Different training for psychologists and psychiatrists helps determine their functions in mental health.
Are you convinced you or someone you love is suffering from depression or an obsession, but you don’t know who to call? A local hospital may be able to refer you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but what is the difference between the two?
Psychiatry and psychology are related disciplines for the treatment of mental illnesses.
Both are treated by psychiatrists and/or psychologists but the two disciplines come from different historical perspectives. The psychiatrist is a medical doctor. The psychologist is a master of psychology.
As things stand at this point, psychiatrists complete medical school and a four-year residency in psychiatry. Finally, a psychiatrist spends two or more years in a specialty residency in psychiatry. In short, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor with an M.D. (Medical Doctor) degree. Psychiatrists are practitioners who treat in psychopharmacology along with their other medical studies, and can therefore prescribe medications.
Psychologists can not, although in some states in the U.S., this standard is being challenged. Psychologists in some states are arguing that they should be able to prescribe standard medicines commonly used in the treatment of mental illness. They make the case that psychologists are closer to the patients and can therefore prescribe appropriate medications. Individual doctors, their associations and some legislators disagree on behalf of the medical profession.
This status quo, in practice, often means that a psychiatrist spends somewhat less time with individual patients than does a psychologist. An office visit in which a psychiatrist makes a medical evaluation, including a discussion of side effects and dosages, can be fairly short. Many insurance companies allow for a visit of as little as 15 minutes for such a visit. This is in the province of the prescribing psychiatrist.
A psychologist may take much longer to explore and counsel with a patient. With a master’s degree in psychology and clinical internship is oriented toward counseling and addressing the underlying reasons for a psychological illness.
A psychiatrist and psychologist may work in tandem in a practice or on an individual case, in which the psychiatrist prescribes medication and the psychologist counsels the patient. This is not to say a psychiatrist cannot counsel, but rather that psychiatrists are medical doctors who is more often involved in prescribing and following up on medical regimens.
A psychologist also meets high academic standards. Those standards and practices are directed toward the ability to become a clinician in private practice, in hospitals or other human service setting. In pursuit of the complete recognition as a psychologist, a state licensing examination will allow the psychologist to practice as a clinician.
The underlying academic preparation for the licensing examination includes a bachelor’s degree, most often but not always in psychology. The graduate then completes a master’s degree in psychology. After three or more years of work toward a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), the aspiring psychologist does an internship in a mental health setting.
The American Psychological Association awards a Diploma in Clinical Psychology to psychologists who have completed five additional years beyond the aforementioned training. They must also pass a vigorous examination to earn a Diploma.
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