Mental Health Assessment

Often, before a mental health treatment plan can be written, it is recommended that a person undergo a mental health assessment. This is usually requested by a mental health professional to determine the person's overall mental and physical condition to help decide what type of treatment would best be suited for him or her.

A mental health assessment may be done to rule out or to formally diagnose a variety of mental illnesses, including clinical depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, among others. The degree to which a person is able to complete certain tasks will assist the mental health professional in making a diagnosis and in being able to treat the patient with the best results.

A mental health assessment usually begins with the person undergoing a complete physical examination. Lab work will probably be requested in order to make sure that certain criteria in the patient's bloodwork are as they should be. Some of the tests given will determine the patient's memory, orientation to the world around him, as well as speed and accuracy on certain tasks. His outward appearance and manner of speech and communicating will also be noted.

What to Expect After a Mental Health Assessment

Depending on the reason a mental health assessment is given, it may be suggested that the patient seek counseling or ongoing therapy of some sort. He may be prescribed drugs for his disorder, or his mental health professional may suggest some other ways of working on his problems, depending on the severity of the situation.

Some disorders are difficult to diagnose without ongoing observation of symptoms, reactions, and moods. If this is the case, the healthcare professional may suggest a trial of a medication or a temporary period of counseling in which to keep an eye on the progress and see how the patient responds.