What is a mental health assessment in the UK?

Question

My Cpn said I may need a mental health assessment as I have been quite poorly. Is this just a kinder way of saying a section may be needed?

Answer 1

Hi,

i have had this done before by a phychiatric nurse at one stage last year when i was very depressed and basically suicidal and I was not sectioned. I was just asked a series of questions like "do you hear voices telling you to do things?"...."do you want to hurt yourself" etc, it goes on for a while but it's nothing to be worried about...they just need to assess your risk to yourself and others and use it as a way to help them, help you!

I hope you feel better soon.

Answer 2

not nececerely,

what he/she is trying to say that according to your doctors or consultant psychiatrists last review of you, youer mental health has changed, your needs in some areas are grater, and not so much in others.
Currently, your last review which was written by the last psychiatrist you saw, will outline your needs. Now this is the important bit. The funding given by the mental health funding providers (called the primary health trust for your borough) is dependant on what your last review said. Without your needs being clearly defined in this statement and the solutions being clearly outlined (e.g. client has problems with going shopping, care given = C.B.T planning and a CPN to go shopping with client), so at the moment you are down as requiring a certain amount of care, and your cpn realises you need this changed. To get more care she has to get a psychiatrist to agree with this, this is done in a review. Without this review saying you need more help, ther is no funding for it and you cannot get any more help!

Help doesnt have to be hospitalisation, if there is the time and staff, it could just mean seeing your cpn or another member of the team again in the week. Or even seeing the psychiatrist to work on issues.

Sections are normally avoided as teams dont like giving them out- it makes it harder for the client to then trust the team so cooperation is difficult, and also it leave you harder to get a job in the future.
They may ask you if you feel like you need to go into hospital for a little while until your health improves and you are able to cope better at home. If you agree they wont section you, you will be a voluntary patient and the team will probably be reieved you are being proactive and dont have to be forced to take responsibility over your mental health.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

No - to section someone they need a team, typically a Psychiatrist, a GP and a social worker. It's only done when someone is in danger or is a danger to others. If this was the case, I wouldn't worry about the section, going to hospital or the treatment. I'd worry about the illness and where it was taking you.

In the old days people were committed to long stay institutions simply for being ill, nowadays it's completely the other way around, they save money by closing mental wards and giving medication instead.

Many people get into trouble, lose family support and end up in prison when early help could have prevented this.

Answer 4

Only a very few people are sectioned when they are considered to be a potential danger to themselves or others.

An assessment would mean being asked questions to find out your history - your symptoms, how long you have had the problem(s) and so on. Maybe you could be on an assessment ward for a short time, to find out how you interact with other people, whether you can care for yourself and carry out certain activities and so on. Also, if you are given medication or any other form of treatment, staff would be there to assess how you are responding.

Sometimes psychologists may give tests to find out about personality, or depression, anxiety etc. etc. depending on the problem(s) you are having.

Answer 5

A mental health assessment is just an assessment of your mental health- made by a psychiatrist..

I dunno if you already know but It's actually very hard to get sectioned.. you need a psych a GP and a social worker- at the very least. And usually before sectioning people they will ask them if they would come in on a voluntary basis instead.

It's hard enough to get hospital treatment if you ask for it- let alone refuse it.

Nowadays mental health teams to try help people at home in times of crisis- this can be a very helpful and positive experience.

Answer 6

A mental assessment is conducted by a psychiatrist. It's a way of assessing your current state of mind. A series of questions will be asked, and according to the answers you give, the assessment will be made. A so called 'section' is made when someone is so severely ill, that they become a danger to themselves or other people.

Answer 7

No it''s not. People only get sectioned when it's absolutely necessary. An assessment means just that, they'll just try and assess what problems you've had / you have and how you feel about them and looking at your ability to cope with the situation your in.

Answer 8

yep sorry