Assessment and Diagnosis

You may be referred by your GP or other medical specialist to Eastern Suburbs Psychiatry for a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. In your initial assessment we will ask you a series of questions related to your presenting symptoms, past psychiatric history, family psychiatric and medical history, past medical history, history of any alcohol and drug use and your developmental history (including questions about your childhood, home life, education, employment and relationships). It usually takes three appointments to get a full and comprehensive history. Answering all questions honestly is the best way to ensure that you will receive an accurate diagnosis. Our Psychiatrists will also conduct a physical examination in order to identify any physical illness that may be impacting your health or presenting as psychiatric illness. In this regard, you may be referred for blood and/or urine tests. If physical illness is suspected, we may refer you to other medical specialists (usually within St Vincent’s Clinic) for further tests and diagnosis. At the end of the three sessions, or more if your history is complex, you will be given the name of the illness if that is applicable but in some cases, you may be reassured that you do not have a diagnosable psychiatric illness.

Currently, there are no blood tests or imaging that can diagnose mental illness. Our Psychiatrists use their many years of expertise in diagnosing psychiatric illness in conjunction with diagnostic tools including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). These tools detail the different mental health disorders and the diagnostic criteria for each of them. Commonly, more than one psychiatric illness may be present in the same individual at the same time and a comprehensive treatment plan will be provided. Symptoms may also evolve and change during the course of treatment, so periodic assessments will be conducted to ensure that your treatment plan continues to remain effective. In rare circumstances where you are experiencing acute psychiatric illness, we will refer you to a psychiatric hospital for inpatient treatment.

You or your child may also be referred to our Neuropsychologist for psychometric testing or other neuropsychological assessments. Detailed information can be found here.