There is no wonder if you have ever in your life, got confused between a Psychologist and a Psychiatrist. Broadly, both of them help you to attain mental well-being. Yet, there are several differences between the qualifications, considerations and approaches followed by psychologist and psychiatrists. Whether you are struggling with your mental health or looking to pursue a career in mental health, it is important to know the differences between the two professions. Therefore, let us see in detail the differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
Psychologist vs Psychiatrist : Educational Qualification
In most countries, a master’s degree followed by a doctorate in clinical psychology(PsyD) or a PhD in psychology is essential to become a psychologist. Again, the psychologist is an umbrella term denoting the one who is in any of the different branches of psychology. Precisely, there are social psychologists, educational psychologists, forensic psychologists, clinical psychologists, humanist psychologists and much more. Usually, clinical psychologists are the ones to whom we consult for mental well being
On the other hand, a psychiatrist is a doctor with a medical degree. After completing the preliminary medical degree, one specialises in treating mental illnesses to become a psychiatrist. As in psychology, psychiatry also has many super-specialities such as community psychiatry, child psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry and forensic psychiatry.
Notably, though the streams are different, it requires years of professional practice to become a psychiatrist as well as a psychologist
Psychologist vs Psychiatrist : Approach Considerations
Vastly, psychology is defined as the branch of science that studies the mind and how the mind influences behaviour. Alike, one who practises psychology can be called a psychologist. Usually, a psychologist tries to influence your thought process and emotions to correct your psychological issues such as anxiety and depression. Consequently, a psychologist applies his skill and expertise primarily at the behavioural level of human beings.
On the contrary, a psychiatrist considers mental illness at the neuronal level. Accordingly, almost all of your mental illnesses occur due to some kind of abnormalities in the communication pathways between your brain and body. Consequently, a psychiatrist investigates, diagnoses and treats mental illnesses like Depressive disorders, Substance addictions, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia and Obsessive Compulsive disorders(OCD). (2) Additionally, a psychiatrist is also trained to treat emotional distress and behavioural anomalies.
In short, a psychologist tries to correct the behavioural aspect of psychological problems. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist treats both the physical as well as mental aspects of psychological illnesses.
Who can Prescribe Medicines?
Normally, a psychologist will not prescribe medicines for you. Psychologists are trained to manipulate your thought process to strengthen you to cope with your worries. For this, they may use various types of behavioural counselling and talk therapies. Before starting therapy, psychologists may do psychoanalysis to know your thought pattern. In the case of severe psychotic disorders like Bipolar disorders, Schizophrenia and other acute psychiatric conditions, the patients would be referred to a psychiatrist.
As a medical doctor, a psychiatrist is licenced to prescribe medicines for psychiatric illnesses. As mentioned earlier, a psychiatrist treats the diseases with drugs which can neutralise the abnormal changes in the neuronal communication system. To enlist, the drugs can be of various types such as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, mood stabilisers, sedatives, etc. Furthermore, a psychiatrist may use Electroconvulsive Therapy(ECT) when the drug treatments are ineffective. Before prescribing medicines, psychiatrists may usually send you for lab tests, ECG scans or EEG scans to diagnose your condition.
Providers of Behavioral Therapies
Largely, behavioural therapies and talk therapies are the mainstays of the management of behavioural, emotional and border personality disorders.
Usually, psychologists are well trained to deliver face-to-face counselling sessions and behavioural therapies. In these techniques, the patients are manipulated to think in a particular way to recover from the repeated disturbing thoughts. For example, in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT), the patients are reinforced with logical reasoning to eliminate unwanted thoughts. In Exposure Therapy, people are given repeated mild exposure to the situation or object that evokes fear in them to fully eliminate the fear. Other techniques in this category include Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy(REBT), Psychodynamic Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy(DBT).
Generally, psychiatrists are also trained in the basics of behavioural therapies and mental counselling. Any psychiatric illness at its acute stage needs drug therapy which will be prescribed by a psychiatrist. Afterwards, for the long-term management of the mental illness and also to prevent recurring episodes, the patients are usually referred to a qualified psychologist.
Psychologist vs Psychiatrist : Mode of Operation
As discussed earlier, psychology includes several specialities including community psychology, forensic psychology, criminal psychology and clinical psychology. Hence, the work environment of psychologists may vary depending on the area of expertise. Mostly, private practices of psychologists are commonly found through they can also be found in hospital settings. For example, counselling for victims of abuse, counselling before major surgery, and counselling for work-related stress are all provided by psychologists.
In most cases, you can find a psychiatrist practising in a hospital setting. Routinely, patients with comparatively serious mental diseases consult a psychiatrist. Then, a psychiatrist conducts physical and psychological examinations of the patient. Afterwards, the patient’s blood or any other body sample may be sent for lab testing to rule out any other disease that can cause mental illness. Occasionally, a psychiatrist may also order an Electrocardiogram(ECG) test to rule out any associated heart problems. Finally, a diagnosis is made after evaluating the findings of the physical exam and the lab results. Thereafter, medicines are started and other treatment options are considered if needed.
Generally, psychiatrists earn a little more than psychologists. However, there are a lot of expert psychologists earning much more than regular psychiatrists.
Psychologist vs Psychiatrists: Whom to consult?
You might be thinking about whom you should consult to get relief from your mental health problem. Considerably, self-assessing your symptoms can get you an idea. If you are feeling low for a long or you are getting overly anxious about even small issues, you may consider consulting a psychologist. After primary evaluation, the psychologist may refer you to a psychiatrist if needed.
In the other case, if you are suffering from more severe problems like suicidal thoughts, severe mental depression or hallucinations you can directly consult a psychiatrist. Primarily, as medical doctors, psychiatrists analyse your history and physical exam and lab test findings to diagnose your condition. Then, your psychiatrist will prescribe drug therapy and/or behavioural therapy whatever is suitable for you.
In practice, both psychologists and psychiatrists play on relevant roles in fighting against mental health issues. Thus, a psychologist may refer a patient to a psychiatrist if the mental illness needs medical treatment. Conversely, a psychiatrist may refer a patient to a psychologist when they need behavioural or face-to-face talk therapy. So, in effect, no matter who you consult, you will finally be referred to the appropriate health professional.