Key Takeaways
- Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and behavioral health conditions.
- When it comes to patient care, psychiatry uses medication management, talk therapy, and complementary therapies to improve symptoms and daily functioning.
- You may benefit from seeing a psychiatrist if you’re experiencing mental health symptoms that significantly affect your daily life, have had limited success with talk therapy alone, or want to add medication to your mental health treatment plan.
If you’ve ever wondered what psychiatry is, you’re not alone. In recent years, people have started to feel more empowered to prioritize their mental health and well-being, and that involves making informed decisions about the type of care they receive.
Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral conditions. The exact type of treatment will depend on each person, but the goal is to provide relief from symptoms, promote well-being, and improve quality of life.
How psychiatry works
When we think about mental health, much of what we know comes from the field of psychiatry. Psychiatry plays a key role in how we understand, diagnose, and treat both the mental and physical aspects of mental health conditions. It considers biological, psychological, and social factors to provide whole-person care that improves symptoms and enhances daily functioning.
Psychiatry is a broad field that can be divided into various subspecialties, like child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. It acknowledges that each patient population — such as children or the elderly — is unique and may require different diagnostic criteria, medication, and treatment approaches.
When discussing mental and behavioral health, it’s also important to recognize the difference between psychiatry and therapy. Both focus on improving people’s mental health, but they use different tools to do so. Therapy only involves psychotherapy, or talk therapy, while psychiatry also uses psychiatric medication to treat mental and behavioral health issues.
If you’re seeking psychiatric care for the first time, you’ll meet with a psychiatrist or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) for an initial assessment. This is a chance to review your symptoms, medical history, and any mental health issues that may run in your family. Your provider might also order lab work to rule out underlying medical conditions.
Using their assessment and criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a psychiatrist will make a diagnosis and psychiatric treatment plan to help people reach their mental health goals.
A psychiatric treatment plan can include:
- Medication: Psychiatric providers are qualified to prescribe medication to improve mental health symptoms. Effective medication management involves regular check-ins to discuss symptom severity, dosage, and any side effects.
- Talk therapy: Also known as psychotherapy, this involves discussing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with a mental health professional. Some common types of therapy include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic therapy.
- Interventional treatments: Interventional psychiatry uses procedure-based treatments to manage severe and treatment-resistant mental health conditions. This includes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
- Functional medicine: Functional psychiatry involves lifestyle changes and lab testing for vitamin or nutrient deficiencies, environmental toxins, and hormonal changes.
- Referrals: Psychiatrists often collaborate with other healthcare professionals, like therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, and nutritionists.
It’s worth noting that psychiatric treatment is based on a person’s symptoms, risk factors, and preferences. As your symptoms improve or your concerns change, so may your treatment plan.
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The important role psychiatry plays
Our attitude toward and understanding of mental and behavioral health conditions have evolved over recent decades. Thanks to scientific advances and societal awareness, modern psychiatry has made significant improvements regarding the types of treatments and how they’re delivered.
Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world experience mental health conditions, and psychiatry plays an important role in helping them manage their symptoms. Psychiatry can reduce or resolve symptoms associated with conditions like anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
When it comes to mental healthcare, it’s important to work with a qualified professional — like a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP), or therapist. Psychiatry can help people who:
- Have moderate to severe mental health symptoms that interfere with daily functioning
- Have a mental health condition known to be responsive to psychiatric medication, like anxiety or depression
- Want to add medication to their mental health treatment plan
- Have had limited success with talk therapy alone
What to know before starting psychiatric care
If you’re thinking about psychiatry, you probably have a few questions. It’s always helpful to consult a primary care provider or therapist before starting psychiatric care, but some other considerations can help you understand if you’d benefit from psychiatry.
Some common questions that people have about psychiatric care include:
- Is psychiatry right for me? Psychiatry can help people manage symptoms, improve relationships, and enhance quality of life. Starting care is a personal decision, and educating yourself and engaging in self-reflection can help you understand if it’s right for you.
- Can I combine psychiatry and therapy? Yes, many people benefit from combining therapy and psychiatry. If you’re already in therapy, you can ask your therapist for a referral.
- How do I choose a psychiatrist? When looking for a psychiatric provider, it’s important to consider your symptoms, needs, and preferences. For example, you might want someone with a similar cultural background or experience treating your specific concerns.
- Is psychiatric treatment available online? Many psychiatrists now see patients via video calls. Research shows that telepsychiatry can be just as effective as in-person care for many mental health conditions.
- Is psychiatry expensive? The cost of seeing a psychiatrist varies based on factors like your geographic location, provider experience, and insurance coverage.
A common misconception people might have is thinking that psychiatry and therapy do the same thing. In reality, therapy helps people process emotions and patterns, while psychiatry helps manage the brain chemistry behind those emotions.
Find care with Rula
Psychiatry plays an important role in diagnosing and treating conditions like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Whether you’re interested in learning more about psychiatry or ready to meet with a mental health provider, Rula can help.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.
About the author
Alex Bachert
Alex Bachert is a freelance copywriter and mental health advocate. Since earning her masters degree in public health, she has focused her career on creating informative content that empowers people to prioritize their health and well-being. Alex has partnered with organizations like Ro, WellTheory, and Firsthand, and her work has been recognized by the Digital Health Association.
When she’s not writing about mental health, Alex is usually playing pickleball, meeting with her local board of health, or enjoying time with her three kids.
Rula's editorial process
Rula's editorial team is on a mission to make science-backed mental health insights accessible and practical for every person seeking to better understand or improve mental wellness.
Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
