How to Get Someone Mentally Evaluated

Do you have a loved one who could benefit from mental health treatment but isn’t taking the initiative to get the help they need? Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence when it comes to mental illness. However, your loved one may be able to find the help they need after getting what is called a mental evaluation. If someone completes a mental evaluation, they will be able to receive a diagnosis and the treatment they require.

What Is A Mental Health Evaluation?

A mental health evaluation is typically completed to see if someone has a mental illness such as anxiety or depression. If it turns out they do, the person completing the evaluation can determine the best course of action moving forward. These assessments can be administered by a family doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. The sooner someone displaying symptoms of a serious mental illness receives treatment, the more likely they are to make a full recovery.

These evaluations typically consist of completing physical exams and answering questions both verbally & via questionnaire. The tests are designed to get more information about an individual’s mental health history, personal history, thoughts/feelings, cognitive development, physical symptoms, and more.

Why Someone May Require A Mental Evaluation

If someone’s undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues start to get in the way of their daily lives & the lives of their loved ones, it may be time for them to receive a mental evaluation.

Additional signs that it may be time for someone to get mentally evaluated include:

Ruined relationships with a majority of friends/family
Serious financial issues
Inability to take care of oneself daily
Physically hurting someone else

If left untreated, some cases of mental illness can be very harmful to everyone involved. The first step to recovering and successfully living life with a mental illness is to determine the problem.

Can You Request For Someone Else to Be Evaluated?

While you cannot force someone to get evaluated or receive treatment, you can encourage them to get help or raise your concerns with their primary physician. The person suffering from mental illness may resist treatment for several reasons. They may not know they have a problem, they could feel uncomfortable about treatment, or they might simply not want to admit that there is an issue to themselves and others.

Civil and patient rights prevent individuals from having others committed or placed in treatment without their permission. A person can, however, call 911 or take someone to the emergency room if they are a physical danger to themselves or their loved ones.

The Process of Getting Someone Mentally Evaluated

If you think that someone you love should be mentally evaluated, it’s important to approach them carefully about the situation. Try your best to be gentle, understanding, and non-judgemental; but at the same time, assure them that you’re being serious and that it’s time for them to get help.

The next step is to contact the individual’s primary physician or therapist. They will be able to contact your loved one and conduct a mental evaluation, but they will not be allowed to share the results with anyone besides the patient. If this person has a psychologist or therapist, however, you may be able to learn about the outcome of the evaluation if you are a spouse or close family member of the patient. If you think that someone you love is in danger of hurting themselves, call a hospital as soon as possible.

Helping A Loved One Get the Right Treatment for Them

Once someone gets a mental evaluation, they will be ready to get the best treatment for them. Treatments may be administered at a hospital, a mental health center, a rehabilitation facility, or at home. Treatment methods may include prescription medications, different forms of one-on-one therapy, support groups, and more.

To support your loved one during their mental health recovery journey, encourage them to continue some form of treatment for as long as they feel comfortable. If you’d like to learn more about mental evaluations and seeking mental health treatment for someone you love, contact us here or call us 267.209.7312.