What's the difference between psychology and psychiatry?

Question

What's the difference between psychology and psychiatry?

Answer 1

Psychiatry involves more study of medicine where Psychology deals more with cognition and behavior science.

Also, Psychiatrists are doctors.

Answer 2

Please, please look it up in a dictionary.

Answer 3

psychiatrists are MDs who can prescribe meds.  psychologists are not.  they can either have a masters or a Ph.D.  there is also a Psy.D., but it's much less common.  only a few schools offer that advanced degree.

Answer 4

Hi there - good question!

There are many complex differences, but I'll give you the run down......

Psychiatrists practice psychiatry - and the assumption is that someone's suffering originates in the body.

Because of this, the psychiatrist is a medical doctor - an M.D.

Psychiatrists write prescriptions rather than talk to patients - and this is the biggest difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

A Psychiatrist is trained to use Medicine to alleviate an issue.

Psychology is an ALTERNATIVE to medicine - and psychologists talk to clients - and rarely use medicine (there is one state, New Mexico I believe, that granted prescription writing privileges to psychologists - but usually psychologists cannot write prescriptions).

This is the point of psychology - to offer an alternative to medicine.

Psychologists conduct therapy - and encourage the client to talk about their problems, usually by examining their past - this helps them deal with their issues in a safe environments.

Psychologists believe the main issue is the mind and in the way the person sees the world or relates to her/his past - psychiatrists believe the issue in physical...

Both psychiatrists and psychologists are right! But it's a matter of evidence - if the person is experiencing emotional extremes, then the problem is probably physiological - if the person is fixated on his past, then it's probably psychological....

Hope this helps! :)

Answer 5

Psychology is the study of mental processes and behavior

And I believe Psychiatry is more of a study of mental disorders and how to treat them than anything.

Answer 6

A psychiatrist can prescribe meds while a psychologist can't.

(Basic difference)

A psychiatrist is an MD

Answer 7

Psychiatry involves medicinal help whereas psychology typically doesn't... or at least it's not their specialty. So, for example, if you wanted someone to talk to you would go to a psychologist. If the psychologist thought you might benefit from medication (anti-depressant, ADD meds etc.) he would recommend you to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist would then issue the correct prescription, make sure you're taking the right amount that you need and monitor any changes the medication does for you. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

psychiatry is a medical specialty so they need to become MDs first and then specialize. They usually give prescription medications now and no therapy. In the past I think that they might have done more talking than they do now.

Psychology is a discipline that you find in colleges and universities where people study the mind and you can get a BA, BS, MS, MA or PhD in it. Psychologists often do counseling and can do testing but cannot prescribe drugs.

Answer 9

I think a psychiatrist need a medical degree also