What's the difference between psychological testing and a psychiatric evaluation?

Psychological testing uses standardized assessments, interviews, rating scales, and clinical interpretation to understand how a person thinks, learns, processes information, regulates emotions, and functions day to day. It can help answer questions about concerns such as ADHD, autism, learning differences, anxiety, mood, and cognitive functioning.

A psychiatric evaluation approaches mental health from a medical perspective. A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner reviews symptoms, medical and treatment history, and overall functioning to determine whether medication or other medical treatment may be appropriate.

At Philadelphia Integrative Psychiatry, psychological and psychiatric services can inform one another when both are part of a patient’s care, so the clinical thinking carries forward rather than restarting with each provider. See the whole picture. Treat it with one team. That’s our goal.