What Is a Presenting Problem?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It IsCommon SymptomsHow It’s DiagnosedUnderlying CausesTypes of Mental Health ConditionsTreatments That Can HelpHow to Cope

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What It Is

Common Symptoms

How It’s Diagnosed

Underlying Causes

Types of Mental Health Conditions

Treatments That Can Help

How to Cope

Presenting problems can help doctors and therapists make a diagnosis, but they often don’t tell the whole story. Because of this, your doctor will likely perform other assessments—such as giving a physical exam, running lab tests, and asking you questions about your symptoms—to get a clearer picture of what’s happening with your health.

At a GlanceWhen your doctor asks, “What are we seeing you for today?” your answer to that question is known as the presenting problem. Presenting problems are the symptoms that lead you to make an appointment to see your doctor or therapist in the first place. For example, you might tell your doctor, “Well, I’ve been feeling really anxious lately” for “My mood has been really low the last few weeks.” Your doctor uses those presenting issues (as well as other information) to determine what’s going on and what treatments would provide relief.

At a Glance

When your doctor asks, “What are we seeing you for today?” your answer to that question is known as the presenting problem. Presenting problems are the symptoms that lead you to make an appointment to see your doctor or therapist in the first place. For example, you might tell your doctor, “Well, I’ve been feeling really anxious lately” for “My mood has been really low the last few weeks.” Your doctor uses those presenting issues (as well as other information) to determine what’s going on and what treatments would provide relief.

What Are Presenting Problems?

Presenting problems are the initial symptoms that cause a person to seek professional help from a doctor, therapist, or another mental health provider. While it’s normal to experience ups and downs in your mental health, you may find that you need additional support for a particular symptom or set of symptoms.

This concern is the presenting problem you’ll share with your healthcare provider. To a patient, the presenting problem is the reason you’re seeking professional help.

To your healthcare provider, the presenting problem is one initial piece of information they will use for evaluation. As such, the presenting problem is often a key section of an intake and inquiry form mental health professionals write up and save as part of your medical record.

When you discuss these primary concerns with your therapist during the initial patient interview, be sure to explain your symptoms—sometimes it helps to write them down before your appointment so you don’t forget anything. Your healthcare provider can use this information to further assess you to make a diagnosis.

Common Symptoms of Presenting Problems

There are several symptoms that might lead you to talk to your doctor or therapist. Such symptoms can range in terms of how severe they feel and how much they affect your life. Even if it seems like a symptom isn’t ‘serious’ to you, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor or therapist so they can get a better view of your overall health.

Examples of some common presenting problems include:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Mental Health Diagnosis: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments

How Are Presenting Problems Diagnosed?

Before you make an appointment to seek your doctor or therapist, you might already have an idea of what your symptoms might mean. While your self-diagnosis might provide some clues, it is up to your provider to evaluate your symptoms and determine what might be causing them.

Your self-described presenting problem—what motivated you to seek help—can provide valuable insight for your provider, but it alone does not lead to a diagnosis.

Your provider will use the presenting problem as a jumping-off point for digging deeper into your experience and your symptoms.

Your doctor or therapist will ask questions about the type of symptoms you are experiencing, how long you have had these symptoms, and the impact the symptoms are having on your life.

Provisional and Differential Diagnoses

What Causes Presenting Problems?

Once your doctor provides a diagnosis, you might wonder what exactly is causing the symptoms yo presented with. The fact is that there is no single factor that causes mental health problems.\

The underlying causes of mental health presenting problems often depend on the nature of the problem itself.

Some of the potential causes include:

While you may never know the exact factors or combination of factors that led to the problem, understanding some of your risk factors can be important for developing a treatment plan. Your doctor or therapist may look at your medical history and ask you questions to better understand some of the potential causes that might be contributing to your presenting problems.

There are a number of mental health conditions that can contribute to the presenting problems that lead people to seek help.

Some types of mental conditions that might cause symptoms:

A List of Psychological Disorders

Treatment for Presenting Problems

While the presenting problem that leads you to seek help from a professional may be one symptom of a broader underlying diagnosis, it is often the point of distress that is most worrisome or disruptive for you at the time.

