Psychosocial Assessment

A Psychosocial Assessment is an evaluation of a person’s mental health, social status, and functional capacity within the community.
A psychosocial assessment is an evaluation of mental, physical, and emotional health. It considers the client’s perception of self and his or her ability to function in the community. Usually it takes the form of a series of questions and screening tools. The assessment is used to create a comprehensive picture to best map out treatment goals.
A psychosocial assessment will cover all the aspects of a person’s life to get a picture of his or her mental state. Common questions include asking a client to list his or her stressors, the symptoms he or she is having, and whether the client has thoughts of suicide or harming others. The assessment will also cover a client’s medical history and thoughts of self.
The assessment will ask the client to articulate what he or she plans to gain from treatment. It will also ask the client to identify goals over the next few weeks, months, or years. With that information, the therapist can draw up a treatment plan with milestones that help the client recognize when he or she is making progress.