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Psychology vs. Psychiatry 2 Psychology and Psychiatry are two areas that can be easily confused to the uneducated person. There is a main point that separates the two and that is the fact that Psychiatry is more along the medical field, being that Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication. In the Psychology field, they are unable to prescribe medication unless they confer with other doctors, including a Psychiatrist, first. There are also other similarities and differences as you will read about below. Psychology is an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. It is used to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. There are different areas of psychology that include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, ergonomics, along with other areas that affect a person’s health and daily life. There are two major areas of focus within psychology, and those are academic and applied psychology. The academic psychology is the study of different topics within psychology, which includes personality psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology. Where as applied psychology uses different psychological principles for solving problems. These include forensic psychology, ergonomic psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology. The remainder of the psychologist for the most part, choose to be therapists; helping people overcome mental, behavior, and emotional disorders. (about.com; “What is Psychology?” by Kendra Van Wagner) Psychiatry it the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. It combines biological, psychological, and social areas of mental health to give medical care for the different Psychology vs. Psychiatry 3 symptoms. Psychiatrists are also able to prescribe medication n because they have completed medical school and they are able to give a medical perspective to the client or individual. There are many different fields of study in psychiatry that include general adult, child and adolescent, eating disorders, old age, substance dependence, forensic, hospital psychiatry and neuropsychological. They also combine their goals to provide service to the Community and many times will be in general and psychiatric hospitals, universities, community mental health services, and public and private clinics. There are not a whole lot of differences separating the two fields, but one main difference is that psychiatrists are able to prescribe medicine because of them completing medical school. Today, the Psychiatric field learns a lot about the mind and behavior because of the research done by psychologists. There are things that they share in study, but psychiatry is a medical profession and it will take you longer to receive your doctorate degree than it would to get your Ph. D or Psy. D. (Psychiatry.unimelb.edu.au; “What is Psychiatry?” by Karen Barber) I find these two areas of study very interesting; how the mind works, the emotions surrounding life, and the behavior caused by the thoughts and feelings. That is one of the main reasons that I am choosing to get my BA in Psychology. Other than me finding it very interesting, I think it can and will help me to serve my purpose in life, which I believe, is to help others overcome things, especially things that I have had to previously overcome myself.
Opinions on psychology and mental health professionals vary widely, and the field is marked by its empirical approach to studying human behavior. Psychologists and psychiatrists contribute to many sectors, not just clinical settings, and they face both recognition and misconceptions influenced by societal stigma and media portrayals.
The discipline of psychology is deeply concerned with the empirical study of human behavior and mental processes, distinguishing itself from philosophy and politics by relying on systematic data collection and analysis. Psychologists, including psychiatrists who are medical doctors specializing in mental health, use a range of methods such as observation, questionnaires, interviews, and laboratory studies to explore complex topics from anxiety and addiction to social phenomena like prejudice and cultural differences.
While psychologists and psychiatrists work to diagnose and treat mental health issues, their work extends far beyond clinical settings, contributing to fields such as business, education, and social policy. By empirically evaluating claims and treatments, these professionals play a crucial role in improving individual and communal well-being, debunking myths, and informing public understanding.
