Answers for busy Utah families
Along the Wasatch Front, many people put everyone else first: kids, spouses, callings, jobs. They push their own symptoms aside until sleep, patience, or focus finally gives out. A psychiatric evaluation is a dedicated time to look at what is really going on, with a licensed psychiatric provider who can diagnose and prescribe.
People book an evaluation when they are unsure what they are dealing with, when a past diagnosis no longer seems to fit, or when they want a specialist's opinion before starting medicine.
A private, respectful conversation
Many patients worry about being judged, especially in close-knit wards and neighborhoods. Your evaluation is confidential. Your provider will respect your faith and values and will never pressure you toward a choice you are not comfortable with. Family members can join part of the visit if you would like their input.
Topics we explore
- The symptoms that brought you in, and when they started
- How you are sleeping, eating, and handling daily responsibilities
- Stress at home, at work, at school, or at church
- Past treatment and how it went
- Medical conditions and current medicines
- Substance use, including energy drinks and caffeine
- Family history of depression, anxiety, ADHD, or bipolar disorder
Tools that measure, not just guess
Short, validated questionnaires help put numbers to how you feel: the PHQ-9 for depression, the GAD-7 for anxiety, the ASRS for adult ADHD. These scores give a baseline for tracking progress later. When symptoms could have a physical cause, such as thyroid problems or anemia, your provider may suggest lab work.
Screening for trauma and PTSD
Trauma comes in many forms: car accidents on I-15, abuse in childhood, sudden losses, or service in the military. Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder, with nightmares, flashbacks, jumpiness, and avoidance of reminders. Your provider will screen for PTSD gently, at your pace, and may use a checklist called the PCL-5. Recognizing PTSD shapes which medicines are most helpful.
Checking for bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder can look like depression for years before anyone notices the highs: nights with little sleep, racing thoughts, bursts of spending or big plans. Because standard antidepressants alone can trigger mania in people with bipolar disorder, your provider will ask about these periods carefully before prescribing. A questionnaire called the Mood Disorder Questionnaire may help. If bipolar disorder is likely, the plan will center on mood stabilizing medicines instead.
Your plan
You will leave knowing your provider's working diagnosis, what it means, and what comes next. That might be medication management, lab tests, GeneSight testing if past medicines failed, or gathering records for a clearer picture.
Preparing for your visit
Write down your main concerns and when they started, every medicine you have tried, and any family history you know. If you have records from a previous provider or school testing, bring them. If a spouse or parent is joining you, ask them to note what they have seen.
Teens and returned missionaries
Teens 15 and older and young adults returning from missions often come to us during big transitions. A careful evaluation can sort out whether what they feel is adjustment, depression, anxiety, ADHD, or something else, and point to the right next step.
Follow-up after the first visit
Most patients return within a few weeks. That visit reviews any labs, checks how a new medicine is going, and refines the diagnosis if new information has come in.
Sorting out overlapping conditions
Many patients on the Wasatch Front carry more than one diagnosis. Anxiety and depression often travel together. ADHD can hide behind anxiety. Postpartum mood changes can look like ordinary exhaustion. A specialist evaluation untangles these, because each answer leads to a different treatment and different safety checks.
Two Wasatch Front offices
We see patients at 222 S Main St in Salt Lake City and 180 N University Ave in Provo, including students from the U, BYU, and UVU who are 15 or older. No referral is needed. Become a patient to schedule your evaluation.
Why Choose Beehive Behavioral Health?
- Providers across Salt Lake City, Provo, and the Wasatch Front who actually listen and take their time
- Now accepting new patients because waiting makes everything harder
- We accept most major insurance — and work with you on costs
- A practice that treats you like a person, not a number