What does a psychiatrist do?
A psychiatrist is a medically trained doctor who has further advanced their career by taking specialised training to learn how to help people with their psychological problems. In the United Kingdom this professional will have spent 5 to 6 years in college training to become a doctor. They will attain experience as a Foundation House Officer for two years. To become a psychiatrist they will take three years of Basic Specialist Training. The trainee is then required to pass the MRCPsych exam to be admitted as a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. After passing the exam they enroll in three additional years of Higher Specialist Training and pursue the area of psychiatry in which they would like to specialise such as child and adolescent psychiatry or forensic psychiatry. After successfully completion of this second course of study the candidate is awarded a Certificate of Completion of Training or CCT.
By virtue of having a medical degree they are also able to conduct complete physical examinations, prescribe medications, order laboratory tests and order brain imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. They are trained to assess the state of mind of their patients, diagnose mental illnesses, use a broad array of psychological treatments and medications and help their patients recover from their illnesses. They will also use the biopsyhosocial model of understanding the problems presented by their patients. This model takes into account the patient’s family, culture, work environment, surroundings, past history and any relevant medical issues.
Psychiatrists often see their patients in their office or clinic. They can also work with a team of professionals such as social workers, therapists and psychologists to assist these professionals with recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of their clients.
After seeing a psychiatrist the patient may receive a recommendation for psychotherapy and possibly medication to help alleviate their mental health problems. They may be given practical ways to deal with their illness and how to stay well. Specific suggestions may be made to increase their activity level and return to activities that the patient enjoys. It is possible that a psychiatrist may feel that in-patient therapy is needed for their patient. The patient will voluntarily admit themselves to the hospital and partake in the prescribed treatment. If a person is deemed to be at serious risk of harming themselves the psychiatrist, along with another independent doctor and an approved social worker can commit the patient to an in-patient facility.