Meaning & use
psychiatrist
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Meaning
nouncountablemedical
A doctor trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, often by talking with patients and prescribing medicine.
Grammar: A countable noun: a psychiatrist, two psychiatrists. The p is silent at the start.
Patterns
- see a psychiatrist
- a psychiatrist at the hospital
Her doctor referred her to a psychiatrist after months of poor sleep and low mood.
The psychiatrist adjusted his medication and arranged a follow-up visit.
A child psychiatrist met with the family to discuss the boy's anxiety.
Word forms
| plural | psychiatrists |
|---|
Common combinations
- see a psychiatrist
- He decided to see a psychiatrist about his panic attacks.
- consult a psychiatrist
- The court asked the family to consult a psychiatrist before the hearing.
- consultant psychiatrist
- A consultant psychiatrist leads the hospital's mental health team.
- child psychiatrist
- The school suggested a child psychiatrist for the boy.
- forensic psychiatrist
- A forensic psychiatrist testified about the defendant's state of mind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- psychologist
- A psychologist studies behavior and mind and often provides therapy, but in most countries cannot prescribe medicine as a psychiatrist can.
- therapist
- Therapist is a broad word for anyone who offers treatment by talking, and need not hold a medical degree.
- shrink
- Shrink is an informal, sometimes mocking word for a psychiatrist, and is better avoided in serious or polite writing.
Word family
- psychiatry noun
- the branch of medicine that deals with mental illness
- psychiatric adjective
- relating to mental illness or its treatment
- psychiatrically adverb
- in a way relating to psychiatry
- psychotherapy noun
- treatment of mental distress by talking
Commonly confused: psychiatrist or psychologist?
psychiatrist vs psychologist
A psychologist usually has a degree in psychology rather than medicine, and focuses on research or talk therapy; only a psychiatrist is a physician.
Practice
Maya needed medication for severe depression. Which professional is trained as a medical doctor and can prescribe it?
Choose one answer.
A psychiatrist is a physician and may prescribe drugs. A psychologist, counselor or social worker usually offers talk-based help and, in most places, cannot prescribe.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “psychiatrist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.