Mental Health Assessment: Why It Is Done
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Why It Is Done
A mental health assessment is done to:
- Find out about and check on mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and anorexia nervosa.
- Help tell the difference between mental and physical health problems.
- Evaluate a person who has been referred for mental health treatment because of problems at school, work, or home. For example, a mental health assessment may be used to find out if a child has learning disabilities or behavior disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Check the mental health of a person who has been placed in an institution or arrested for a crime, such as drunken driving or physical abuse.
| Last updated: | December 24, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jeannette Curtis |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Donald Sproule, MD, CM, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Michele Cronen |
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