Many people are able to function without realizing they have a mental illness. Despite the estimate by the National Alliance on Mental Illness that one in five U.S. adults experience one or more mental illnesses annually, people are frequently under-diagnosed. Getting a mental health assessment cannot only help you understand your actions and feelings, but also help you move toward mental wellness. In this article, we want to expand upon the different assessments that are used by mental health professionals.

The DSM-5 

The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) is a medical diagnostic manual with broad categories covering various mental disorders from ADHD to schizophrenia. To be diagnosed with a disorder, a person must meet a certain DSM criterion identifying behavioral or psychological patterns.

Screening Tests 

Screening tests are tools often used to help identify a mental health disorder. Common tests in this category are the Beck’s Depression Inventory II, the Burns Anxiety Inventory, and other assessments for mental disorders such as PTSD and ADHD.

Self-Referenced Assessments 

Self-referenced assessments are given by therapists to help you keep track of your progress over time. Have your negative symptoms improved? Are you developing better thought habits? In addition to answering these questions, self-referenced assessments can also be used to help you understand yourself and your interests better so you can develop plans for living a better life.

Inventory Assessments 

Inventory assessments are personality tests used to discover various traits you may possess, or how you process information, as a tool to learning who you are. Some of the most popular inventory assessments are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Enneagram personality tests.

Getting a mental health assessment isn’t labeling yourself; it’s learning about yourself. It’s about empowering yourself with knowledge about your mental illness so that can you receive the best possible treatment from mental health professionals. If you’d like to learn more about mental health awareness, mental health wellness, and assessments, listen to our podcast Wellspring on the Air.