Who is a psychiatrist?
Psychiatry is an area of medicine that focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. A psychiatrist is a certified doctor specializing in mental health disorders, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are well-trained to evaluate the mental and physical aspects of psychological disorders.Â
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Psychological or mental problems can be sudden, like frightening hallucinations, panic attacks, hearing "voices," or suicidal thoughts. Mental health issues can also be long-term like feelings of hopelessness, anxiousness, or sadness that seem never-ending, or struggling with daily activities, and everyday life feels out of control or distorted. Psychiatrists can treat and manage these mental illness symptoms and help the individual lead a good quality of life.Â
What kind of education and training do psychiatrists receive?
To become a psychiatrist, individuals must complete an extensive educational journey. This typically involves attending medical school and obtaining a state license to practice medicine, followed by a four-year psychiatry residency. It can take up to 12 years of education beyond high school to become a general adult psychiatrist and up to 14 years for those specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry.
The first year of residency typically involves working in a hospital and gaining experience with various medical conditions. Subsequently, aspiring psychiatrists spend at least three more years acquiring knowledge and skills related to mental health diagnosis and treatment, encompassing various forms of psychotherapy and psychiatric medications. This training occurs in diverse settings, including offices, hospitals, emergency rooms, and within communities like primary care.
Following the completion of residency, many psychiatrists opt to take a voluntary examination administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, earning the designation of "board certified" psychiatrist, which they must renew every ten years.
Some psychiatrists pursue further specialized training in accredited fellowships recognized by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. These areas include forensic psychiatry (involving patients in the legal or correctional system), child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry (for patients with complex medical and psychiatric conditions), addiction psychiatry or addiction medicine, hospice and palliative medicine (for patients with severe illnesses), pain medicine, geriatric psychiatry, and sleep medicine.
Additionally, some psychiatrists may seek additional training in unaccredited fellowships, focusing on public and community psychiatry (addressing social determinants of health), emergency psychiatry (for patients in crisis in emergency room settings), or reproductive psychiatry (caring for pregnant and postpartum women with mental health needs).
Certain psychiatrists undertake dual or multiple specialty training to manage complex patients with medical and psychiatric concerns. Examples include family medicine/psychiatry, internal medicine/psychiatry, and triple board pediatrics/adult psychiatry/child & adolescent psychiatry. Alternatively, some psychiatrists may opt for additional psychoanalysis or psychiatric research training.
What conditions do psychiatrists treat?
Different mental health conditions treated by psychiatrists include the following:
- Depression
- AnxietyÂ
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorders
- Hallucinations
- Schizophrenia
- Difficulty with concentrationÂ
- Sleeping disorders and insomnia
- Memory problems
- Delusional thinking
- Alcohol, drugs, or gambling addiction problems
- Neurodevelopmental disordersÂ
- Obsessional thoughts
- Suicidal thoughts
- Violent outbursts
- negative thinking
- Severe stress or anxiety
Different treatments psychiatrists use
Psychiatrists use psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions, medications, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat mental health issues. The kind of psychiatric treatment used mainly depends on the patient's unique needs.Â
- Psychotherapy is a type of treatment wherein the psychiatrist uses talk therapy to treat mental and emotional issues in the patient. In this therapy, the psychiatrist has a talking relationship with the patient. The main objective of psychotherapy is to control or eliminate troubling or disabling symptoms to help the patient make better decisions and lead a good quality of life. The treatment plan may require a few talk sessions over one or two weeks or multiple sessions for a few years, depending on the severity of the problem. Psychotherapy can be conducted individually, with a family, as a couple, or in a group.Â
- The most commonly used psychotherapies include cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis. Cognitive behavioral therapy deals with the thoughts and behaviors of patients and focuses on problem-solving. Psychoanalysis is a more in-depth form of individual psychotherapy. It requires several sessions over many years to control or eliminate the symptoms.Â
- After a detailed evaluation, psychiatrists may prescribe medications to treat or manage mental disorders or their symptoms. These medications may help to change the chemical communication or signaling inside the brain, which may help to reduce the symptoms of psychiatric illnesses. Patients on long-term medication treatment plans should periodically see their psychiatrist to check for any potential side effects and monitor the effectiveness of medications.Â
- Medications that psychiatrists may recommend include antidepressants, anxiolytics and sedatives, antipsychotic drugs, mood stabilizers, hypnotics, and stimulants. Depending on the symptoms, the treatment plan may involve a combination of medications and psychotherapy.Â
- Interventional psychiatry involves using specific procedures when psychotherapy and medications fail to restore the optimum mental health of the patient. These procedures include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), deep brain stimulation (DBS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), vague nerve stimulation (VNS), and ketamine treatment. Psychiatrists are also studying the potential of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for future treatment.Â
How can you prepare for a visit to a psychiatrist near you?
