A diagnostic assessment is a brave journey to take, and it’s the first step towards mental wellness. You may have known for some time that something didn’t feel right. Maybe you’re struggling to focus at work, or struggling with your relationships. Maybe you just feel like you’ve been in a funk, and while you keep waiting for it to pass, it never does. At a diagnostic assessment, an experienced mental health provider can take stock of your mental health, offer you a diagnosis, and you can begin to make a plan towards treatment.
But what exactly does a diagnostic assessment entail? If you have any anxiety about the appointment, it can help to know what to expect.
What Is a Diagnostic Assessment?
In a diagnostic assessment, you will meet with a mental health provider with the goal of assessing your mental health and diagnosing any potential mental illnesses. You will answer a number of questions about your feelings, your lifestyle, your personal and family history, as well as the length of time you may have been feeling a certain way. In some assessments, such as an ADHD assessment, you may have some practical tests to assess your memory and focus.
The professional performing the diagnostic assessment will review your answers and come to a diagnosis. They may recommend you for therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Most mental health provider networks also require regular diagnostic assessments as you continue with treatment, in order to monitor your progress. Patients are often given the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) throughout treatment, which is an abbreviated version of the mental health evaluation during a diagnostic assessment.
How Long Does It Take To Schedule a Diagnostic Assessment?
This depends on the mental health provider network and the amount of testers available. In some cases, they may be able to schedule a test within the next couple of weeks, while others might have a bit of a waitlist. It may help to ask how long it would take to schedule, so that you can look at a few networks to find the best availability.
What Is Included In a Diagnostic Assessment
Most of your diagnostic assessment will be a series of questions and answers. These will include topics such as:
Mental Health History
Your diagnostic professional will ask first about your history of mental illness, whether you’ve ever had a diagnosis before or whether you have experienced symptoms before. You will also be asked if anyone in your family has been diagnosed with or treated for a mental illness.
Personal History and Lifestyle
You will likely be asked what your family was like growing up, and what your childhood was like overall. In addition, you’ll be asked questions about your life now. What kind of job do you do? What is your marital status? Any children? Any history of arrest? You will also answer questions about your drug and alcohol use, including nicotine.
Mental Health Evaluation
Most of the questions will cover your current mental health state. You will be asked to rate your mood, focus, and stress over the past two weeks or past 30 days. Once you’ve answered a series of questions about your mental health, you will be asked how much that has impacted your ability to work or your relationships.
Physical Health
In some cases, you may be required to have a physical exam or to submit to blood work or a brain scan. This is because there are some physical medical conditions which can impact your mental health, such as a thyroid condition, brain cysts, or a traumatic brain injury. In these cases, it’s important to treat the physical symptoms in order to take care of the mental symptoms. At a minimum, you will be required to disclose any medical conditions you have and any medication you take.
Cognitive Tests
If your assessment is for depression, anxiety, or mood disorders, your diagnostic assessment may end there. However, some diagnostic assessments, such as ADHD, will include a few cognitive tests. These tests are designed to measure your focus and memory. The tests you take will vary, such as:
- Remembering a list and repeating it back in order
- Remembering the order of certain shapes
- Word association call and response
- Inkblot tests
- Simple math or logic questions
Once your diagnostic assessment is completed, your mental health professional will review all of the information and then return with a diagnosis.
How Long Does a Diagnostic Assessment Take?
It depends on what your diagnostic assessment is for, as well as your mental health provider’s process. In some cases, a diagnostic assessment for depression or anxiety can be done in 1-3 days. The diagnostic tester only needs to measure whether the patient’s symptoms match the diagnostic criteria detailed in the DSM-IV.
If you are receiving a diagnostic assessment for ADHD, it may be a more involved process. You will have an initial intake appointment with the tester, followed by an ADHD test that can last 1-3 hours. The tester will then review all of your information and schedule another appointment going over the results of your test. The total process can take about 2 weeks.
If you have questions about how long your diagnostic assessment will take, it is a good idea to ask about the general procedure in your initial call. This will give you a clearer idea of what to expect.
Can You Read Your Own Diagnostic Assessment Report?
Yes, absolutely. Once the diagnostic assessment is complete, the report will be uploaded to your health record on whatever electronic health record platform your provider uses, such as MyChart or FollowMyHealth. From there, you will be able to set up your own login and access your diagnostic assessment, any diagnoses, and any updates to your mental health record. Your report will include all of the tester’s observations, as well as the conclusion they came to.
Rivia Mind can help you with your diagnostic assessment, as well as helping you develop a treatment plan to manage your mental health and begin your journey towards mental wellness. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a 15-minute consultation.
