What is Psychiatry?

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in mental health. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

Typically, a psychiatrist will have studied for 5 years at university for a degree in medicine. After medical school, they will have worked for several years as a doctor in a variety of medical specialities including general medicine and surgery. To become a psychiatrist they will then need to complete specialist psychiatry training which involves 6 years of working with patients with mental health conditions and passing exams to attain membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

People seek psychiatric help for many reasons. The problems can be sudden, such as a panic attack, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing “voices.” Or they may be more long-term, such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness or problems functioning, causing everyday life to feel unmanageable or out of control.

As they are medical doctors, psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of physical and psychological tests which, combined with discussions with patients to help understand a patient’s physical and mental state. Their education and clinical training equip them to understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses and the relationships with genetics and family history to make a diagnosis, and to work with patients to develop treatment plans.