Who are psychiatrists?
Medical doctors who specialize in mental healthcare are known as psychiatrists. They use a combination of medications and psychotherapy to diagnose and manage emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders. After finishing medical school, they complete four years of psychiatric residency and may follow up with a fellowship in a psychiatric subspecialty. They work in both inpatient and outpatient and private and government centers. Some of the standard subspecialties in psychiatry include the following:
- Addiction psychiatry: Psychiatrists of this subspecialty focus on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating patients who suffer from disorders related to addiction. It may include substance abuse disorder and behavioral addictions like food, gambling, internet, or other impulse control issues. Addiction psychiatrists can also help treat other mental health issues that often come along with addiction, such as anxiety and depression.
- Forensic psychiatry: Forensic psychiatrists act as a bridge between the medical and legal systems and are related to criminology. They serve in various roles, including correction psychiatrists, expert witnesses, and inpatient work in forensic settings. Moreover, they specialize in courtroom matters and criminal cases involving mental health issues. Forensic psychiatrists can also work with inmates in correctional facilities and testify in courtroom cases. Furthermore, they can evaluate whether a suspect is competent enough to stand trial.
- Child and adolescent psychiatry: As a parent, you may want to visit a child and adolescent psychiatrist near you if your child needs mental healthcare. They specialize in helping young patients address various conditions, including depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, speech therapy, and eating disorders. They mainly provide psychotherapy as there are very few FDA-approved medications for children. Moreover, child and adolescent psychiatrists work with parents to ensure a safe environment for their children’s growth and development.
- Geriatric psychiatry: Geriatric psychiatrists focus on studying, diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental health disorders and cognitive impairments in older adults. They work in various settings, including behavioral units, nursing homes, memory care, and outpatient centers. Moreover, they often work with people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Accordingly, they can also treat other mental health conditions like anxiety and chronic depression.
Psychiatrist vs. psychologist
There are three fundamental distinctions between psychiatrists and psychologists.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors, whereas psychologists are not. Psychiatrists possess the authority to prescribe medication, whereas psychologists do not. Psychiatrists diagnose and manage intricate and severe mental illnesses while providing various therapies. In contrast, psychologists focus mainly on psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients.
It is worth noting that psychiatrists and psychologists both deeply comprehend how the brain operates and our emotions, feelings, and thoughts. They can both treat mental illness with psychological treatments (talk therapies). Nevertheless, psychiatrists attend medical school and become doctors before undergoing specialized training in mental health. As medical doctors, psychiatrists deeply understand the connection between psychological and physical health problems, enabling them to prescribe medications.
Psychologists, on the other hand, have at least six years of university training and supervised experience. They may also hold a master's or a doctorate level qualification in psychology. If they have a doctorate (Ph.D.), you can address them as 'Dr.,' but they are not medical doctors. However, clinical psychologists undergo specialized training to diagnose and treat mental illnesses.
Psychiatrists provide various treatments depending on the problem and what will work best. These treatments include medication, general medical care (including checking the physical health and the effects of drugs), psychological treatments, and brain stimulation therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Psychologists, on the other hand, focus on providing psychological therapies. They usually see people with conditions that improve with psychological treatments, such as behavioral problems, learning difficulties, depression, and anxiety.
In contrast, psychiatrists specialize in treating individuals with complicated conditions such as severe depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. They take into account the patient's medical, psychological, and social requirements and often provide care to those who have attempted suicide or suffer from suicidal thoughts.
Education and training for psychiatrists
Psychiatrists in the US receive extensive training, which begins with an undergraduate program focusing on pre-medical subjects like biology, general and organic chemistry, and psychology. Next, they must earn an MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree, which takes around four years. After acquiring their medical degrees, aspiring psychiatrists must complete a four-year residency program in psychiatry.
During the residency, psychiatrists receive theoretical and practical training and must work in a hospital setting (inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room settings). Following this, psychiatrists must pass a certification exam—comprising oral and written components—administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Alternatively, they can also enroll in fellowships to pursue a specialization, such as forensic psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, perinatal psychiatry, etc. All psychiatrists must take recertification exams every ten years to retain their eligibility to practice.
What kinds of diagnostic tests do psychiatrists use?
For accurately diagnosing a mental illness, psychiatrists assess the results from various tests, as most mental disorders also have physical signs. Some tests that psychiatrists commonly use for diagnosis are medical history, physical exam, lab tests, and psychological evaluation.
- Medical history and physical evaluation: During the medical history evaluation, psychiatrists ask detailed questions regarding the nature, duration, and intensity of physical and psychiatric symptoms. It will also include questions on behaviors and how those behaviors have affected your life and relationships. They also enquire about any history of chronic and mental diseases in you and your family and any medications or other treatments you are currently undergoing.
- Laboratory assessment: Not only do medical illnesses lead to mental disorders, but mental disorders also lead to changes in lab tests. Standard tests that psychiatrists prescribe include routine blood and urine tests, thyroid function tests, alcohol and drug screening tests, and imaging studies to understand the changes in the brain structures.
- Psychological evaluation: Psychiatrists perform comprehensive psychological tests, which include questionnaires about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Speech and language are also assessed to identify abnormalities. Family members and close friends are often included in the evaluation, too. For mental health diagnoses, all psychiatrists in the US use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a manual published and updated by the American Psychiatric Association.
What classes of mental disorders do psychiatrists treat?
