What happens at an initial psychiatric assessment?

You will be asked a lot of questions about yourself, your family relationships, your current concerns, any past issues, physical health history, cultural identifications, religious beliefs, educational history, drug/alcohol history, employment history, etc.... Its a pretty long assessment and can take several sessions, depending on the person giving the assessment. It will be a very personal set of questions, and my be uncomfortable to answer at times, but the reason there are so many questions is so that the person giving the assessment can get a clear and overall picture of your life and your circumstances....this will be essential in diagnosing, treatment recommendations, etc... Remember, everything that goes on in the session is confidential and will not be shared with anyone unless you give specific consent, so it is best if you are honest in your answers so that you receive the best care.

Answer 2: I had to have a psych assessment, they really try to get at the root of your mental health issue so you are asked a lot of questions about your personal and family life, your friends/associates, do you smoke, drink, take drugs, hobbies and the list goes on and on. It may be uncomfortable, but the objective is to find out who you really are and what is your life like. Thats the only way they know how to develop a treatment plan going forward.