Is Your Loved One Facing A Mental Health Medication Evaluation? What To Expect
If you have a loved one who is going through a complicated mental health concern, the best thing you can do during the process is to be supportive. The best way to be supportive is to know what your loved one may be going through as they make their way through the medication evaluation phases, including the psychiatric medication evaluation process. If you have a loved one facing this scenario, learn what's involved in the medication evaluation process so that you can be a better support system.
Interview Process
The initial phase of the process will likely be an interview. During the interview, the evaluator will listen to the individual facing the crisis explain the event in his or her own words. It is also not uncommon for the evaluators to ask for accounts from close family members. The evaluator will then compare the information to their professional diagnosis charts.
Danger Assessment
A very important factor evaluators consider before administrating medication is the danger level the condition creates. Whether the condition can cause a risk to either the individual or anyone around them is a big concern the evaluator will want to seek information about. Typically, if there is a threat of danger, the individual will be placed on medication to minimize the risk.
Lifestyle Factors
An evaluator does need to know about the person's lifestyle factors, more specifically how the mental health concern has affected the person's life, be it at school, at work, or with their interaction with family. Mental health medications are designed to help people with mental health concerns lead more productive lives, so any disturbances in the individual's ability to lead a productive life will be evaluated to determine if medication is necessary.
Health Workup
Mental health medications are no different from other prescription medications that are intended to help regulate other issues within the body. For this reason, a full health history workup is typically necessary. The main purpose of the workup is to identify any issues that might cause an interaction with the medications, which could lead to further health complications. Blood tests, family history reports, and a physical exam are often used for this phase of the evaluation.
It is important to understand that the exact process for each person may vary slightly or significantly, as all mental health concerns are different. However, the above information will provide you with some general information.
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