An essential component of a mental health assessment is carrying out a detailed exploration of the presenting problem. This assessment will cover why you are seeking help, a history of the problem and a history of your mental health. Your clinician will ask you questions such as how long you’ve had your symptoms, what your personal and family mental health history looks like, and if you’ve had any previous psychiatric treatment.

It is important to consider how the symptoms affect your day-to-day life, what makes them better or worse, and whether you’ve tried to manage them on your own. You may be asked questions about your ability to carry out daily responsibilities: these include looking after yourself, and whether you are able to go to work or your place of education. The assessment will also engage with your relationships with your friends and family.

It can be useful to reflect on your own understanding of the problem and what explanations you have already considered. Existing attribution systems often significantly impact treatment and recovery outcomes.

You will be asked questions about your attitudes, values, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. In addition, your clinician will observe and provide an appraisal. This will answer questions like are you cooperative, appeasing, irritable, shy, or hostile? Do you make eye contact? Are you talkative and open, or cagey? How do you compare with others your age, similar problems, circumstances, etc.?

Depending on the presenting problem and the patient’s history, during the assessment, your clinician may want to formally gauge your ability to think clearly, recall information (memory), and your capacity for mental reasoning. Formal cognitive assessments using a standardised battery of tests tend not to be routine. They are, however, generally used where the clinician feels that mental health might not be the full explanation for the presenting problem. The clinician explores whether some underlying neurodevelopmental (ASD, ADHD) or neurological conditions (dementia, brain injury, other medical conditions) might contribute to current difficulties.

A cognitive evaluation needs to be carried out by a trained, qualified and specialist clinician. Usually, there is a formal and more lengthy assessment process that may take more than one consultation and involve meeting more than one specialist. In addition, information may be collected from others who know you well in a variety of contexts. When assessing children or adolescents this information may be collected from someone at their school, their GP, or their parents. You will be informed about additional costs of an extensive in-depth assessment in advance of the formal assessment process.

You may be asked to take tests for basic cognitive tasks, such as focusing your attention, remembering short lists, recognising common shapes or objects, or solving simple problems.