Psychiatry is the specialty of medicine that focuses on diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions including depression, autism disorders, anxiety, mood and thought disorders, suicidal ideation, and ADHD with the use of psychotropic medications. The principles of psychiatry lie in research, understanding, diagnosis, and treating disorders of the mind and behavior.

Within the field of psychiatry, there are various subspecialties, including, addiction, child and adolescent, forensic, treatment-resistant depression, geriatric, and general adult. To treat each population, psychiatry providers have a variety of treatment options including pharmacological therapies, light therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, community support programs, and other forms of treatment. Psychiatry providers take into account, a person’s social determinants of health including economic stability, social and community context, neighborhood and environment, healthcare, and education. These factors along with diet, sleep, and activity level is known to affect a person’s mental health.

While a psychiatry provider may have many tools in providing care, the cornerstone of positive outcomes and healing is the physician-patient relationship.

Who can prescribe psychiatric medications?

• Psychiatrists
• APRNs
• PA-C

Kinds of medications

• Antidepressants
• Anti-anxiety medications
• Mood-stabilizers
• Antipsychotic medications
• Stimulants