Psychiatry

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Psychiatry is a medical specialty officially devoted to the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders. The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808.

Psychiatric assessment typically involves a mental status examination, the taking of a case history. Psychological tests may also be conducted. Physical examinations may be carried out and on occasion neuroimaging or other neurophysiological studies are performed. Mental disorders are diagnosed based on criteria listed in diagnostic manuals, such as the widely used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), and the World Health Organization.

Psychiatric treatment employs a variety of therapeutic modalities including medications, psychotherapy, and a wide variety of other treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation. Depending upon the disorder being treated, the severity of the symptoms, and level of impaired functioning, treatment may be conducted on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Research and the clinical application of psychiatry are conducted on an interdisciplinary basis involving various sub-specialties and theoretical approaches.

For more information about Psychiatry, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with psychiatry

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Possible link studied between childhood abuse and early cellular aging

Possible link studied between childhood abuse and early cellular aging

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 20, 2009 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults, according to new research from Butler Hospital and Brown University.


The developing child: Rating aggressive and delinquent behavior in pre-adolescence

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

In a study published in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry researchers show that over reactive parenting, such as heavy criticism or yelling as a response to a child's negative behavior, can pr ...


Common plastics chemicals linked to ADHD symptoms

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (5) | comments 4

Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some linking exposure to these ...


Full recovery now possible for an 'untreatable' mental illness

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 3

Patients coping with the chaos and misery of Borderline Personality Disorder now have reason for strong confidence in making major life changes through a new treatment, Schema Therapy. For the first time, three major outcome ...


Are teenagers wired differently than adults?

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Parents have long suspected that the brains of their teenagers function differently than those of adults. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, we have begun to appreciate how the brain continues to develop ...


Heart Disease a 'Silent Killer' in Patients With Severe Mental Illness

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A large new study confirms that people with severe mental disorders -- such as schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders -- are 25 percent to 40 percent more prone to die from heart disease than people without mental illness ...


Fearless kids more likely to be adult criminals: study

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Children who lack a normal fear response are more likely to commit crimes when they grow up, a study published Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested.


Study: Can meditation sharpen our attention?

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 13, 2009 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (12) | comments 5

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that people can train their minds to stay focused.


Targeting teen depression

Targeting teen depression

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 13, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Psychologist Mona Taouk is developing a world-first questionnaire to identify young people at risk of depression and suicide.


The narrow line between love and jealousy

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 12, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

A new study carried out at the University of Haifa has found that the hormone oxytocin, the "love hormone", which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy ...


Virtual reality games could help bullying victims

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Virtual reality games could help children to escape victimisation and bullying at school, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.


Connection between depression and osteoporosis detailed

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Research carried out among thousands of people has shown a clear connection between depression and a loss of bone mass, leading to osteoporosis and fractures.


Gene Increases Susceptibility to Post-Traumatic Stress, Researchers Find

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A gene variant makes people who experienced trauma as children or adults more susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Yale researchers have found.


New therapy gives hope for very severe depression

New therapy gives hope for very severe depression

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 4

Thanks to a new method there is a reason for hope for patients with very severe depression. German physicians at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne have treated ten patients with deep brain stimulation. ...


Dietary patterns linked with depression

Processed, high-fat foods linked with depression

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (6) | comments 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- People who eat a diet laden with processed and high-fat foods may put themselves at greater risk of depression, according to UCL (University College London) research published today.