What is Psychiatry?

Psychiatry is an area of medicine involving the study, diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. A person's mental health is influenced by a combination of factors that are both specific to an individual as well as related to interactions with society, community, and family. There are several components to mental well being including a healthy self esteem, communication skills and the development of resilience.

Mental health problems should not be perceived as mere weaknesses that a person can simply overcome, as they can be highly problematic and disabling conditions and affect a large proportion of the population worldwide. Mental health issues need to be addressed and treated before they cause severe disruption to families, relationships and communities.

A psychiatrist is a physician who deals with the diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of mental health and emotional problems. The psychiatrist completes four years of mandatory medical school training before specializing in the field of psychiatry.

During these years, the psychiatrist acquires a deep understanding of bodily functions and the associations between mental health and general health. The student psychiatrist also learns to distinguish between physical and psychological causes of distress.

Examples of the mental health problems psychiatrists deal with include bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, personality disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. They also handle drug and substance abuse, addiction and dependence.

Severe mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder affect nearly 2.8% of all adults and various other conditions have detrimental effects on a person's well-being.

Some of the sub-specialities of psychiatry include:

  • Management of addiction and rehabilitation
  • Child and adolescent psychiatry
  • Geriatric psychiatry concerning elderly patients
  • Emergency psychiatry
  • Military psychiatry
  • Neuropsychiatry
  • Sleep specialists

For most psychiatric disorders, there are no laboratory tests to confirm the condition. Instead, a patient undergoes a series of psychological tests, although biochemical tests are also performed to check the patient's physical health status.

Psychiatrists use several forms of treatment in managing mental health illness including psychotherapy, medications such as antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and antidepressants. Psychotherapy may include cognitive behavior therapy, family therapy or group counselling. Hospitalization may also be needed in severe cases.

Psychiatry is one of the oldest branches of medicine but the field has developed significantly since the advent of neuroscience. Standardized guidelines for diagnosis and treating mental health disorders are present in the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental health disorders.

Further Reading

Last Updated: Jan 2, 2023

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Written by

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Dr. Ananya Mandal is a doctor by profession, lecturer by vocation and a medical writer by passion. She specialized in Clinical Pharmacology after her bachelor's (MBBS). For her, health communication is not just writing complicated reviews for professionals but making medical knowledge understandable and available to the general public as well.

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Mandal, Ananya. (2023, January 02). What is Psychiatry?. News-Medical. Retrieved on October 31, 2024 from https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Psychiatry.aspx.

  • MLA

    Mandal, Ananya. "What is Psychiatry?". News-Medical. 31 October 2024. <https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Psychiatry.aspx>.

  • Chicago

    Mandal, Ananya. "What is Psychiatry?". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Psychiatry.aspx. (accessed October 31, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Mandal, Ananya. 2023. What is Psychiatry?. News-Medical, viewed 31 October 2024, https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Psychiatry.aspx.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Differential gene expression linked to alcohol use disorder, offering new treatment possibilities