Mental disorders are classified based on their causes. Standard classes of mental illnesses for which you can visit a psychiatrist near you include the following:
- Mood disorders such as persistent depressive disorder (also known as dysthymia), major depressive disorder (MDD), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), bipolar disorder, cyclothymia, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Common symptoms of mood disorders are prolonged sadness and hopelessness, fatigue, lack of motivation and focus, and suicidal thoughts.
- Anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), specific phobias, panic disorder, selective mutism, social anxiety disorder, and substance-induced anxiety disorders. All of them comprise persistent, overwhelming fear and anxiety. Common symptoms of anxiety disorders are restlessness, sleep disturbances, panic, shortness of breath, numbness in arms and feet, heart palpitations, dry mouth, and dizziness.
- Dissociative disorders comprise a disconnect between you and the world around you. It can significantly impact your sense of identity and how you process information, as people with symptoms of dissociation can often feel detached from their thoughts and emotions. Dissociative disorders include dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder (DID), depersonalization-derealization disorders, and fugues.
- Psychotic disorders include mental conditions that keep you from what is real and lead to hearing voices and people, jumbled thoughts, and delusions. The psychotic disorder commonly treated by psychiatrists is schizophrenia.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients have repetitive thoughts and behaviors, which lead to obsessions. Typical examples are obsessive-compulsive disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), and hoarding disorder.
- Trauma-related ailments, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder, are seen in patients who have undergone massive trauma.
- Eating disorders are related to harmful eating habits that can prove fatal. Common eating disorders comprise anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
- Personality disorder patients exhibit erratic behavior patterns that lead to unpredictable personality changes. Commonly seen personality disorders are borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.
- Addiction-related disorders involve dangerous addiction to some substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, drugs, or caffeine.
- Neurodevelopmental disorders occur as the brain and surrounding systems develop during infancy and childhood. Common neurodevelopmental ailments are autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
What kinds of treatments do psychiatrists provide?
Psychiatrists are trained and licensed to treat patients using several treatment options, and they often use a combination based on the diagnosis and the patient's needs. Commonly used psychiatric treatments are medications, psychotherapy, brain stimulation therapies, hospital care, and substance abuse treatment.
The medications psychiatrists generally prescribe for treating mental disorders are antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, anti-anxiety drugs, and mood stabilizers. Psychiatrists are also equipped to provide psychotherapy to understand and manage mental health issues. Commonly used psychotherapies include cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychoanalysis, and psychodynamic therapy.
Psychiatrists also use brain stimulation therapies such as deep brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as treatment. They also specialize in treating patients addicted to harmful substances and long-term care in mental healthcare facilities.
Find the best psychiatrist near you in Merritt Island, Florida.
Knowing which psychiatrist to approach for your or your family member's symptoms is daunting, but Zocdoc has made it easy for you. With the Zocdoc application, you can filter psychiatrists and search them based on your condition, current location, zip code, date and time for consultation, and medical insurance. Enter these details on the Zocdoc website, and the application will immediately present you with a curated list of psychiatrists who fit all your requirements.
Zocdoc includes a comprehensive bio of every doctor on the website to help you select a psychiatrist. It contains details on their educational background, certifications, affiliations, accreditations, work experience, and awards received in the past. It also lists the places, days, and times the psychiatrist is available to make an appointment. Zocdoc also gives information on the doctors' gender, the languages they communicate in, the age group of patients, and the disorders they specialize in treating. It also has detailed narratives, reviews, and ratings from previous patients.
Zocdoc also lets you check if a psychiatrist accepts your current insurance. Insurance coverage for your treatment is crucial in mental disorders, as most long-term psychiatric treatments require several follow-ups.
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Psychiatry statistics for Merritt Island, Florida
A report published on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website stated that as of May 2021, 2,490 licensed psychiatrists were practicing in Florida, and the location quotient was 1.60. The location quotient is the number of psychiatrists in Florida divided by the number of psychiatrists in the US. When the location quotient is higher than 1, it indicates a higher share of that employment than the average.
The Florida Department of Health publishes a year-wise "Suicide and Behavioral Health Profile" for all of Florida and all the counties in the state. According to this report, 3,113 people committed suicide in Florida in 2020, and the suicidal death rate was 16.1%. The death rate is the number of deaths for every 100,000 population. Of these, 338 people died from drug poisoning, and the suicide rate from a drug overdose was 1.8%. The city of Merritt Island comes under Brevard County. In Brevard County, 117 people committed suicide in 2020, and the suicidal death rate was 21.4%. Ten died from a drug overdose, and the death rate from drug poisoning was 1.8%.
The same report also talked about the hospitalizations caused by mental disorders. In 2020, 200,907 people in Florida were admitted with mental illnesses. The descending order of mental disorders and the number of hospital admissions for them included mood and depressive disorders (93,121), schizophrenic disorders (51,010), mental disorders induced by drugs and alcohol (36,119), and eating disorders (2,481). During the same year, the numbers for Brevard County were 5,353 hospital admissions in total from mental illnesses, and the descending order for mental illnesses and their hospitalizations were mood and depressive disorders (3,148), schizophrenic disorders (853), disorders induced by drugs and alcohol (717) and eating disorders (42).
Sources
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
Medical News Today
Mayo Clinic[1]
Mayo Clinic[2]
Mayo Clinic[3]
Johns Hopkins Medicine
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Florida Department of Health
WebMD[1]
WebMD[2]
WebMD[3]
Med School Insiders
Talkspace
