Differential Diagnosis Evaluation

Terminology

A Differential Diagnosis Evaluation may also be called a “personality evaluation,” a “diagnostic evaluation,” or a “psychological evaluation.”

Purpose of a Differential Diagnosis Evaluation

A Differential Diagnosis evaluation is designed to focus on a specific question about mental health concerns. This question is often generated by a person’s doctor (for example, “I’d like you to have an evaluation to find out if this is bipolar disorder or ADHD, so I can prescribe appropriate medication for you”). Sometimes a person may be referred for a differential diagnosis evaluation by their therapist (for example, if you are not experiencing improvements in therapy). Sometimes, a person has found information on the internet about one or more mental health concerns, and wants to know if they actually have the disorder(s) that they identify with.

Recommended For

People of all ages when there are concerns regarding any or all of the following:

• Diagnostic confusion that would impact a prescription or a course of treatment
• Concerns about a young person’s social or emotional functioning when there are not also concerns about learning, attention, or autism spectrum disorders
• Evaluation to determine if a person’s symptoms have improved significantly from treatment (for example, if a person has been diagnosed with PTSD, to identify whether they still meet the diagnostic criteria)
• Concerns that a person has about diagnoses that seem to match their experience (for example, learning information about anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and wanting to know if the person’s experience is within typical expectations or is consistent with a diagnosis).

A Differential Diagnosis Evaluation Includes

• An initial interview to gather information about the concerns that led to the evaluation, as well as information about the person’s early life and medical concerns.

• In-depth diagnostic interview to gather information about most symptoms that people can experience (to make sure that no symptoms are being missed)
• Behavioral questionnaires for the person being evaluated
• A detailed feedback session: provides results, diagnosis (if there is any), and recommendations/resources.
• A written report documents the evaluation results and provides the information needed if the person would like medical treatment or to provide to a therapist who is treating the client.

Examples of Concerns that Can Be Addressed by a Differential Diagnosis Evaluation

• “My psychiatrist is not sure whether I have bipolar disorder or ADHD, or both, and asked me to get an evaluation to clarify my diagnosis.”
• “I have been struggling, and was looking up my symptoms on the internet. It seems like I might have obsessive-compulsive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, but I’m not sure.”
• “I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was a teenager, but I never got treatment for it. Now, my girlfriend says that she thinks something is happening with my mental health, so I wanted to check if I really have bipolar disorder or if something else is happening.”
• “My primary care doctor said she thinks that I am depressed, but she doesn’t feel comfortable prescribing medication for me unless I get an evaluation to make sure that’s really what I have.”

Cost

Overall cost: $1600

Private Pay: If you are paying directly for the evaluation (you are not using insurance), you will pay $600 at the initial intake session, and the remaining balance $1000 at the second testing session.

Insurance: This type of evaluation is sometimes covered by insurance. We will check with your insurance directly to determine whether this service is covered, and will bill your insurance directly for the evaluation if it is covered. You will be responsible for payments that are required by insurance (for example, deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance).