Mental Health Assessment

Mental Status Evaluation

Test Overview

A mental health assessment gives your doctor an overall picture of how well you feel emotionally and how well you are able to think, reason, and remember (cognitive functioning). Your doctor will ask you questions and examine you. You might answer some of the doctor's questions in writing. Your doctor will pay attention to how you look and your mood, behavior, thinking, reasoning, memory, and ability to express yourself. Your doctor will also ask questions about how you get along with other people, including your family and friends. Sometimes the assessment includes laboratory tests, such as blood or urine tests.

A mental health assessment for a child is geared to the child's age and stage of development.

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Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated March 13, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Malin K. Clark, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry
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