what does a psychiatrist do

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They are trained to assess all of a patients mental and physical symptoms, make a diagnosis, and develop a management plan for treatment and recovery. Psychiatrists can order or perform a full range of medical laboratory and psychological tests, which, combined with discussions with patients, help provide a picture of a patients physical and mental state. They can prescribe medications to help treat mental disorders, and they use criteria from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) to diagnose specific mental health conditions. Psychiatrists provide psychological treatment, prescribe medications, and do procedures such as rTMS or electroconvulsive therapy. They also offer practical advice about diet, sleep, and other ways patients can help themselves get better. Psychiatrists work in a variety of settings, including private practices, clinics, general and psychiatric hospitals, academic health centers, community agencies, courts and prisons, nursing homes, industry, government, military settings, rehabilitation programs, emergency rooms, hospice programs, and many other places. They can also serve in leadership roles. Psychiatrists are different from psychologists in that they are medical doctors who can prescribe medications and perform medical procedures related to mental health, while psychologists mainly provide counseling and nonmedical support but cant prescribe medication.