The main task of a Psychiatric Assessment Center is to identify the mental illnesses that the patient has. It also helps in evaluating the extent and the duration of the illness, how long it will last, and what will happen if the patient is cured. A thorough psychiatric evaluation of a patient is a prerequisite before he/she is declared cured from any form of mental disorder. Psychotherapy and medication are used as an option but the patients should not be treated with them until all other options have been exhausted.
Apart from psychotherapy, patients can be treated with psychodynamic therapy and counselling as well. Psychodynamic therapy is used as a treatment for mild mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. In psychodynamic therapy, the patients are given suggestions on how to deal with their problem. Some psychoanalysts help their patients to understand the causes of their mental illness. These causes include stress, family background, social position, and environment. Patients also undergo hypnotherapy to help them improve their mental health. A psychiatrist or psychotherapist uses hypnosis to change the thought patterns of the patients, reduce the fear factor and to make the patients relax.
Patients who need to enter a psychiatric assessment center are required to undergo psychological tests, which are usually conducted by professionals. They conduct interviews with the patients and carry out psychological evaluations. If the test results point out a mental disorder, the patient is advised to visit a psychiatric assessment center. The doctors will conduct diagnostic tests and psychological evaluations to find out the cause of the mental illness. The doctors may ask the patient to fill out questionnaires and undergo physical examinations. Once the diagnosis is made, the treatment will be started.