Psychiatrist

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A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and cognitive disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation of psychiatric conditions as defined by the DSM, and in psychotherapy as well. In the past it was common to have physicians who were also trained in psychoanalysis, however this has since become less common in the last twnty years. Most modern psychiatrist in the United States are members of the American Psychiatric Association.

As part of their psychiatric evaluation of the patient, only psychiatrists are authorized to prescribe psychiatric medication, conduct physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests and electroencephalograms, and may order brain imaging studies such as computed tomography or computed axial tomography (CT/CAT Scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography scanning. However, a number of states have passed legistation in the last decade to grant psychologists these powers, as the mental health field has experiencing a significant shortage of psychiatrists.

History

The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808, and literally means the 'medical care of the soul/mind'; from the Koine Greek 'psukhē', meaning: intelligble soul/mind; and the suffix '-iatry', meaning: medical care; from the Attic Greek. 'iātrikos': to heal). However, it held common use as an unspecified division of medicine before that time.

Specialist hospitals for the practice of psychiatry were built in Baghdad as early as 705 AD, followed by one in Fes in the early 8th century, and Cairo in the year 800 AD. Physicians who wrote on mental disorders and their treatment in the Medieval Islamic period included Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi (Rhazes), the Arab physician Najab ud-din Muhammadand Abu Ali al-Hussain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina, known in the Western world as Avicenna. Islamic study of psychiatric medicine and theories of mind were some of the most advanced of the period.

In contrast, specialist hospitals that were built in medieval Europe, from the 13th century to treat mental disorders, were utilized only as custodial institutions and did not provide any type of treatment to their patients. Founded in the 13th century, Bethlem Royal Hospital in London is one of the oldest lunatic asylums. By 1547, the City of London acquired the hospital and continued its function until 1948, afterwhich it passed to the care of the National Health Service and is an NHS Foundation Trust.

The term Alienist was used frequently to refer to both American/European psychiatrists and psychologists as late as the early 20th century. It is currently considered archaic in medical circles, and is not commonly employed.

Modern psychiatry attempts to combine the use of psychoactive medication and psychotherapy in treatment, but current practice also includes widely ranging variety of other potential modalities. Treatment may be delivered on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the severity of functional impairment or on other aspects of the psychiatric disorder in question. Research and treatment within psychiatry as a whole are conducted on an interdisciplinary basis, sourcing an array of sub-specialties and theoretical approaches.