Assessment Tools & Mental Health

Mental health assessments are an important set of tools that help professionals and even the public gauge their need for mental health care. They help doctors know when to refer a patient to a mental health professional, and help anyone know when it is time to ask for help.

About Mental Health Assessments

• Mental Health Assessments are tools psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors and social workers use to determine a person's mental health needs. Some assessments ask questions or require a person to perform tasks with the purpose of diagnosing a disorder such as depression, anxiety, ADHD or autism. Some assess risk levels for things such as alcohol or drug abuse or suicide. They are often part of a wider assessment for need of care in a hospital or care center. These assessments are usually used in conjunction with other tools, such as family history, medical history and prior diagnoses for diagnostic purposes.

The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool

• The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool is a 10- to 15-minute computer assessment designed to assess a client's potential for a wide variety of mental health diagnoses. It also considers risk for self-harm. The tool has a history of predicting diagnoses that prove correct under further assessment by a professional. The program is designed for a primary care doctor to give to patients who report symptoms. It generates a referral letter that the patient can take to a mental health professional.

Depression Self-Assessment

• The Mayo Clinic offers an online depression self-assessment. People who suspect they may be suffering from depression answer 10 questions and receive an assessment as to their risk. Questions range from those about physical symptoms such as loss of appetite or sleep to interpersonal issues such as withdrawing from friends and family. This assessment is meant to be a tool that encourages people at risk to receive more comprehensive assessment from a professional.

SAD PERSONS Assesssment

• The SAD PERSONS assessment is a tool that helps judge the risk for suicide. The acronym stands for sex, age, depression, previous attempt, ethanol (alcohol) abuse, rational thought loss, social supports lacking, organized plan, no spouse and sickness. All of these risk areas are considered and rated. This gives a concerned professional a starting point for determining the level of support or intervention a client who may be at risk for suicide needs. The questions also serve as talking points to help a professional ease into conversation about suicide risk with a client or patient.