Psychiatric assessment

Psychiatric assessment is a process of gathering information about a person within a psychiatric (or mental health) service, with the purpose of making a diagnosis. The assessment is usually the first stage of a treatment process, but psychiatric assessments may also be used for various legal purposes.

Overview

The assessment usually involves a mental status examination (MSE), a physical examination and sometimes laboratory tests. The MSE is an assessment of the person's current state of mind, which includes mood, thought content, memory and cognition. The physical examination, which includes laboratory tests, is used to rule out other medical illnesses that may be causing the person's symptoms.

Components

The psychiatric assessment includes a number of components, including:

• History: This includes the person's personal and medical history, as well as a history of psychiatric illness in the family.
• Mental status examination: This is an assessment of the person's current state of mind, which includes mood, thought content, memory and cognition.
• Physical examination: This is used to rule out other medical illnesses that may be causing the person's symptoms.
• Laboratory tests: These may be used to rule out other medical conditions, or to monitor the effects of psychiatric medication.

Uses

Psychiatric assessments are used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Diagnosis: The assessment is used to determine whether the person has a psychiatric disorder, and if so, what type.
• Treatment planning: The assessment helps to guide the treatment of the person's psychiatric disorder.
• Legal purposes: Psychiatric assessments may be used in court to determine a person's competency to stand trial, or their mental state at the time of an alleged offense.

See also

• Mental health
• Psychiatry
• Mental status examination
• Diagnosis
• Treatment planning