4 answers
diana
Student
Harvey, Illinois
3
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what are the duties for a psychiatrist ? do you work on the weekends? what do you like least about your work?
#counseling #child-psychology #clinical-psychology #psychology
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4 answers
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
4842
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Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Diana,
Duties of a Psychiatrist:
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health. Their duties include:
Diagnosis and Treatment: Psychiatrists assess patients to diagnose mental health conditions and develop treatment plans, which may involve therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Therapy: They provide psychotherapy to help patients manage their conditions, improve coping skills, and address emotional issues.
Medication Management: Psychiatrists prescribe and monitor medications to treat mental health disorders, adjusting dosages as needed and monitoring for side effects.
Collaboration: They often work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, and primary care physicians, to provide comprehensive care for patients.
Crisis Intervention: Psychiatrists may be involved in crisis intervention situations, such as assessing and managing patients at risk of self-harm or harm to others.
Research and Education: Some psychiatrists engage in research to advance the field of mental health and may also teach medical students or residents.
Work Schedule:
Psychiatrists’ work schedules can vary depending on their practice setting. While some psychiatrists work traditional weekday hours in outpatient clinics or hospitals, others may have on-call responsibilities that require weekend or evening work in emergency departments or psychiatric facilities.
Challenges in Psychiatry:
One aspect that some psychiatrists may find challenging is the emotional toll of working with individuals who are struggling with severe mental health issues. Witnessing the suffering of patients can be emotionally draining and challenging to cope with over time. Additionally, navigating complex ethical dilemmas, dealing with administrative burdens, and managing high caseloads are other potential stressors in the field of psychiatry.
Overall, while psychiatry can be a rewarding profession that allows for meaningful connections with patients and the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives, it also comes with its own set of challenges that practitioners must navigate.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:
American Psychiatric Association (APA): The APA is a leading organization representing psychiatrists in the United States. Their guidelines and resources provide valuable insights into the duties and challenges faced by psychiatrists.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): As a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIMH conducts research on mental health disorders and provides evidence-based information on psychiatric practices.
World Health Organization (WHO): The WHO offers global perspectives on mental health issues, including information on the role of psychiatrists in addressing mental health challenges worldwide.
God Bless You, Richly, JC.
Duties of a Psychiatrist:
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health. Their duties include:
Diagnosis and Treatment: Psychiatrists assess patients to diagnose mental health conditions and develop treatment plans, which may involve therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Therapy: They provide psychotherapy to help patients manage their conditions, improve coping skills, and address emotional issues.
Medication Management: Psychiatrists prescribe and monitor medications to treat mental health disorders, adjusting dosages as needed and monitoring for side effects.
Collaboration: They often work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, and primary care physicians, to provide comprehensive care for patients.
Crisis Intervention: Psychiatrists may be involved in crisis intervention situations, such as assessing and managing patients at risk of self-harm or harm to others.
Research and Education: Some psychiatrists engage in research to advance the field of mental health and may also teach medical students or residents.
Work Schedule:
Psychiatrists’ work schedules can vary depending on their practice setting. While some psychiatrists work traditional weekday hours in outpatient clinics or hospitals, others may have on-call responsibilities that require weekend or evening work in emergency departments or psychiatric facilities.
Challenges in Psychiatry:
One aspect that some psychiatrists may find challenging is the emotional toll of working with individuals who are struggling with severe mental health issues. Witnessing the suffering of patients can be emotionally draining and challenging to cope with over time. Additionally, navigating complex ethical dilemmas, dealing with administrative burdens, and managing high caseloads are other potential stressors in the field of psychiatry.
Overall, while psychiatry can be a rewarding profession that allows for meaningful connections with patients and the opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives, it also comes with its own set of challenges that practitioners must navigate.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:
American Psychiatric Association (APA): The APA is a leading organization representing psychiatrists in the United States. Their guidelines and resources provide valuable insights into the duties and challenges faced by psychiatrists.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): As a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NIMH conducts research on mental health disorders and provides evidence-based information on psychiatric practices.
World Health Organization (WHO): The WHO offers global perspectives on mental health issues, including information on the role of psychiatrists in addressing mental health challenges worldwide.
God Bless You, Richly, JC.
Amina Mohammed(FIPMAN)
Public servant
7
Answers
Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
Updated
Amina’s Answer
A physiatrist is basically a person who works on mental health issues,offering counselling, and treatment, guidiance,and any other kind of help to those suffering from various mental health issues from all forms of depression depression,schizophrenia,psychosis, and sometimes advanced post traumatic stress disorder. A physiatrist can be found in health institutions owned by Government and others in private practise,they work everyday especially if they have patients on admission for close monitoring who are on medication, for more stable patients in this era of the shift to telemedicine consultation could be virtual,but physical visit can be decided and appointment fixed based on evaluation.
A typical day in the life of the physiatrist could be challenging just like every other field in medicine, clients or patients inflow could be high,meeting their tailored needs is equally challenging because not every individual presents with classical symptoms some are more tasking to diagnose before treatment.
A typical day in the life of the physiatrist could be challenging just like every other field in medicine, clients or patients inflow could be high,meeting their tailored needs is equally challenging because not every individual presents with classical symptoms some are more tasking to diagnose before treatment.
David Slay
community / clinical psychologist (retired)
22
Answers
Seal Beach, California
Updated
David’s Answer
In the U.S. there is a considerable difference between psychologists and psychiatrists. I was a psychologist, but assuming you're asking about psychiatry, I can explain the main differences. Psychiatry is a specialized field of medicine, and one goes to medical school first and then interns or does a residency in psychiatry. Psychiatrists, being medical professionals, are licensed to prescribe drugs, including psychoactive medications used to treat both major mental disorders (major depression, schizophrenia, psychoses, etc.), and outpatient mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Sometimes prescription medications are the main or only treatment option available for some disorders. Oftentimes, however, patients or clients with mental disorders receive a combination of medication and various forms of psychotherapy. Psychologists, on the other hand, are not usually authorized to prescribe medications. All of their treatment approaches are "talk therapy" which can include individual, group, couples, family, child, play therapy, among other modalities. Frequently psychologists collaborate with psychiatrists so that the M.D. manages prescription medication while the psychologist provides psychotherapeutic interventions for the same patient. Work schedules depend a lot on work location. If you work in a hospital or medical center you may rotate through some weekends and also have on-call duties. However, psychiatrists and psychologists also can become licensed by a state to engage in independent private practice, where you set your own hours and determine what kinds of clients and treatments to work with.
Richard Kilker Jr.
Physician
4
Answers
Dublin, California
Updated
Richard’s Answer
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who helps patients with psychological/psychiatric issues. He/she has graduated from a medical school. You most definitely work on the weekends during your residency training. This is the period when your are receiving medical training only in the field of psychiatry and occurs after you have graduated from a medical school with your medical degree. When you have graduated from your residency as a psychiatrist working on weekend varies. Some psychiatrists take a job based on the hours they do or do not want to work. So a psychiatrist may not work on weekends, if that is what they want. I would say what a psychiatrist likes least about their job is dealing with complex psychiatric issues every day. This can be very mentally taxing on the psychiatrist after many years of work.