• How are mental health illness detected and treated?

...Mental health recovery is a self-chosen journey of healing and transformation that enables a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her full potential. Mental health disorders are highly treatable disorders. As with many illnesses, the earlier that treatment begins, the more effective it is and the greater the likelihood that recurrence can be prevented. A first step to getting appropriate treatment is to visit your primary care doctor or mental health professional.

The primary health care doctor or mental health professional can conduct a mental health evaluation. He or she can ask you about any family history of mental health disorders, and get a complete history of symptoms, e.g., when they started, how long they have lasted, the severity, and whether they have occurred before and if so, how they were treated. He or she can also ask if the patient is using alcohol or drugs, and whether the patient is thinking about death or suicide. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and clinical presentation, the patient may be referred for specialty mental health services provided by mental health practitioners or be treated by the primary care doctor for medication management in less serious conditions.

Certain physical health conditions can cause symptoms similar to mental disorders like depression or anxiety among others. A primary care doctor can rule out these possibilities by conducting a physical examination, interview and lab tests. If the doctor can rule out a medical condition as a cause, he or she can refer the patient to a mental health professional for severe conditions or decide to treat the mental health condition with medication and in consultation with a psychiatrist. Once diagnosed, a person with a mental health disorder can be treated with a number of interventions. The most common treatments are medication, psychotherapy and psycho education, and peer support with a recovery and wellness focus.

Salud+HealthInfo is for information and educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned abut your health or that of a child, please consult your family's physician or health provider immediately and do not try to diagnose yourself. Salud+Health Info is published and distributed free of charge by Info Option Network (ION) Publishing Company. Copyright © 2001-2009 Info Option Network

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