Psychiatri

Psychiatri, known in English as psychiatry, is a medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. It assesses physical and psychological aspects of mental health, considers cultural and social contexts, and aims to help individuals achieve symptom relief, functional improvement, and well-being. Practitioners, psychiatrists, complete medical training followed by residency in psychiatry. They may work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, or community settings and collaborate with psychologists, social workers, nurses, and other providers.

Core methods include clinical assessment, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and somatic treatments. Diagnostic processes use standardized criteria from systems like the DSM or ICD to characterize conditions such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders. Psychotherapy may be offered individually or in groups and can include cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, or interpersonal approaches. Medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and anxiolytics are commonly used, sometimes alongside talk therapy. Somatic therapies include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and other neuromodulation techniques, as well as sleep medicine and nutrition considerations.

Subspecialties include child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and consultation-liaison psychiatry. The field emphasizes patient rights, informed consent, and ethical considerations, including issues around involuntary treatment in specific jurisdictions. Psychiatry intersects with neurology, psychology, social medicine, and public health, and it often focuses on managing chronic mental health conditions to reduce disability and improve quality of life.