Things to Know Before Your Mental Health Evaluation
- Dynamic Healthcares
- Oct 11, 2021
- 2 min read
Mental health evaluation or psychiatric assessment is when a health professional like a psychiatrist, doctor, or psychologist examines a patient’s mental health.
Over 47 million Americans experience a diagnosed mental illness.
When the symptoms of anxiety, depression, or anger linger too long and impact your life, it is time to seek professional help. And, mental health evaluation is the first step towards that.
At Dynamic Healthcare Baltimore, we receive a lot of questions about mental health evaluation. In today’s blog post, we will answer some of those.
What to expect during a mental health evaluation?
1. Physical assessment
A withstanding physical issue may cause psychological problems, so your mental health practitioner will start your mental health evaluation with a physical assessment. This assessment will include monitoring physical issues like hormonal imbalance or neurological disorders.
2. Screening
Your doctor may ask you to provide fluid samples or undergo lab tests to rule out the chances of a physical disorder or substance abuse.
3. Questionnaires
An integral part of the assessment is to fill out questionnaires. This information will help your specialist learn about the frequency and severity of your symptoms. The questionnaires will also help them understand your family’s history of physical and mental illnesses.
4. Assessment
A psychiatrist will ask questions about your life, work, and relationships. They will try to assess the core of the problems that are worsening your symptoms. This step helps them identify the key stressors that are causing or aggravating the issue.
5. Tools & Tests
Given your results so far, your specialist may suggest cognitive tests to measure your behavior. These tests will help them analyze your focus, mindset, and capabilities.
Mental health evaluation is a personalized process that varies from patient to patient. During the process, you must stay patient and trust your specialist.
How to prepare for a mental health evaluation?
Your specialist will take you step-by-step and guide you through the process. However, you can also contribute to the evaluation by sharing your input.
Start journaling your symptoms and possible triggers three to four weeks before your mental health evaluation.
You can use this checklist to see what you can include:
Your symptoms
Things/events that trigger the symptoms
Thoughts and behaviors that trouble you
Duration and frequency of the symptoms
Prescriptions/medicines that you use
How much does a mental health evaluation cost?
In most cases, your health insurance will cover the fee for your mental health evaluation. Before scheduling your visit, you can confirm by calling your insurance or health services provider.
If your insurance doesn’t cover the evaluation, your therapist will reach out to you to discuss the fees and payment plans.
Where to get mental health evaluation?
Find reliable mental health care near you. For the community of Baltimore, Dynamic Health Care provides comprehensive services that include mental health evaluation and psychological assessment. Our team does its best to make everyone feel accepted and comfortable.
Learn more here.
It's excellent that you emphasize the initial physical assessment and screening process in a mental health evaluation. This crucial step often gets overlooked, yet ruling out physiological causes like hormonal imbalances or neurological issues is foundational before diving into psychological factors. While understanding the process is key, many individuals also wonder about the specific types of assessments used and how they contribute to a comprehensive diagnosis. For those interested in exploring a specific approach to understanding their mental health, resources like the Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy test can offer further insights into assessment methodologies.
It's so important that you've highlighted the various components of a mental health evaluation, especially how a physical assessment often precedes the psychological screening. Many people might not realize the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being, and understanding this can really demystify the initial stages for those seeking help. While knowing what to expect is crucial, understanding the types of standardized tools and questionnaires used, or even how one might begin to self-assess their symptoms, can empower individuals even before their first appointment. For those looking to gain a deeper insight into their mental state or explore some common reliable psychological assessment tools, further resources can be incredibly beneficial.