A psychiatrist appointment can evoke anxiety, especially during the initial visit. Nevertheless, it's crucial to remember that these professionals are highly skilled and keep themselves updated about the latest treatments and medications.
Preparing for the appointment is advisable. Consider jotting down some notes on topics you wish to discuss, which may encompass:
- Any changes in your physical health, as stress could cause some symptoms
- It's also essential to bring a complete list of your current medications and supplements, including over-the-counter products. Alternatively, if you take several medications, you can bring them along in a bag for the appointment
- Concerns preoccupying your thoughts, including the reason for scheduling the appointment
- The mental and physical health history of your family
- A description of your symptoms and how they impact your daily life
How to find the best psychiatrist near you in Nashua, New Hampshire?
Seeing a qualified psychiatrist can solve your mental and emotional health issues and enable you to make better life decisions. However, finding reputed psychiatrists can become lengthy and grueling due to insufficient information and resources. With Zocdoc, you can easily find the best and most experienced psychiatrists in Nashua, New Hampshire, from within the comforts of your home.
Start by creating a free account on Zocdoc. Next, choose the specialty or condition, location, date, and insurance plan. A comprehensive list based on your search criteria will appear. You can use the Zocdoc insurance detector to help with your insurance plan. Each psychiatrist on Zocdoc has a profile. Thoroughly viewing these profiles can help make an informed choice. The profile includes a brief introduction, education qualification, practice location, visit reasons, and spoken languages.Â
Zocdoc asks patients to leave a review when they finish an appointment. These updated and verified reviews and user ratings by past patients can help you find the best psychiatrists per your care requirements. You can filter your results by gender if you are looking for male or female psychiatrists in Nashua, New Hampshire. You can also perform an area-specific search on Zocdoc to locate licensed and qualified psychiatrists near you.Â
You can also book video appointments on Zocdoc before an in-person visit to better understand your psychiatrist. Look for a purple video icon on psychiatrists' profiles, or filter the video appointment selection.
You can now book appointments with psychiatrists who accept your insurance plan in real-time. Booking appointments on Zocdoc is simple, secure, and free.
Mental health statistics in New Hampshire
As per the September 2022 data published by America's Health Rankings, New Hampshire had about 371.3 mental health providers (psychiatrists, counselors, psychologists, advanced practice nurses specializing in mental health care, licensed clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists) per 100,000 people, higher than the U.S. average of about 305 mental health providers.Â
As per the data published by America's Health Rankings:
- In 2021, about 14.6% of adults in New Hampshire reported mental health distress for more than 14 days in 30 days, similar to the U.S. average of approximately 14.7%. The incidence rate of frequent mental pain was higher among adults in the 18-44 age group (20.7%) and lowest in the 65+ age group (7.0%). Women in New Hampshire were more susceptible to frequent mental distress (17.8%) than men (11.2%).
- In 2021, about 23.4% of adults in New Hampshire reported having depressive disorder (depression, minor depression, major depression, dysthymia), higher than the U.S. average of about 20.5%. The depression incidence rate was highest among adults in the 18-44 age group (30.7%) and lowest among adults in the 65+ age group (14.3%). Women in New Hampshire were more susceptible to depression (29.5%) than men (17.0%).
- In 2020, New Hampshire reported about 17 deaths due to deliberate self-harm per 100,000 people, higher than the U.S. average of approximately 14 deaths due to intentional self-harm. The suicide incidence rate was higher among men in New Hampshire (26 per 100,000 people) than women (8 per 100,000). The suicide incidence rate is highest among people in the 45-54 age group (26) and lowest among people in the 65-74 age group (15).
- In 2020-2021 (2-year estimate), approximately 16% of children in the 3-17 age group in New Hampshire reported having anxiety, higher than the U.S. average of about 9.2%. About 7.1% of children in the 3-17 age group in New Hampshire reported having depression, higher than the U.S. average of about 4.2%.Â
- In 2020-2021 (2-year estimate), nearly 15.5% of children in the 0-17 age group in New Hampshire had two or more adverse childhood experiences, higher than the U.S. average of about 14%. Adverse childhood experiences include: death of a parent, parental separation or divorce, living with someone who had an alcohol or drug problem, domestic violence witness, neighborhood violence victim or witness, parent served jail time, living with someone who was mentally ill or severely depressed, being treated or judged unfairly due to race/ethnicity. Most children reported an adverse childhood experience due to parent or guardian divorce or separation (23.6%).Â
- In 2019-2020, roughly 10% of children in the 12-17 age group in New Hampshire reported using illicit drugs like marijuana in one month, higher than the U.S. average of about 7.7%.
Sources
WebMD
American Psychiatric Association
Medical News Today
America’s Health Rankings[1]
America’s Health Rankings[2]
America’s Health Rankings[3]
America’s Health Rankings[4]
America’s Health Rankings[5]
America’s Health Rankings[6]
America’s Health Rankings[7]
America’s Health Rankings[8]
