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What Is Involved in Psychiatric Analysis?

Tricia Christensen
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,118
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A psychiatric analysis is an evaluation of an individual to see if he fits known diagnostic features of a variety of mental illnesses. This is often undertaken to determine if there are psychiatric treatments, such as electroconvulsive therapy or medications, which might be useful in addressing the patient’s problem. Analysis may then include ongoing care of individuals to determine if they are responding to recommended treatments or require a different approach. This term should be differentiated from psychological analysis, which might refer to psychodynamic therapy or the process of diagnosis without patient care.

In the US, most mental health clinicians who are diagnosticians, i.e., social workers, psychologists, therapists or psychiatrists, use the same diagnostic standards in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual® (DSM®). In Europe, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) may be used more frequently, but the two sources often agree. Any clinician begins learning how to diagnose in school and by the time she treats patients, she should be able to render a diagnosis based on the patient’s reported or observable symptoms.

Psychiatric analysis takes this one step further as it offers the ability to recommend medical treatments that are only available by prescription. Most other clinicians must refer patients with conditions that will benefit from psychiatric medication to a psychiatrist for further assistance. The psychiatrist does not need this referral, and can direct the client to treatment and keep up an ongoing analysis of results based on observation and patient report.

It’s thus possible to view psychiatric analysis as a process involving several steps. The first of these is diagnosis, which is usually achieved through observation of a patient and conversation with him. Some parts of diagnosis usually include taking a mental status examination to determine if the patient is homicidal or suicidal, or displaying other pronounced psychological symptoms. The psychiatrist then analyzes this data to achieve a diagnosis and makes recommendations for treatment.

Analysis is both a product and a process. Over time, as a patient is treated, his symptoms may change. The best treatment for the condition can change, too, depending on the patient’s response.

Early psychiatric analysis is often imperfect and it may take more than one session of evidence gathering to determine the most effective treatment with the fewest side effects. Psychiatrists also routinely take into account that not all treatments are affordable for all patients and that the instability of some illnesses can create poor continuity of care. Thus, psychiatric analysis is not just the first diagnosis and recommendation, but an ongoing process for many patients and their psychiatrists.

Sometimes the term psychiatric analysis may apply to different settings. There are some individuals who diagnose patients without meeting them, and base their analysis on only the evidence gathered. Sometimes these analyses are applied to historical figures, but forensic psychiatrists might also do this type of work in court settings.

To confuse matters, not all psychiatrists perform exactly the same work. Some offer therapy and medication management, others work in hospitals where they may meet patients only once or twice. A few psychiatrists do work as “analysts,” which today might be more closely associated with Jungian psychotherapy as opposed to medication management. These are the exceptions to the definition rather than the rule. Most often, psychiatric analysis is the evaluation of data to diagnose and treat.

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Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments
By bear78 — On May 03, 2014

I filled out a psychiatric analysis questionnaire at the doctor's office the other. I was talking about how I'm depressed lately and my doctor insisted that I do the questionnaire. It was quite long and had many questions about my thoughts and feelings. I'm not sure what the results are but I think the results will say that I am depressed.

By serenesurface — On May 02, 2014

@ysmina-- I'm not sure but I think they are mostly the same. Both psychiatric analysis and psychiatric assessment is done for diagnosis. I suppose the assessment or the process may vary a little bit, but both are based on diagnostic standards.

Psychiatric analysis or assessment isn't just used to diagnose and treat someone with psychiatric issues, but it is also used to prove someone's mental health condition in court. For example, a court case may require to see proof that someone is mentally healthy. So a psychiatric analysis or assessment of the individual may be submitted to court for this purpose.

I know about this because my dad is a lawyer and he needs to have some of his clients assessed psychologically to prove his case in court. The psychiatric analysis is basically evidence.

By ysmina — On May 01, 2014

Is there a difference between psychiatric analysis and psychiatric assessment?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
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