How Does A Therapy Assessment Work In Creating A Mental Health Treatment Plan?
Therapeutic Assessment (TA) may help guide therapy and treatment of various mental health conditions. Often seen as a short-term intervention, TA may offer a way for clinicians to diagnose mental health conditions in clients. Other mental health professionals may use Therapeutic Assessment as part of the diagnostic and treatment process. These assessments usually involve analyzing a person's mental health status, symptoms, and goals to appropriately tailor treatment to fit their needs.
The role of therapeutic assessment
According to the Therapeutic Assessment Institute, Therapeutic Assessment (TA) is a "brief intervention that uses psychological assessments" to guide the therapeutic process. Therapists who use TA in their practice may focus on helping clients create a helpful and clear narrative about themselves and the broader context in which they live. The TA Institute describes this kind of intervention as a collaborative process.
Role in shaping treatment plan
While some controversy exists about the usefulness of assessments when administered and interpreted in certain settings, they are widely used and continually undergo revisions. Researchers also continue to examine the specific conditions that can benefit the treatment process.
Psychological assessments
Psychological testing through an interview with the person being examined is one of the main ways a therapy assessment is made. An interview allows the clinician or therapist to better understand and gain knowledge related to the person's psychological profile, comparing behavior with previous diagnoses. After the interview, other assessments may be chosen to facilitate the diagnostic process and to focus on subsequent treatment.
Types of therapy assessments
Depending on the situation, different types of psychological tests may be used during TA. Tests may be applied to both psychological and educational contexts. According to the National Library of Medicine, "psychological tests can be categorized by the very nature of the behavior they assess (what they measure), their administration, their scoring, and how they are used." One distinction between tests is whether the assessment measures "typical behavior" used primarily in non-cognitive tests or "maximal performance" associated with cognitive tests.
These tests might include the following:
- Ability tests, such as verbal and performance tests. Verbal tests involve asking and answering questions. Performance tests rely on activities such as handling certain objects, tracing mazes, and identifying certain patterns of behavior.
- Cognitive tests that are broken down as "speeded tests" or "power tests."
- Non-cognitive tests in symptom validity tests are intended to detect "an exaggeration of symptoms and impairments" in metrics such as psychiatric symptoms, memory, and motor skills.
Psychological assessments may include a clinical interview, observations, a record review, and standardized psychological tests. Cognitive tests are often used in performance validity tests, whereas non-cognitive testing is typically used in symptom validity tests.
Cognitive tests may involve checking for the following six attributes:
- Memory
- Intelligence
- Processing speed
- Language
- Attention
- Executive functioning
Non-cognitive testing may focus on three measures:
- Behavioral components
- Emotional components
- Personality
These tests may be structured or unstructured. Structured tests may involve answering true or false questions, for example. Unstructured tests, on the other hand, may involve presenting an inkblot or picture to a client and asking them to describe the image in question, which is intended to tap into the person's unconscious associations.
MMPI-2 assesses various mental health conditions
Another test that may be used is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), published in revised editions by the Minnesota Press. Used by clinicians to aid the diagnostic process and course of treatment, it also applies to non-clinical settings to help assess the mental health of those working in high-risk professions, such as police officers and pilots. The MMPI-2 assesses various mental health conditions in which individuals self-report their answers.
Self-care and well-being
Self-care activities may offer significant relief in managing symptoms for those diagnosed with a mental health disorder or grappling with a mental health condition. Such activities may positively impact your mental and physical health and, in so doing, relieve stress and anxiety.
Self-care activities may include:
- Going for a walk or exercising.
- Taking a bath for relaxation.
- Seeking out green spaces, as exposure to these places has been linked with improved mental health.
- Eating a healthy, nutritious diet with vitamins and minerals can help increase energy levels. Research findings also suggest that a healthy diet directly correlates to mood and behavior by affecting serotonin levels.
- Getting enough sleep without blue light from screens and monitors, as blue light has been linked with disturbing your natural circadian rhythm, the body's biological clock.
- Seeking meaningful social interaction with friends, family, and people with whom you share common interests.
- Practicing gratitude.
- Mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation has been linked with reducing stress and anxiety, which can sometimes trigger depression.
While practicing any self-care approach could be helpful on its own, combining various activities may compound the benefits to one's overall well-being and mental health.
Effective treatment plan with online therapy
If you are looking for help managing symptoms of a mental health condition, you may want to consider online therapy. Online therapists often employ a variety of approaches, which may include Therapeutic Assessment. Therapy from the comfort of your couch may help you save money on costs often associated with in-person counseling, such as transportation expenses and daycare fees.
