A psychiatrist is a physician who has completed specialist training in psychotherapy and psychiatry. He mainly deals with the diagnosis, treatment and therapy of mental illness. Mental illnesses mainly influence perception and thinking and are quite common in our society.
In contrast to a psychotherapist who has completed studies in psychology and psychotherapy, a specialist as a psychiatrist is preceded by studies in medicine and at least five years of specialist training. Certified psychologists or psychologists with a master’s degree are persons who have completed a study of psychology but have not been trained as psychotherapists. A psychotherapist is licensed to treat patients, but is not allowed to prescribe medication.
This privilege is reserved for the psychiatrist, for example he can prescribe antidepressants in case of depression. Often psychiatrists also have a specialist in neurology and can thus diagnose, research and treat mental illness. Psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists are legally protected titles and are reserved for those who have completed the appropriate training.
A psychological counsellor does not need to have completed any of the above training in order to use this title. If there is a suspicion of a mental illness, patients are usually referred to a psychiatrist by their family doctor. A psychiatrist usually has a normal health insurance license. Some psychiatrists have further specialized in the field of forensic psychology. This border area between medicine and law focuses mainly on legal issues, such as the criminal liability of offenders.
Are psychiatrists doctors or no doctors?
In Germany, the title of psychiatrist is considered a so-called protected designation. This means that only persons who have completed medical studies and subsequent specialist training may call themselves psychiatrists. The titles of psychologist and psychotherapist must be distinguished from this designation.
In practice, this differentiation can be seen above all in the fact that only psychiatrists are allowed to use medication to treat mental illness. This is due to the fact that they have a better understanding of the mode of action and side effects of the drugs used as a result of their medical studies and specialist training. In addition, psychotropic drugs, i.e. drugs used to cure mental illness, often interact with other drugs. In order to be able to adequately assess this interaction, the completion of medical studies is a necessary prerequisite.
