If you don’t know about how therapy works or looking for the options of treatments, you need to first understand the initial steps. The initial step is to have a psychiatric evaluation. This evaluation answers the possible consequences that a specialist could refer for a treatment plan.

What is Psychiatric Evaluation?

There are around 20% of adults in America or almost 44 million people and an additional 20% of children who go through a mental illness. The commonly diagnosed psychological problems are eating disorders, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and substance abuse. To treat these psychic problems, professionals start with a psychiatric evaluation.

The evaluation improves the relationship between doctor and patient which helps to follow the appropriate way of treatment. This is a sort of assessment composed of different components, such as the psychiatrist may ask some verbal questions, conducting a physical test, conduct a mental status exam or the patient has to fill a questionnaire. This assessment is used as the initial step to diagnosing the actual problem. The questions give insights into one’s personality that define the nature and extent of the illness.

Moreover, the evaluation also helps in medical testing like if the doctor finds out any physical symptom, he could refer to a blood test to better understand the cause and create the treatment plan accordingly.

Types of Psychiatric Evaluation

Professionals follow different tools for psychological evaluation or testing to identify the illness. The common types are enlisted below.

Verbal Questioning

The experts ask the patient some questions such as personal information, family background, likes and dislikes, medical problems, and the symptoms they are experiencing. The doctor may also ask about the lifestyle, personal history, bad experiences, stress triggers, things that make the patient happy or sad, etc. These questions help the doctor identify the behavior and learn the cause of the mental illness.

Physical Test

In rare cases, a physical illness can also cause mental disorders. Thereby, the doctor conducts some physical tests to identify what medical problem is triggering the psychological health. The common physical problem that could cause mental illness includes neurological condition, thyroid disorder, or a consistent upset stomach. If anyone is taking psychiatric help, make sure your doctor is aware of your medical history.

Cognitive Evaluation

This is something a little different in mental health evaluation. Your doctor may use techniques to recall information, figure out your abilities to think, and use sound reasoning to check your attentiveness. Moreover, the doctor can also observe your mental health through your appearance and gestures.

Diagnostic Lab Testing

There is no specific blood test that diagnoses the mental illness, however, there are some lab tests doctors may ask you to have. These tests include a blood test, brain scan, and a urine test to identify if there are any undiagnosed physical conditions. Moreover, some doctors also ask questions about substance abuse to confirm the side effects they may ask you to have a Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST-10).

The Bottom Line

Mental health issues are only identified by sensing the behavior and conduct of a person. To mention any specific medical condition, the doctors conduct a psychiatric evaluation which is known to be the first step toward the treatment. This helps to identify the conditions and consequences, which later on assist to plan the treatment. While you are being evaluated make sure you are telling the truth and not hiding anything. For more information about Psychiatric Evaluation, visit our website https://hupcfl.com/services/psychiatric-evaluation/ page dedicated to Psychiatric Evaluation. If you would like help from our mental health team for your Psychiatric Evaluation, please submit an appointment request or call us at  (800) 457-4573“.