Ironically, although the mind turns people into conscious and intelligent beings, it remains one of the greatest mysteries of science (Bertran, n.d.). Although more and more is known about its nature, research on mental health remains basic, since many of the diseases and disorders related to it continue to have a very high incidence in today's society. In correspondence with Bertran (n.d.), this is where psychology and psychiatry come in, two professions that deal with the knowledge and study of mental health that, despite their differences, are often confused.
Etymological Differences
If the etymology of the words that make up these two races is carefully analyzed, clues are found about what the work of each one is (Clemente, 2019). On the one hand, the prefix "psy" is derived from the Latin word "mind" and "iatry" originated in Greece and refers to the concept of cure or medicine (Rosado, n.d.). By combining the two affixes, according to Clemente (2019), psychiatry will lead to the medicine of the mind.
On the other hand, the prefix "psy" is derived from the Latin word "mind", and "logy" means "theory" or "science" (Rosado, n.d.). So, psychology can be defined as the science of the mind (Rosado, n.d.). Specifically, clinical psychology is the branch of psychology in charge of the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness (Clemente, 2019). Given the complexity of the human brain and the number of factors involved in mental health, it is necessary to treat each patient appropriately. To do this, according to Clemente (2019), it must be possible to determine which area is responsible for each area.
Differences in Academic Training
The most significant difference between psychologists and psychiatrists are the studies carried out (González, 2015; Rodríguez, 2019). On the one hand, the psychologist carried out a university study in the career of psychology, which lasts approximately 4 years (Prieto, n.d.). There, psychology students learn about psychological difficulties through an understanding of human behavior. In correspondence with Clemente (2019), once the psychology degree is finished, these professionals will have multiple opportunities, such as clinical psychology, neuropsychology, human resources, criminology, among others.
On the contrary, the psychiatrist completed a university degree in medicine, which lasts approximately 6 years, and specialized in mental illnesses (González, 2015; Céspedes, 2017; Triglia, n.d .; Prieto, n.d.). According to González (2015), his research is generally focused on medicine and emphasizes its importance in the organic aspects of mental disorders.
Differences in Treatment
On the one hand, psychologists conduct evaluations and treatments for psychotherapy, give importance to the dimensions of thought, emotion, and behavior, help people understand and resolve current psychological difficulties, and help them build relationships so that they can obtain necessary mental health (González, 2015; Céspedes, 2017). According to Rodríguez (2019), some of the reasons why people visit a psychologist are behavior problems, learning problems, depression or anxiety.
When visiting a psychologist for the first time, a lot is worked with the therapeutic alliance so that the person feels in a safe environment, gains confidence in this person and can really open up and expose their complaints, pains and living conditions (Rodríguez, 2019). Similarly, in correspondence with Rodríguez (2019), in the first visit all ethical and legal aspects of the profession should be discussed so that patients understand that the main thing is to safeguard their well-being and find ways to help them improve their motivation to appointments, but that confidentiality always has limitations, especially when the patient thinks of harming himself or others.
Regarding the psychiatrist, it focuses on the use of pharmacology through the prescription of drugs to improve the symptoms of a certain disability in people's lives due to mental illness (González, 2015; Céspedes, 2017; Prieto, n.d.). In the same way, there are psychiatrists who, in addition to medications, include psychological interventions (González, 2015). In correspondence with González (2015), it should be noted that, although the psychologist has received training in psychopharmacology, they cannot prescribe medications, since this is the exclusive field of the psychiatrist.
However, the experience with the psychiatrist will depend on the level of care the patient receives (Rodríguez, 2019). For example, if it is an outpatient service, in the first visit the reason for the consultation is identified, the initial symptoms are determined and the initial diagnosis is made, however, the most important thing is to request laboratory tests or images to rule out that the the patient's problem is not caused by something physical.
Differences in Hospitalizations
Another significant difference between psychologists and psychiatrists is that in the presence of a mental health crisis, a psychiatrist can make admissions to hospitalizations (Rodríguez, 2019). Instead, psychologists can refer patients to the psychiatrist and work with an interdisciplinary team to treat the inpatient. In correspondence with Rodríguez (2019), this is because the only person who can admit another person to a hospital is the doctor, which, in this case, the doctor is the psychiatrist.
Differences in the Duration of the Sessions
Another difference between psychology and psychiatry is the time of consultations (Bertran, n.d.). Since psychology deals with psychological problems from a social perspective, it must have a detailed understanding of all aspects of human life, including the present and the past (Bertran, n.d.). In correspondence with Prieto (n.d.), this allows the meeting to last approximately one hour, since psychologists must have enough time to explore the conflict in the person's mind and provide the necessary guidance.
On the contrary, going to a psychiatrist is like going to any other doctor's office (Prieto, n.d.). Instead of carrying out a detailed psychological evaluation, they limit themselves to analyzing the patient's symptoms and prescribing one or another medication based on the symptoms (Bertran, n.d.). According to Prieto (n.d..), the course of treatment is shorter because it does not delve into the cause, since, from a medical point of view, this is enough to solve the problem.
References
Bertran, P. Las 5 diferencias entre Psicología y Psiquiatría. Medicoplus.com. Recuperado 6 September 2021, a partir de https://medicoplus.com/psiquiatria/diferencias-psicologia-psiquiatria
Céspedes, F. (2017). Diferencias entre psicología y psiquiatría. psicologia-online.com. Recuperado 6 December 2020, a partir de https://www.psicologia-online.com/diferencias-entre-psicologia-y-psiquiatria-39.html
Clemente, S. (2019). Psiquiatra y psicólogo clínico: las 7 diferencias. La Mente es Maravillosa. Recuperado 2 December 2020, a partir de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/psiquiatra-y-psicologo-las-7-diferencias/
González, B. (2015). ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre un psicólogo y un psiquiatra?. Somos Psicología y Formación. Recuperado 2 December 2020, a partir de https://www.somospsicologos.es/blog/cual-es-la-diferencia-entre-un-psicologo-y-un-psiquiatra/
Prieto, B. (s.f.). Las 5 diferencias entre Psicología y Psiquiatría. Medicoplus.com. Recuperado 6 December 2020, a partir de https://medicoplus.com/psiquiatria/diferencias-psicologia-psiquiatria
Rodríguez, D. (2019). Las diferencias entre el psicólogo y el psiquiatra. es mental. Recuperado 6 December 2020, a partir de https://www.esmental.com/las-diferencias-entre-el-psicologo-y-el-psiquiatra/
Rosado, C. Diferencia entre psicólogos y psiquiatras. Centro de Psicología Usera. Recuperado 6 September 2021, a partir de https://psicologiausera.com/psicologia/terapia-psicologica/diferencia-entre-psicologos-y-psiquiatras/
Triglia, A. (s.f). ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre un psicólogo y un psiquiatra?. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 6 December 2020, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/diferencias-psicologo-psiquiatra
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