noun
psychiatry
sigh-KY-uh-tree/saɪˈkaɪətri/
The branch of medicine concerned with diagnosing and treating mental disorders.
In psychiatry, a doctor listens carefully as a patient talks.
Etymology
“Mind” and “healing” give the literal image of healing the soul. Here the soul is understood as the mind, making the compound a name for medical care of mental illness.
In context
But that doesn't actually reflect a lot of what psychiatry is. um particularly in the public system where we care for people with some of the most severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression
More examples
- She chooses psychiatry as her medical specialty.
- The hospital's psychiatry department treats people with severe depression.
- Advances in psychiatry offer new treatments for mental disorders.
Forms
psychiatry
psychiatrist noun — A doctor who diagnoses and treats mental disorders.
psychiatric adjective — Relating to medical treatment of mental disorders.
Similar words
- mental health care
- Includes nonmedical counseling and support as well as medical treatment.