Often, when referring to mental health, patients use the terms “psychiatry” and “psychology” interchangeably. This is a simple mistake to make if you are not entirely familiar with the field of mental healthcare.
While these two practices have a lot in common when it comes to fundamentals and foundation, there are various differences between them.
Let’s explore the differences and similarities between psychiatry and psychology.
What is psychiatry?
By definition, psychiatry is a branch of medicine that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental health disorders. According to Psychology Today, the term means “the medical treatment of the soul.”
Psychiatry involves a medical professional, such as a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner, who specializes in caring for psychological conditions from both physical and mental aspects.
What is psychology?
In general, when you think of anything that has “ology” in it, it means the study of something. So psychology is the study of the mind, emotions, behavior. It was almost considered a branch of philosophy for a while before becoming its own discipline.
Often, psychology is directly involved in studying cognitive and social factors that affect how people act and behave.
Therefore, a psychologist is a trained and licensed medical professional who helps patients living with mental health disorders. Their practices are more behavior-based than medicinally-charged.
How are they similar?
Psychiatrists and psychologists can both use psychotherapy to help people effectively manage mental health disorders, immense life changes, and trauma.
They are similar in that they help people manage their mental health using tried-and-true techniques and practices to promote healing and live a healthier, more balanced life.
How are they different?
The main difference is that a psychologist cannot prescribe medication.
A psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner, has medical training and goes through pharmacology intensives to be able to prescribe medications. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are more medication-focused, while psychologists are mainly about talking and providing behavioral therapy.
Additionally, when comparing treatment methods, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners are more biology-based in their knowledge and care, looking at treatment in a more precise medical and anatomical manner. They know precisely what is causing the medical condition and how treatment can restructure the way the brain operates to reduce symptoms and get a patient feeling better faster.
While psychologists understand the medical side of mental health, their primary focus is on controlling emotions and behaviors caused by those conditions. Psychologists rely heavily on psychotherapy to treat mental health disorders, considering medication as a secondary option when needed.
Another main difference is the type and length of education needed for each specialty. For example, to become a psychiatrist, you must attend medical school after obtaining your bachelor’s degree. To become a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you must attend nursing school as well as a master’s degree program in psychiatry after obtaining your bachelor’s degree.
Prospective psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners focus on pharmacology, anatomy, biology, neurology, and disease to help them become well-rounded medical professionals. Psychiatrists must complete a residency for about three to four years before becoming fully licensed. In total, the process to become a licensed psychiatrist is about 8 years post-undergraduate.
Conversely, psychologists can obtain a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate-level degree to become licensed, taking up to two years for a master’s degree or up to seven years for a Ph.D., post-undergraduate.
Who should I see for mental health treatment?
In short, it depends on what your goals are.
If you need medication management, you want to see a psychiatrist or a psychiatric NP or PA. However, you should go to a psychologist or a licensed counselor therapist if you want therapy.
If you need both medication and specific therapy to help with medical-related symptoms and social behaviors and emotions, there is no harm in seeing both a psychiatrist and psychologist for dual treatment.
To learn more about the power of psychiatry and how it can help you with your own mental health disorder, contact us today. We provide advanced services to get you feeling better sooner.