Assessed as
clinical symptoms.
Low mood, anxiety and disrupted sleep — assessed as clinical symptoms, with physical contributors considered alongside psychological ones.
Handled by Mental Health & Brain Health
What this
usually looks like.
These symptoms travel together more often than they arrive alone.
- Anxiety with a physical edge Tension, racing heart or breathlessness without a clear trigger.
- Flattened mood Less pleasure in things that reliably used to provide it.
- Shorter fuse Irritability that feels disproportionate and unfamiliar.
- Concentration slips Reading, following conversations or holding a thread becomes effortful.
- Previous treatment stalled Something was tried, and it has not worked well enough.
Psychological
and physical.
Mood, anxiety and sleep symptoms have genuine psychological causes and genuine physical ones, and the two are not in competition. Thyroid disease, hormonal transition, iron deficiency, sleep apnoea and chronic pain all present as mood disturbance. Assessing only one side of that gives an incomplete answer.
This is not a suggestion that your symptoms are physical rather than psychological. It is that both deserve assessment before either is concluded.
- Psychiatric assessment A full consultant assessment, including history and previous treatment response.
- Sleep pattern and quality Including screening for apnoea where the history suggests it.
- Thyroid and iron status Both present as low mood and fatigue, and both are treatable.
- Hormonal contributors Perimenopause and low testosterone affect mood directly.
- Medication review Current prescriptions assessed for their contribution.
- Substance and alcohol use Asked plainly, without judgement, because it changes the picture.
Psychological causes and physical ones are not in competition. Both deserve assessment.
How we
assess it.
Consultant psychiatric assessment, with physical contributors investigated in parallel rather than afterwards.
-
Consultant assessment
An unhurried psychiatric consultation. History, symptoms, and what has already been tried.
-
Physical screen
Thyroid, iron, metabolic and hormonal markers where the history warrants them.
-
Structured measures
Validated assessment tools, so that change can be tracked objectively.
-
Treatment plan
Psychological, medical or both — with review points set from the start.
Who would
see you.
This concern is held by Mental Health & Brain Health. If assessment points elsewhere, you are introduced to the right consultant rather than redirected to find one.
Visit the specialtyWhen more than one
system is involved.
Mood and sleep sit at the intersection of psychiatry, endocrinology and metabolic health. Where a hormonal or metabolic contributor is found, that consultant is brought in directly — and where it is not, the psychiatric assessment proceeds without a physical cause having been left unexamined.
How Lavora connects careBefore you
get in touch.
Is this confidential?
Yes. Mental health consultations are held in private rooms with separate patient routing, and records are held to the same standard as every other specialty. Nothing is shared without your consent.
Will I be put on medication?
Not automatically. Medication is one option and it is discussed with its evidence, benefits and drawbacks. Many patients are managed without it.
I have tried treatment before and it did not work. Is it worth trying again?
Often, yes — particularly where a physical contributor was never assessed, or where the previous approach was not reviewed after starting. Treatment-resistant symptoms are a specific reason to seek a considered opinion.
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly with our Mental Health service.
Start with
a conversation.
Nothing on this page is a diagnosis. An assessment is how you find out what is actually happening.
This page explains how Lavora approaches a concern. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation.