What distinguishes assessment from diagnosis? In assessing the mental state of a client, psychiatrists utilize various tests for diagnosis. What are the different methods of assessing a client’s mental state? A psychiatric history is obtained by interviewing both the patient and the family weeks before treatment, in order to gain insight. Additionally, conducting a clinical interview is one approach to assessing a patient’s mental state.
The psychiatrist must evaluate various factors during a patient’s assessment. These include observing their appearance and demeanor, determining their level of cooperation, assessing the coherence of their thinking and speech, noting any abnormalities such as hallucinations and delusions, evaluating their mood and presence of manic symptoms, and determining if they exhibit hostility or aggression. Effective listening skills are essential during this process. Additionally, the psychiatrist must analyze the patient’s statements, including any delusions, hallucinations, grandiose ideas, and interpret the voices they may hear.
If someone is feeling depressed, it is crucial to determine if they have suicidal thoughts or intentions to harm others. During interviews, psychiatrists also evaluate the patient’s memory function. They may ask questions such as what they recently ate or major events from the previous year. Difficulty in remembering can indicate significant distress. The assessment may involve observations, psychological tests, the House-tree-person exam, and a 60-item personality questionnaire.
Intelligence tests, memory tests, and a mental status exam are conducted to assess a patient. Memory tests are particularly important when considering the psychiatric history, as individuals who have had a stroke may experience decreased memory skills. The mental status exam evaluates judgment and includes various other tests to understand the patient’s emotions. Additionally, patients are asked about their feelings of sickness during the exam.
Some people believe that “nasangkayan” is the cause of their mental illness. Another question used to determine a patient’s wellness is their response to what they would do if they had money. This test allows the psychiatrist to understand the patient’s condition. The DSM and ICD are manuals used for diagnosing mental illnesses. The DSM originates from the USA, while the ICD is a product of the Philippines, specifically created by UP. The treatment aspect poses more challenges compared to assessment and diagnosis.
To determine the beneficial medicines for patients, it was previously believed by Filipinos that there was nothing wrong with them from a psychiatric standpoint. Families were unaware of any psychological behavior issues because they did not believe in them and were afraid of being labeled as “may sira sa ulo” if they considered seeing a psychiatrist. However, the current scenario is different, as more people are now willing to visit a psychiatrist for check-ups due to increased understanding, open-mindedness, and orientation.
