Clinical Assessment and Methods Used in It
During the clinical assessment, mental health professionals engage with the client in a series of observations, interviews, tests, and physical and psychological evaluations to establish acute as well as underlying problems they struggle with. The process of clinical assessment relies on obtaining as much relevant information as possible to ensure that the diagnosis is correct.
The professional draws conclusions about the client’s state through a wide variety of methods that include standardized tests, verbal discussions, observing specific reactions, and/or referring the client to a physical assessment of certain systems. Moreover, clinical assessment specifies whether the treatment is needed and, if yes, what kind of therapy should be assigned.
Standardized Diagnostic Methods Used by Mental Health Professionals
A standardized way to perform clinical assessment is to use established and clinically proven psychological tests to gauge the specific symptoms of each individual case. For example, when interviewing the client points to depression, Beck’s Depression scale is used to determine the severity of the symptoms, as well as the anxiety scale to establish whether anxiety signs are present.
Moreover, the professional might apply tests that are designed to pinpoint other mental health disorders that also can cause symptoms of depression – like ADHD or Bipolar Disorder scales. Additionally, the professional should use specific, leading questions when interviewing the client to help them organize their thoughts and explain their symptoms in a more accurate way.
The Continuous Nature of Clinical Assessment in Patient Care
Clinical assessment does not end after the first session with the client, as the development and treatment of mental health issues is an ongoing process. The professional observes the client during each session to determine whether the therapy is working, how the client is responding to it, and how their symptoms are affected.
It is necessary to adjust the treatment process to account for the client’s progress or regress, specific reactions to certain medications and/or techniques, and the client’s arising requests. Lindhiem et al. (2020) supply that “calibration is a critical component of accuracy with particular relevance for prognostic models and risk-assessment tools” (p. 840). Thus, clinical assessment is a continued practice that allows the professional to adapt to each individual client and provide them with the best care possible.
Reference
Lindhiem, O., Petersen, I. T., Mentch, L. K., & Youngstrom, E. A. (2020). The importance of calibration in clinical psychology. Assessment, 27(4), 840–854. Web.