How Mental Health Evaluations Help in Crafting Personalized Treatment Plans

Mental health issues can affect anyone, including children and adults. Whether dealing with anxiety, a mood disorder, or another issue, various treatments and therapies are available to meet your needs. Dr. Robert Lowenstein, the mental health provider at Community Psychiatric Centers in Pittsburgh, PA, conducts mental health evaluations and crafts personalized treatment plans to help patients enjoy better mental health.

Mental Health Conditions

A wide range of issues and disorders can affect our mental or emotional health and make it difficult to handle certain events or situations in a healthy manner. Issues with mental or emotional health can even impact behavior and social interactions adversely. Some of the many mental and emotional health issues and disorders that can affect children, teens, and adults include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood disorders 
• Bipolar Disorder 
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder 
• Personality disorders
• Schizophrenia 
• Eating disorders  
• Panic attacks 
• Phobias 

Mental Health Evaluations

Mental health evaluations help identify specific issues or disorders affecting a person’s mental and emotional health so an appropriate treatment plan can be developed. At our practice in Pittsburgh, PA, mental health evaluations enable our experienced providers to craft personalized treatment plans tailored to the individual needs of each patient for the best results.  

There are several components to a mental health evaluation, including questionnaires and a physical examination. Depending on symptoms and other factors, a mental health evaluation could include one or more of the following components:

• Physical exam
• Review of medical history
• Compiling a list of current medications 
• Review of any family history of mental illness or disorders
• Diagnostic tests, if needed, such as bloodwork or imaging
• Discussion of current symptoms and how they are affecting daily life
• Questions about how patient is managing symptoms, if at all
• Discussion about the patient’s thoughts and feelings
• Questions about patient behaviors 

The different components of a mental health evaluation aid in diagnosing specific mental health conditions or disorders so they can be effectively treated. The evaluation can potentially also help identify the root cause of the problem, such as a neurological problem or substance abuse. Additionally, the mental health evaluation helps determine the extent to which an individual is able to function as needed at home, work, or school so the appropriate interventions can be included in the treatment plan. 

Personalized Treatment Plans

Treatment plans for mental health conditions will vary from one person to the next, even if among individuals dealing with the same issue, such as anxiety. Each person is unique and has their own experiences so it is important that the treatment plan is personalized and tailored to the needs of each patient. Depending on the individual’s needs, treatment could include medication, counseling, different therapies, special education services, and other interventions. 

We develop personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's individual needs. Call Community Psychiatric Centers in Pittsburgh, PA, at (412) 241-5437 to schedule a mental health evaluation with Dr. Lowenstein. We also have locations in Monroeville, Greensburg, Monessen, and North Hills/McCandless. 

• Pittsburgh, PA, at (412) 241-5437
• Monroeville, PA, at (412) 372-8000
• Greensburg, PA, at (724) 850-7200
• Monessen, PA, at (724) 850-7200
• North Hills/McCandless, PA, at (412) 372-8000