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Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
There is also an important difference between a psychological evaluation and a psychiatric evaluation. A psychological evaluation is often ordered for wellness purposes if someone is showing signs of debilitating anxiety or depression. People with those afflictions may have trouble with parenting responsibilities but are not necessarily “crazy” as some people put it. It could also be based on a temporary situation beyond their control, like being abused. A psychiatric evaluation could still be ordered for a medical diagnosis at the recommendation of a psychologist to diagnose an illness if they have concerns.
Assuming people are crazy because they need psychological help to cope with a bad situation is precisely the stigma that prevents people from getting help and can cause tragic situations.
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I think you may have them mixed up. A psychological evaluation or assessment is more behavioral and is done with the intent of discovering behavioral issues. Psychologists will usually rely on tools to do their evaluation. A psychiatric evaluation is going to be more holistic and take into consideration cognitive development and medical histories, looking for underlying issues to better understand or explain any perceived behavioral issues. Histories (family, medical, and developmental) are the basis for these evaluations as are physical and cognitive testing. A psychiatrist (MD) will normally deal with people who have an illness such as anxiety or depression, as they can prescribe appropriate medications to counter the effects of such disorders. Psychologists can be trained to identify such disorders, but they are not trained in how to address such illnesses other than through counseling.
BTW, people with mental health issues are not "crazy." Using such terms only reinforces the stereotypes associated with mental health and drives those who suffer from such conditions further into themselves and away from proper treatment. There are people with serious mental health issues who are a lot more sane than some of the people out there who are considered "normal" but ascribe to some really off the borderline ideas (Qanon for example).