Mental Health Assessment - What Happens If You Are Unhappy With Your Mental Health Assessment?

If you suffer from an issue with your mental health it is crucial to seek help. Mental illness can be as severe as physical illness.

Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of gender, age or race. APP recognizes the need to fight discrimination.

What is a Mental Health Assessment?

navigate here is a process that is used to determine how someone is functioning psychologically, socially, and in terms of development. It can also be used to diagnose conditions like depression or neurological diseases such as dementia.

During an initial assessment, a healthcare professional will interview the patient and observe them physically. They might also ask questions about their symptoms and the difficulties they've gone through. They will also test the person's ability to think, reason and remember (cognitive function).

In an assessment there are a variety of tests that can be conducted. They could be formal, standardized tests or informal, non-standardized tests. They could include a troubleshooting checklist or a memory test, or a self-report screening tool like the GHQ or MMSE. These tools can be administered by a general physician, or they can be administered by a mental health professional.

Sometimes, people will require lab tests to help identify a condition. This may include blood or urine samples. Usually these tests aren't painful. The only discomfort may be caused by the injection of blood, that may be felt as a small pinch or itching. In more serious cases it is possible that an MRI or EEG scan could be required.

When a healthcare professional conducts an examination, it is important that they have the most complete picture. This means taking into account the patient's family history and lifestyle as well as the environment they reside in. This information will be considered when deciding on the best treatment for the patient.

What happens during an assessment at a mental health service?

The assessment should be an opportunity for health professionals to listen and understand what is going on for you. It is advisable to use this opportunity to voice your concerns and ask any questions you might have. You should be well-informed about the various treatments available to make an informed decision.

You should be welcomed in a warm, friendly and understanding manner by staff upon your arrival (NICE, 2009b). Anyone who wants to wait alone or in a group must have a comfortable waiting space.

In the course of your mental health assessment Your doctor might ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings, how they impact your daily routine, and if you've attempted to manage your symptoms by yourself. Your doctor will also observe how you act. For example, they may examine your speech and whether you are able to make eye contact. They can also test your memory and ability to think by asking you simple questions such as recalling lists of short sentences or naming common shapes and objects.

If you fall within section 2 of the Mental Health Act, your AMHP will be there to guide and support you throughout the assessment. You may bring your friend or relative to the appointment or opt to have an advocate from a professional represent your interests and opinions. They could be volunteers, like charity workers or professionals such as lawyers.

Many people find it difficult to talk about their mental health with health professionals, particularly when they have had negative experiences. Children may not realize that changes in their moods or behavior are cause for concern. Others families might not know where to go for help. It is essential that healthcare professionals are aware of the consequences of previous bad experiences and work to build trust.

What should I do if am unhappy with the assessment?

If you've been referred to under the Mental Health Act and you are not happy with it, you can make an appeal to the CQC. For more information, see our guide on how to submit a complaint.

People who use mental health services typically have multiple appointments with a variety of professionals. It can be difficult to keep track of all the appointments. It is essential to be as honest and transparent as possible with the person who is evaluating you. If you do not then you could give the professional wrong impressions of your condition and this could impact the care you receive.

Mental illness can affect your mood and mental thinking. It can cause problems with relationships, work and daily activities. Depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia are all common disorders. You can get help for a mental illness from your GP, friends and family or by visiting a local NHS CAMHS.


The key to improving mental health is receiving the right assessment and treatment. NHS England works hard to ensure that everyone receives appropriate treatment at the right time. This includes reducing delays and ensuring that the correct information is available to anyone who requires it. We are also making adjustments to the way we record and share information to facilitate this.

We want all local mental health services to be able to keep and share information exactly the same way as other NHS organisations. This will improve safety and quality of treatment. Our aim is for all providers to have access to accurate and up-to-date information, in real-time, no matter where they are. This is part the NHS's commitment to Data Saves Lives which aims at reducing the barriers to sharing information across the health and healthcare system.

What should I do if require a second opinion on something?

If you believe that the health professionals involved in your assessment aren't taking your views seriously, there are a few things you can do. You can request your manager to send a different professional to look over your situation or contact an NHS helpline within your region for assistance. If you reside in England the NHS offers a service called EIT (Emergency Intervention Team) which will send a crisis response team out to your home. You can also contact local volunteer groups, or charitable organizations such as Mind or Rethink for advice.

It is possible to seek another opinion, whether from a medical specialist or a different doctor. Your GP is also able to provide an alternative opinion. This is advisable when you're not sure about 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 the experts are able to provide new perspectives and information that can change the course of a patient's care.

A second opinion may be necessary in the event that your healthcare professional has not identified a cause for your symptoms. This could be due to a number of reasons, including 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 offer standard consultations lasting 50 minutes, and we collaborate with the majority of major private insurance companies to ensure that your treatment for psychiatric issues is covered. If, however, you don't have insurance, we are still able to provide excellent and affordable treatment.

What should I do if need a second opinion from a specialist?

You should be able to arrange an appointment for a second opinion if are dissatisfied with your mental health evaluation results. There is no legal right to it, but doctors will rarely refuse to do it for you. You can ask your GP or the mental health services to help make this happen. They will be able to provide you the details of local advocacy services.

The doctor will examine your body and perform additional tests, including blood tests or an scan. The specialist will discuss their findings with you and the treatment options available to you. This could include hospitalization, or other options. The doctor will take into consideration your age, gender social background, your social background, sexual orientation, religion and disability as well as religious or cultural beliefs when talking with you.

A second opinion is useful because it allows you to review medical advice and gain an updated view of your healthcare situation from a different doctor. It will make you feel more comfortable about your treatment options and diagnosis and it can also give you more details about the potential adverse effects of each treatment.

You may have a very good reason to want to get a second opinion. For instance, you could believe that you suffer from a rare or unusual illness and you want another specialist to weigh in on the diagnosis and treatment options. Or maybe you have been reading about other treatments your doctor doesn't provide and you want to know whether they're suitable for you.

A private Psychiatrist can usually see you within a couple of days and has access to your entire health history. They can also schedule an online video consultation via Skype or Facetime and an official medical report to be directly sent to your GP.