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Mental health support - death by questionnaire

calmerchameleon

I have just gone through the difficult process of asking for support from the NHS.

The difficult part was the list of quantitative (ie number-based) questions they ask at the start. About 20 questions asking to grade things from 0-3 and then 0-8 (for the risk assessment part).

Example: In the last two week, on a scale of 0-3 [whereby *they then go through a numbering criteria related to different frequencies*] How often do you feel anxiety? How often do you struggle with day to day tasks? 

I find these 'questions without sensible context' very tough to answer. As a result, these questions are draining and quite fear-inducing too.

Do others with ASC find these quantitative questionnaires hard to answer? Do you get stressed or even angry when having to go through such questions?

How do you cope with these?

I found that as long as I picked one of the middle answers and stuck in a few 'not at all' answers, that helped me to not get quite so stressed out. My goals was to 'weather' the quantitative (number-based) questions so as to get through to the qualitative (wordy-based) questions, which I feel are far more useful and person/individual-focused.


I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on what people think of these and whether there are any coping mechanisms some of you employ.

Much care
Ed

  • I found these questionnaires difficult to fill in. (im currently seeking a diagnosis of asc). Ive accessed the local MH team several times. I found the questionnaires pointless for me because Id been so up and down it was difficult to gauge over 2 weeks what my average was. I also became aware I might be alexythymic. The last time I had to fill one in for an initial assessment, i was honest and said I found it difficult.

    I think they are carried out as a way to measure and evidence progress or changes in mood.

    Sorry but I don't have any answers. Either play the game or be honest.

  • in reply to Desmond79

    Taking things bit by bit sounds a good strategy for this kind of thing.

    Today, it was a phone appointment so I didn't get that opportunity. But, in general, yes, that sounds a good mechanism.

    I really don't wish to moan about a service that could be beneficial for a lot of people (the mental health services once you get registered), it just seems barmy to place such a cold questionnaire when people need this kind of help and support.

    Why set up such a barrier to entry, I ask myself.

    They say it's to help choose the right therapy but that's not a very good way of choosing a therapy. I know enough about mental health to know that one really needs to get quite a bit below the surface before an adequate therapy can be chosen. Emphasis on the word adequate here I guess.

    Oh well Disappointed  Maybe the service itself won't be as bad as the first step.

  • The NHS has become one gargantuan inventory. It's like the Baddie from the third Johnny English Film being an American Data-Obsessed Tech Billionaire who set to plunge the world into chaos.

    My coping mechanism is to take forms for questionnaires and job applications piecemeal. Parkinson's Law states, "Work expands to meet the deadline!" There should be more slack cut for certain disabilities.