Psychiatric health care professionals are in high demand. There is presently a severe shortage that is expected to grow. In the meantime, the demand for psychiatric health care is growing. Available jobs and careers abound in the field of psychiatric health care professions.
What Is Psychiatry?
Psychiatry is a specialty of medical science that is focused on human mental disorders. Psychiatrists treat patients suffering from an inability to adapt normally to life conditions in terms of behavior, mood, and knowledge or understanding of reality.
The practice of psychiatry surprisingly has an ancient genesis. The modern classification of ‘madness’ as a medical condition began in the 19th century. At that time, medical science treated mental disorders as biological in nature.
Along came Freud in the late 19th century with the psychoanalytic theory of mental disorders. The practice was favored because it allowed many mental disorders to be treated outside the asylum environment.
However, Freudian psychiatry has fallen out of favor and has been replaced by different psychiatric disciplines, including the re-emergence of biological psychiatry.
Psychiatrist Demand
There is currently a shortage of psychiatric health providers. The shortage of psychiatrists is growing. Hospitals are actively recruiting psychiatrists to fill out the services they provide to their communities.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are currently about 45,580 practicing psychiatrists. However, the demand for psychiatric care is growing, so the number of psychiatrists must increase by 2,800 to meet that demand. As a result, it is predicted that the shortage could reach 6,090 doctors by 2025.
A major reason for the shortage is an increase in demand. In addition, the stigma associated with mental health has diminished while the media has promoted the benefits of mental health care.
Another problem is the inefficient national distribution of psychiatrists. Qualified psychiatrists tend to be attracted to more lucrative urban practices, while mental disorders are not demographically discriminatory. It is estimated that more than 55% of the counties in the U.S. have no practicing psychiatrists.
Psychiatrist v. Psychologist on Qualifications
Psychiatrists and Psychologists both treat mental disorders. Their practices overlap in methods and treatments, but there are significant differences.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD or OD) specializing in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental disorders. First, a psychiatrist must complete a medical school curriculum. Then they must complete at least three years of psychiatry residency, usually at a psychiatric hospital.
Clinical Psychologists have a PhD. in Psychology, the study of the mind and behaviors, and psychotherapy treatment of mental and emotional disorders. After earning a PhD., a clinical psychologist completes two to three-year residency training in psychological theory, treatment methods, psychological testing, and behavioral therapy.
A clinical psychologist generally uses the same psychotherapy methods as a psychiatrist but employs more psychological testing. Also, they cannot prescribe medications or perform medical procedures.
What Disorders Are Treated By Psychiatric Professionals?
Psychiatrists treat many different psychiatric or mental disorders. They are categorized by mental illnesses, severe learning disabilities, and personality disorders.
Mental illness or disorder is a persistent or relapsing pattern of behavior or mental function that causes great personal distress.
A learning disability is a problem that the brain has with processing information and impedes the capacity to learn and use that information. Treatment of learning disorders is not the exclusive domain of psychiatrists, but they are sometimes consulted for severe disabilities.
Personality disorders are mental disorders manifested by irregular behavior or cognition that deviate from those generally regarded and accepted as normal in one’s society and culture. As a result, a universally accepted definition is hard to identify. But an “official” definition is stated in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Personality disorders affect how a person relates to the rest of society. It is an abnormal condition that develops early and is inflexible. It is generally, but not necessarily, associated with early life distressful external events.
Personality disorders are perhaps the most prevalent mental disorders. They include major depression, anxiety, and narcissistic personality.
What Do Psychiatrists Do?
Psychiatrists treat mental disorders with a combination of psychiatric medication and psychotherapy.
The psychiatrist will start with a psychiatric evaluation based on personal interviews, medical history, and information from other health care professionals, relatives, and law enforcement personnel. They are especially focused on any potential for self-harm.
Hospitalization is less often prescribed than it used to be. Outpatient treatment is typically comprised of periodic office visits. After the initial assessment, follow-up visits focus on suitable medications and psychotherapy.
Managed care insurance plans started in the 1980s to limit reimbursements of psychotherapy treatment by psychiatrists. Hence, psychiatrists have reduced their psychotherapy treatments and started to focus on psychopharmacology.
As a result, psychiatrists typically refer to clinical psychologists their patients they perceive to require psychotherapy or counseling. In addition, some psychiatrists and psychologists combine their practices under one roof.
Conclusion
Psychiatric care treatments and methods have evolved. Demand has increased, and the supply of professionals has not kept pace. This market is ripe for young people aspiring to an interesting and challenging career in health care. In particular, there are many jobs in psychiatry Dallas, TX.