Online cognitive behavioral therapy
Online counseling using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a common therapeutic approach, has been shown to be just as effective as traditional, in-person therapy. Studies suggest that it can lead to even better outcomes in some cases, as it can be used to address symptoms of various psychiatric conditions and behavior problems.
Takeaway
Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about therapy assessment.
What is an example of a therapy assessment in positive psychology?
One of the examples of therapy assessment in positive psychology is the subjective happiness scale, which is a good mental health assessment tool that can assess an individual’s subjective happiness in life.
What are the 5 P's of mental health assessment?
The 5 P’s of mental health assessment are the following:
- Presenting problem
- Predisposing factors
- Precipitating factors
- Perpetuating factors, and
- Protective factors
What does a therapy assessment look like?
A therapy assessment or a mental health assessment is a crucial step of the therapeutic process. During an assessment, therapists or other mental health professionals use their ability to gather information through clinical interviews about the client to determine and assess their needs, get an understanding about their goals for seeking therapy, and create a treatment plan or therapeutic intervention that suits them as well as their diagnosis and risk assessment.
How do you do a counseling assessment in positive psychology?
Positive psychology is one of many mental health assessment tools. It is a strength-based approach used by mental health professionals to help treat mental health disorders such as bipolar disorder, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and more. It doesn’t only focus on the positive,but it also acknowledges and addresses difficulties the client may be facing in life with their diagnosis or condition. This approach enhances the well-being of the clients.
Can therapists do therapy assessments?
Yes! Therapists are trained and certified to conduct therapy assessments. This step is essential since this is the foundation of effective therapy.
How do you get a full mental health assessment?
Getting a full mental health assessment is possible by reaching out to your local doctor for an initial assessment; then, your doctor may refer you to mental health professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists for a more in-depth evaluation, diagnosis, and holistic assessment. Moreover, you can also take an online screening for a quicker way to determine and assess what mental health disorders or mental health conditions you may currently have based on your symptoms.
How can I get an assessment in counselling?
A person can get a psychological assessment through assessment tools such as psychological testing. This is critical and is based on diagnostic criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The assessment process is done through clinical interviews with clients to allow the therapist to understand their psychological profile, while comparing their behavior with previous diagnoses, so they can help the clients make progress. Different types of resources and assessments in counseling can assist clinicians and therapists:
- Patient Health Questionnaire: Clinicians use the Patient Health Questionnaire to diagnose, assess, and monitor the severity of depression. The Patient Health Questionnaire, also called the PHQ-9, is a multi-purpose tool to determine the frequency of clients’ depressed mood over the course of two weeks.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 is a type of assessment used to assess anxiety disorders. This assessment consists of seven items that can gauge anxiety disorders and worry-related symptoms in a patient.
- Self-rating depression scale (SDS): The self-rating depression scale is another screening and assessment tool that is used to determine the presence of depressive disorder in adults.
- Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5: The clinician-administered PTSD scale consists of 30 items as well as a structured interview that is used to make a diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also assess the symptom severity of the disorder.
- PTSD Checklist for DSM-5: The PTSD checklist is a 20-item self-report assessment of the symptoms of PTSD based on DSM-5 criteria.
- Beck Anxiety Inventory: The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a self-report inventory that aims to measure and assess the severity of anxiety disorders in psychiatric populations.
- Beck Depression Inventory: The Beck Depression Inventory is a self-report rating inventory that can measure the patient’s characteristic symptoms and attitudes of depression in the past week or the past month.
- Dissociative Experiences Scale: This assessment tool can measure various types of dissociation.
What is an example of a mental health assessment?
A mental health assessment is a combination of different processes, which can include a clinical interview, observation of typical behavior and overall appearance, and different questionnaires or tests to assess and get an understanding of the client’s symptoms, the client’s condition, and the subjective experiences of the patient. Other examples are intelligence tests, the Patient Health Questionnaire, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and more.
What is the most common mental health assessment?
One common type of psychological test clinicians use may be a personality test. The assessment results of the patient are useful as they make progress in therapy sessions and can be used as resources in the workplace.
What are the 4 key elements of psychosocial assessment?
The 4 key elements of psychosocial assessment are as follows:
- Spiritual assessment
- Cultural assessment
- Financial assessment
- Violence risk assessment
Thanks for the feedback!
- Previous Article
- Next Article