Importance of Psychiatric Assessment in Depression Treatment |
Posted: December 1, 2022 |
It’s no secret that depression is a serious illness. The road to mental health wellness varies for everyone. One might kick off their journey by contacting a licensed psychiatrist that can help reduce the symptoms of depression. Sometimes referred to as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and clinical depression, the condition can lead to various physical and mental health issues. Hence it’s vital to take corrective measures when and where required when it comes to depression treatment. In this article, we’ll discuss how psychiatric evaluation is critical in treating patients suffering from depression. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right into it! How does Psychiatric Evaluation Help in Depression treatment? When it comes to treating depression, professional psychiatrists play an essential role in developing a number of treatment plans. Since every individual has a different emotional history, they can experience different symptoms of depression and might react differently to various treatment methods. In such a case, a psychiatrist who’s well-versed in mental health issues provides custom-tailored treatment plans to patients to help them effectively and efficiently. There are a number of treatment plans a licensed psychiatrist deploys that one can opt for, which can be broadly classified into the following:
Psychopharmacology is a large part of psychiatric assessments, with medications being a first line of defense against depression. The clinician lays out the risks and highlights the benefits and side effects that the patient struggling with depression may face when entering psychopharmacology. Furthermore, depending on the patient’s medical history, the drugs can take several weeks to be effective. In the meantime, the patients are constantly engaged with their clinicians to discuss the progress of prescriptions.
Psychotherapy is one of the most common treatment plans when dealing with the subject of psychiatric evaluation for depression treatment. Sometimes referred to as counseling or talk therapy, the objective of this treatment is to treat depression without any medication or surgery. The need for psychotherapy arises when it becomes extremely challenging for the patient to manage their symptoms of depression. Hence a psychiatrist plays the role of a guide and helps the patient suffering from depression by providing a safe space to let their emotions out without the fear of judgment.
In rare cases, neither psychotherapy nor psychopharmacology is recommended by the clinician. Instead, lifestyle changes are suggested by the psychiatrist in a psychiatric evaluation. The main reason behind recommending a lifestyle change is because of the symptoms of depression, which can lead to appetite change, losing interest in hobbies, lack of energy, and whatnot. When someone expresses interest in TMS to the practice, through their provider, or by reaching out on their own, they will be put in contact with a TMS Coordinator. The TMS Coordinator will reach out and walk the interested party through the process and answer any questions they may have regarding TMS. When the patient is ready, the TMS Coordinator will schedule an Initial Evaluation for the interested party, now a patient, and a corresponding provider. The provider will review the patient’s history and assess the patient to determine what the next steps should be. With psychiatric evaluations, a psychiatrist has the window of opportunity to get to the bottom of why someone’s feeling the way they do. In simpler terms, it’s an effective tool for determining mental disorders and goes a long way to properly diagnose and provide sufficient treatment options.
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