X-ray. They will inform you about the results and discuss the options available for treatment. This could include medication, a hospital stay or other options. When discussing your case, the doctor should take into consideration your gender, age, gender and social background as well as your sexual orientation, disability, religion as well as your religious or cultural beliefs, and your sexual orientation.
A second opinion can be beneficial as it allows you to review medical advice and gain an updated view of your health situation from a different doctor. It will give you more confidence in your diagnosis and treatment options, and provide more information on possible adverse effects.
You may have a very good reason to want an additional opinion. You may be worried that you have an unusual or rare illness and would like to get a second opinion from a specialist on the diagnosis and treatment options. Perhaps you've been reading about other treatments your doctor doesn't provide and you want to know if they are suitable for you.
A private Psychiatrist can usually visit you within a couple of days and have access to your entire health record. They can also arrange an appointment via video on Skype, Facetime or a phone call and then send an official medical report directly to your GP.