Often, the presenting problem has a major impact on your life. It can affect your ability to function at work, school, and relationships. In many cases, it may interfere with day-to-day tasks and make self-care difficult.

Your main symptoms may also have a ripple effect that contributes to other problems as well. For example, problems with sleep can lead to changes in mood, fatigue, irritability, and increased stress.

Presenting problems can create all kinds of disruption and distress in your daily life. That’s why it’s so important to talk about your concerns with your doctor or therapist. The treatment they recommend will depend on your diagnosis as well as the severity of your symptoms. Treatments often involve psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two.

Psychotherapy

There are many different psychotherapeutic approaches used to treat mental health conditions. Some of these options include:

Some forms of treatment may be more appropriate for certain conditions.

For example,specific phobiasare often treated with exposure therapies.PTSD, on the other hand, may respond well to EMDR therapy. Talk to your doctor or therapist about which option might be best for your situation.

Medication

Your doctor may opt to prescribe a medication to address your symptoms, either on its own or in conjunction with psychotherapy. Some of the mental health medications that may be used to treat your presenting problem include:

Coping With Symptoms of Presenting Problems

In addition to seeing professional treatment for your symptoms, there are also things you can do to cope with what you are experiencing. Some strategies that may help with different presenting problems include:

If you or a loved one are struggling with symptoms of a mental health condition, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hutchings PS, Virden TB.Presenting problem, history of presenting problem, and social history. In: Segal D, Hersen M (eds)Diagnostic Interviewing. Boston, MA: Springer; 2010:39-59. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1320-3_3CDC.Learn about mental health.Zimmerman M, Morgan TA, Stanton K.The severity of psychiatric disorders.World Psychiatry. 2018;17(3):258‐275. doi:10.1002/wps.20569National Alliance on Mental Illness.Psychotherapy.National Institute of Mental Health.Mental health medications.Velten J, Bieda A, Scholten S, Wannemüller A, Margraf J.Lifestyle choices and mental health: A longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students.BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):632. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2American Psychological Association.Manage stress: Strengthen your support network.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hutchings PS, Virden TB.Presenting problem, history of presenting problem, and social history. In: Segal D, Hersen M (eds)Diagnostic Interviewing. Boston, MA: Springer; 2010:39-59. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1320-3_3CDC.Learn about mental health.Zimmerman M, Morgan TA, Stanton K.The severity of psychiatric disorders.World Psychiatry. 2018;17(3):258‐275. doi:10.1002/wps.20569National Alliance on Mental Illness.Psychotherapy.National Institute of Mental Health.Mental health medications.Velten J, Bieda A, Scholten S, Wannemüller A, Margraf J.Lifestyle choices and mental health: A longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students.BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):632. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2American Psychological Association.Manage stress: Strengthen your support network.

Hutchings PS, Virden TB.Presenting problem, history of presenting problem, and social history. In: Segal D, Hersen M (eds)Diagnostic Interviewing. Boston, MA: Springer; 2010:39-59. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1320-3_3CDC.Learn about mental health.Zimmerman M, Morgan TA, Stanton K.The severity of psychiatric disorders.World Psychiatry. 2018;17(3):258‐275. doi:10.1002/wps.20569National Alliance on Mental Illness.Psychotherapy.National Institute of Mental Health.Mental health medications.Velten J, Bieda A, Scholten S, Wannemüller A, Margraf J.Lifestyle choices and mental health: A longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students.BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):632. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2American Psychological Association.Manage stress: Strengthen your support network.

CDC.Learn about mental health.

Zimmerman M, Morgan TA, Stanton K.The severity of psychiatric disorders.World Psychiatry. 2018;17(3):258‐275. doi:10.1002/wps.20569

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Psychotherapy.

National Institute of Mental Health.Mental health medications.

Velten J, Bieda A, Scholten S, Wannemüller A, Margraf J.Lifestyle choices and mental health: A longitudinal survey with German and Chinese students.BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):632. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5526-2

American Psychological Association.Manage stress: Strengthen your support network.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?

At a Glance#

What Are Presenting Problems?#

Common Symptoms of Presenting Problems#

How Are Presenting Problems Diagnosed?#

What Causes Presenting Problems?#

Treatment for Presenting Problems#

Psychotherapy#

Medication#

Coping With Symptoms of Presenting Problems#