Psychiatric Evaluations

For Young Adults

Statistics

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States has a mental illness. Among young adults, the percentage is higher. The 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that almost one-third (30.6%) of adults aged 18 to 25 have a mental health disorder. Less than half (42.1%) of these individuals had received mental health services within the past year. Among adults, this age group had the highest percentage of mental illness and was the least likely to have received services.

Psychiatric Evaluation Services for Young Adults

The Evaluation Process

A psychiatric evaluation is a comprehensive assessment conducted by a mental health professional (usually a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) to evaluate an individual’s mental and emotional well-being. The evaluator will gather information about an individual’s symptoms, current mental status, life circumstances, and overall functioning. This process allows for the diagnosis of mental health disorders and the development of appropriate treatment plans.

1. Clinical Interview

The clinical interview is a major component of the psychiatric evaluation. During the clinical interview, the psychiatrist engages in a conversation with the patient, develops rapport, and gathers a wealth of information. This information includes a detailed account of the patient’s symptoms, as well as his or her medical, psychiatric, family, and psychosocial history. Sometimes, the psychiatrist will also talk with family members, friends, or previous treatment providers to collect additional details and perspectives. This collateral information helps the psychiatrist obtain a more complete understanding of the patient and his or her needs.

2. Mental Status Examination

The psychiatric evaluation also includes a mental status examination. The goal of the mental status exam is to obtain a “snapshot” of the patient’s overall mental and emotional state at the time of the interview. The psychiatrist will make numerous observations about the patient’s presentation throughout the evaluation. Such observations will include details about appearance, behavior, movement, speech, language, mood, affect, thought process, thought content, perception, orientation, and cognition.

3. Treatment Plan

Once all the pertinent information is obtained and reviewed, the psychiatrist will complete a risk assessment, make appropriate diagnoses, and develop a treatment plan. The psychiatrist will assess the patient’s current and chronic risk of harm to self and others based upon the history provided. If the patient’s history of symptoms is consistent with a mental health disorder, a diagnosis will be assigned. The patient’s treatment plan may include psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle modifications, or a combination of these interventions. Depending on the needs of the patient, treatment may occur in an outpatient setting or at a higher level of care, such as an inpatient facility or partial hospitalization program.

At North Star Psychiatry, we offer psychiatric evaluations, which can be completed by Dr. Rogers or a nurse practitioner on our team. The nurse practitioner collaborates with Dr. Rogers and reviews all cases with him on a regular basis. Dr. Rogers closely supervises the nurse practitioner and provides guidance whenever needed to ensure that patients are receiving the highest caliber of care available.