Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Medical Mental Health Screening tool assesses risk factors that can contribute to adverse psychological responses (specifically, traumatic stress responses) to medical events, illnesses, and procedures. It is a pre-screening tool and should be used as a means of flagging risk factors and intervening appropriately in order to prevent or minimize adverse emotional reactions to medical care.

The tool is a self-administered checklist that can be completed by patients during pre-admission to the hospital for a scheduled procedure, in a provider’s office prior to hospital admission, or in other circumstances deemed appropriate by clinicians.

Medical trauma, while not a common term in the lexicon of the health professions, is a phenomenon that deserves the attention of mental and physical healthcare providers. Trauma experienced as a result of medical procedures, illnesses, and hospital stays can have lasting effects. Those who experience medical trauma can develop clinically significant reactions such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, complicated grief, and somatic complaints. In addition to clinical disorders, secondary crises—including developmental, physical, existential, relational, occupational, spiritual, and of self—can lead people to seek counseling for ongoing support, growth, and healing. While counselors are central in treating the aftereffects of medical …