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psychiatry

psychiatry

71 4.2
The part of medicine that helps people with mental health problems
  • noun
  • /saɪˈkaɪətri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : psiquiatría
  • After struggling with anxiety, she decided to consult a specialist in psychiatry for help.
  • clinical psychiatry
  • psychology and psychiatry
  • child psychiatry

This is the wrong model that that psychiatry is currently operating with.

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Examples

  • And so I want to see psychiatry turn into a brain health specialty.

  • John Rady is associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

  • Often, they were referred to psychiatry in addition to whatever medical treatment was required.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Took her to the chairman of the department of psychiatry at my medical school.

  • Hi, I'm actually an academic at the Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health program.

  • There is a connection between the research lab and psychiatry, but does Dr. Anderson see it?

    Fiction book (2001)
  • In the event, she specialized in psychiatry after earning her medical qualifications.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Psychiatry is a young science, Mr. Hausman.

  • Anna peered over the latest American Journal of Psychiatry, watching the younger woman.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The field of psychiatry encompasses various methods for diagnosing and treating mental illnesses.

Synonyms

psychopathology
vspsychiatry
  • Specialized
3 8.4

Study of mental health problems and unusual behavior

is the clinical medical branch that diagnoses treats and prevents disorders
psychological medicine
vspsychiatry
  • Specialized
4.4

A part of health care that finds and treats mental health problems

is the clinical branch that also includes prevention of disorders

How Medical

psychiatry
  • Specialized
71 4.2
psychology
  • Specialized
286 4.3
counseling
  • Specialized
331 3.7
self-help
44 3.6

Surface Forms

psychiatry singular
psychiatries plural

Morphology

psychiatry = psyche (semi-transparent) = psyche + iatry

The components correspond to 'psyche' (mind) + the medical combining form '-iatry', so the overall sense 'medical treatment of the mind' is clear in specialist contexts but '-iatry' is a technical suffix unfamiliar to many learners.

Etymology

Psychiatry starts with the Greek root psyche, meaning 'mind' or 'soul', and ends with -iatry, from a Greek word for 'doctor' or 'healer'. So psychiatry is literally 'mind-doctoring', which is why it means the medical care and treatment of mental disorders.