A psychiatric evaluation is used to diagnose a mental condition. It is the first step to having better mental health. Psychiatrists make recommendations for treatment according to the results of a comprehensive evaluation. A comprehensive evaluation can reveal mental, emotional, behavioral, and developmental disorders.
Often, a primary care provider refers a patient experiencing psychiatric issues to a psychiatrist for an evaluation. Also very common is a loved one asking a person to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. You could benefit from a psychiatric evaluation if you are feeling mentally or emotionally unwell. Generally, symptoms will present themselves that make life difficult or intolerable for a person with an undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. If you are always unhappy, moody, or mad, feel like you have been sad, stressed, or anxious for quite some time, or went through a traumatic experience that left you mentally unwell, it’s a good idea to get a psychiatric evaluation.
What Happens During Psychiatric Evaluation?
The process of a psychiatric evaluation may vary but generally, these are the basics you can expect during one:
- The psychiatrist will ask you about your problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, including when they started and how long they last, as well as their effect on your daily life.
- The psychiatrist will ask you to describe your symptoms in detail or as much as you can.
- Other topics of discussion will include:
- How your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your performance at work or school.
- How your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your personal relationships (friends, family, romantic partner/s).
- The psychiatrist will then ask you about your family history. Does anyone in your family have a history of mental illness, emotional problems, personality disorders, or behavioral problems?
- The psychiatrist will also ask you about your medical history, including past illnesses, past and present treatments, and past and current medication use.
- If they determine it’s necessary, the psychiatrist will ask that you undergo medical examinations, such as blood tests and imaging studies of the brain.
The goal of a psychiatric evaluation is to determine if a patient needs psychiatric treatment. The psychiatrist will create a treatment plan (that includes short-term and long-term goals) that is customized for the patient. The most successful treatments have a personalized approach and often have the active participation of the patient’s loved ones, including friends, family members, and romantic partners.
Psychiatric Evaluations in New York and Southbury, Connecticut
At Psy Visions, we provide an extensive range of psychiatric services, including psychiatric evaluations. Dr. Mark Stracks, a board-certified psychiatrist, treats patients with a variety of psychiatric conditions and behavioral disorders. What sets us apart from other clinics is that we make our patients the center of treatment. We are not interested in simply writing out prescriptions and are very much invested in your care, treatment, and recovery. We create a safe space for our patients where we encourage sharing on their part and listening on our part.
To schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Stracks, call our New York clinic at (718) 887-2918 or (203) 405-1745 to reach us at our Connecticut location. You can also send a secure message using our online form. We are happy to offer telepsychiatry to patients on a case-by-case basis.
