The psychology It is the branch of science that deals with the mind as an entity and its relationship with the body, the environment, and society. The psychiatry It is the branch of medicine in charge of the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of metal diseases.
In both psychology and psychiatry, the term mental health it’s key. A simple definition of mental health is:
“the state of well-being in which each individual reaches their potential, can deal with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to contribute to their community” (WHO, 2014)
Characteristic Psychiatry Professional Psychology Psychiatrist Psychologist Definition Branch of medicine that is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of mental illnesses Scientific discipline in charge of the study of behavior and mental processes Objective of study Treatment of mental illnesses Systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and knowledge Etymology From Greek psukhe =”spirit, soul” and iatreia= “healing” From the Greek psukhe =”spirit, soul” and logos= “knowledge” Study phenomena Abnormal states of mind Perception, knowledge, emotion, personality, behavior, interpersonal relationships Sciences Biology Social sciences
What is psychology?
Psychology is the branch of science that studies behavior and mental processes. As a discipline it is interested in why and how people do what they do. The word “psychology” means “study or treatise on the soul.”
Psychology interacts with other disciplines of knowledge such as biology, neurology, physiology, human anatomy and sociology. Sometimes psychology can seem very abstract, with aspects more similar to philosophy than biology.
branches of psychology
Developmental psychology: deals with the different stages of development throughout life. Clinical psychology: addresses mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Cognitive and perceptual psychology: studies human perception, thought, and memory. Questions like how do people learn? How does the mind represent reality? And how do people understand and produce language? are of interest to this field of psychology. Forensic Psychology: applies psychological principles to legal matters. For example, the forensic psychologist can assess the mental competence of a defendant in a trial. Evolutionary psychology: studies how evolutionary principles such as mutations, adaptations or selection influence human thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Neuropsychology: explores the relationships between the nervous system and behavior, the way the brain creates and stores memories, or how diseases or damage to the brain affect emotions and perceptions. Sports psychology: helps athletes and athletes in motivation techniques and focus on their competitive goals, as well as dealing with anxiety problems and fear of failure.
You may be interested in learning about other branches of psychology.
What is psychiatry?
Psychiatry is a medical specialty that seeks to evaluate and treat people (and family members) living with complex brain problems. These include:
depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, developmental disorders (such as autism), and neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
Psychiatry deals with abnormal emotional states, in particular:
disturbances of mood and emotions, especially problems such as anxiety and depression; disturbances of perception such as hallucinations; thought disturbances and obsessive-compulsive disorders, memory disorders such as amnesia, consciousness disturbances such as coma; disturbances of attention and concentration, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
branches of psychiatry
Neuropsychiatry: includes psychiatric disorders that arise from verifiable abnormalities of brain structure and function. These include epilepsy, amnesia, cerebrovascular problems, and dementia. Child and adolescent (or child-juvenile) psychiatry: problems on the autism spectrum, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse. Geriatric psychiatry: deals with problems associated with old age, such as cognitive and behavioral disturbances that occur in dementia. Forensic Psychiatry: deals with the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with mental disorders and legal problems. Sexology: deals with sexual dysfunctions and deviations, such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, decreased sexual desire or addiction to sex. Addiction psychiatry: deals with both substance (alcoholism, psychotropic drugs) and behavioral (betting, gaming, shopping, technology) addictions.
tools of psychiatry
Computerized axial tomography is one of the diagnostic tools for mental problems.
For the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, psychiatry has at its disposal different tools, both technological and chemical, namely:
Psychopharmacology. Neuroimaging techniques. Genetics.
Stigma in psychiatry
In general, people fear mental illness and tend to stigmatize those affected by it. This fear and stigma causes are often based on erroneous beliefs such as:
The notion that a person with mental illness cannot control their behavior, that they can act in strange, unpredictable, and possibly violent ways. That the person with mental illness is a threat against himself and against others. That people with mental illness feel differently than others. That people with mental illnesses find it difficult to establish relationships and communicate. That people with mental illnesses do not heal and do not recover.
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