Psychiatrist

The term psychiatrist refers to a physician who has completed further training in psychiatry, which is the area of medicine that is dedicated to the diagnosis, prevention, research, and treatment of mental illnesses. A psychiatrist is a medical specialist who evaluates patients to determine if their symptoms are the consequence of a physical sickness, a mix of physical and mental disorders, or are solely the product of mental problems. A psychiatrist may work as part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and nursing personnel, among other professionals. Psychiatrists have received extensive training in the evaluation and treatment of mental disease from a bio-psycho-social perspective.

A mental state evaluation, a physical examination, brain imaging such as a computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and blood tests may all be used as part of the clinical assessment process by psychiatrists. Psychiatrists treat mental problems using a combination of pharmacological, psychological, and/or interventional techniques.