Mental health articles

 Mental health assessment mental health assessment checklist
Mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities are best
assessed by a range of health and social care professionals using a
multi-disciplinary approach. These professionals and the services they
work in are described in Chapter 3. The aims of the assessment are to:

Clarify what the problem is

Find out how the problem is affecting the person’s day-to-day
life

Find out what, if anything, is causing or contributing to the
mental health problem
Health and social care professionals will achieve these aims through
several different methods.
Interviewing the person and their carer
A mental health professional (usually a doctor and/or a nurse) will talk to
the person with intellectual disabilities.Where the person you care for has
difficulty in communicating, you may be asked the questions. The interview will look at two main areas, the person’s current situation and their history.
CURRENT SITUATION

Why is this person seeing a health/social care professional
now?

What is the person normally like?

What has changed?

Are there any possible signs and symptoms of a mental health
problem?

Have there been any recent life events or changes?
 Changes in the family home, changes at the day centre,
bereavements and losses etc.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Family history
 People within the family (past and present), mental health
problems within the family, how the person gets on with
family members
Personal history
 When they started to walk, talk etc., schooling, life events,
relationships, employment, their abilities and disabilities

Medical history
 Past illnesses, the person’s ability to report illness, treatments etc.

Psychiatric history
 Past illnesses, treatment etc.

Personality
 Whether they are sociable or shy, their character, normal
mood, their attitudes towards life and other people
Physical examination
There are a number of medical conditions that can make someone look as though they have a mental health problem or that can make the person
more likely to have a mental health problem. Also signs and symptoms of
some mental health problems can be due to drugs or alcohol. The side
effects of some prescribed medications can falsely appear as a mental
health problem. These need to be ruled out, so the person can get the right diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, tests may be needed such as:

Blood test

X-ray

Scans

Urine test
Diagnosis and treatment
After all the information has been gathered the multi-disciplinary team
will build a picture of what the problem is and make a diagnosis. From the
diagnosis an appropriate management care plan will be written, which is
tailored to the needs and wishes of the person involved. Care plans will be
holistic,which means that they will look at the person as awhole (e.g. likes and dislikes, activities, short- and long-term goals) and what has made the person vulnerable to a mental health problem. Care plans will involve a wide range of interventions such as taking medication, seeing a counsellor and improving the person’s social situation.

Tags: Health, mental, Mental health