Mental Health Assessment

How It Is Done

Health professionals often do a brief mental health check during regular checkups. If you are having symptoms of a mental health problem, your doctor may do a more complete assessment. Or he or she may refer you to another doctor, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.

You will have an interview with a doctor. You may also get a physical exam and written or verbal tests.

Interview

During the interview, your doctor notes your mood and how you present yourself. You will be asked to talk about your symptoms and concerns. Be as detailed as you can. If you have kept a diary or journal of your symptoms, share this with your doctor.

Your doctor may ask you questions to check how well you think, reason, and remember. He or she may ask you questions to find out how you feel about life, and if you are likely to hurt yourself.

Physical exam

You may get a physical exam. Your doctor will ask about your past health as well as that of your family members. He or she will ask what medicines you take.

Your doctor may test your reflexes, balance, and senses (hearing, taste, sight, smell, and touch).

Lab tests

You may have lab tests done on a blood or urine sample. If your doctor thinks you may have a nervous system problem, you may get tests such as an MRI, an EEG, or a CT scan. Lab tests to find other problems may include thyroid function tests, electrolyte levels, or toxicology screening (to look for drug or alcohol problems).

Written or verbal tests

You will be asked some questions and will answer out loud or on a piece of paper. Your answers are then rated and scored by your doctor.

Written tests most often have 20 to 30 questions that can be answered quickly. These are often in a "yes" or "no" format. You can do them by yourself at a regular office visit.

Many mental health tests are available. They look at:

• Specific problems. For example, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Beck Depression Inventory, or the Geriatric Depression Scale can be used to check for symptoms of depression.
• How well you are able to think, reason, and remember. The Mini Mental State Examination can be used to check this.
• How well you are able to carry out routine tasks, such as eating, dressing, shopping, or banking.

Sometimes a longer mental health test, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, may be needed. The test may be given by a specialist such as a psychologist.

Children

How a child's mental health is looked at will depend on the age of the child and what problem the doctor thinks the child may have. Young children may be asked to draw pictures to express their feelings. They may also be asked to look at images of common subjects and talk about how these make them feel. Parents or teachers may be asked to answer a checklist of questions about the child.

How long does it take?

The time it takes will depend on the reason the test is being done. An interview with written or verbal tests may last 30 to 90 minutes. It can last longer if several different tests are done. An in-depth test such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale may take 1 to 2 hours.