psychiatry
Definitions
The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders
精神病学；精神科（诊断和治疗精神疾病的医学分支）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedpsych (mind) + iatr (healer, medical treatment) + -y = 'the healing of the mind.' The iatr root is the same one in pediatrics (healing children) and geriatrics (healing the old). So psychiatry is the medical specialty that treats the mind — distinct from psychology, which studies it.
Root psych still carries 8 more wordsWhy It Means This
The key thing to know: a psychiatrist is a medical doctor (the iatr 'healing' root signals medicine) who can diagnose illness and prescribe drugs. A psychologist studies the mind and provides talk therapy but usually cannot prescribe. Same psych- root, different second halves — and that difference matters in the real world.
Common Collocations
- 1.forensic psychiatry法医精神病学
- 2.practice psychiatry从事精神科工作
- 3.department of psychiatry精神科/精神病学系
- 4.child psychiatry儿童精神病学
Example Sentences
- 1.
He decided to specialize in psychiatry after medical school.
- 2.
Modern psychiatry combines medication with talk therapy.
- 3.
She works in the department of psychiatry at a teaching hospital.
Easily Confused
psychiatry vs psychology — psychiatry (psych + iatr 'heal') is medicine: psychiatrists are MDs who treat mental illness and prescribe drugs. psychology (psych + logy 'study') is the science of the mind: psychologists study behavior and give therapy but usually can't prescribe. Need pills → psychiatry; need to understand or talk → psychology.