# Mental Health Screening and Assessment

- Link: https://www.alquimedez.com/mental-health-screening-and-assessment
- Published: 2021-09-10T08:13:31+00:00
- Author: alquimedezhemo

Henry Montero, LMHC, CASAC-2, CTTS

**Alquimedez Mental Health Counseling**
 Tel: [315-505-2400](https://www.alquimedez.com/3155052400)
[Contact Alquimedez](https://www.alquimedez.com/mental-health-care-contact-us) Email:
[patient@alquimedez.com](https://www.alquimedez.com/patient@alquimedez.com) Twitter:@
henmontero Instagram: alquimedezmentalhealth

The words mental health can entail several factors like psychological, emotional
and social well-being. If an individual is facing a specific mental health concern,
it may adversely affect how he thinks, acts and feels. Even aspects of his personality
such as his ability to make choices in general and how well he can handle stress
are influenced by having a mental health issue.

Mental health has a wide-ranging spectrum and can include depression, bipolar, eating
disorder and addiction. Therefore, if an adolescent child is suffering from a learning
disability like dyslexia or an elderly individual is facing cognitive decline and
heading towards Alzheimer’s disease, both are examples of mental health issues.

There are various determinants that impact if, when and how a person develops a 
mental health issue. For example, biological factors like genetics and brain structure,
experiences that a person may have had which include traumatic ones and suffering
abuse and of course, lineage and family history are all potential determinants.

**Screening**
 Screenings that are conducted to gauge if a person has a mental health
issue are informal. Doctors have pre-meditated questionnaires and lists for this
purpose, and they may begin by asking patients what they may have experienced and
what led them to a consultation. In many cases, doctors may use this tool to analyze
the extent and severity of each symptom.

Furthermore, it is essential to note that such screening tests do not conclude with
a diagnosis. Instead, they are designed to gain a fundamental understanding of the
state of a patient’s mental health. It is only after this stage that doctors can
determine if the patient should seek further help from a specialist.

Also, as these tests are informal, it allows patients, who may range from children
to elderly, to speak freely and discuss their concerns. Typically, screening tests
may be located in places like clinics and the offices of dedicated mental health
organizations like Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and the National
Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

More often than not, these services are available for free. In some cases, the screening
tests are also available on smartphones and online as well. Therefore, if a patient
feels that he may be suffering from mental health concerns like anxiety disorder,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, eating disorders
or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he can merely take the screening test.

**Forms of Tests**
 Assessments may be formal or informal, standardized or non-standardized,
self-reported or reported by a therapist. There are many examples of mental health
assessment tools, such as a simple observation. The doctor assigned to the patient
just watches him while he talks and makes notes simultaneously.

They may also conduct interviews, which may be formal or informal. Also, the patient’s
next of kin may be called in for an interview to gauge the minute details of his
behavior.

Other tools used by doctors include checklists, questionnaires, and standardized
tests, where answers are recorded and then compared to others in the same age bracket.