While both psychiatrists and psychologists are mental health professionals, the big difference is that psychiatrists are physicians (MDs) while psychologists are not. Because they are licensed doctors, psychiatrists can prescribe drugs. Psychologists are not allowed to do that.
Comparisons
Education:
Psychiatrists are physicians or MDs who have completed at least four years of post graduate training. They are the only mental health specialists licensed to prescribe drugs and to give full physical examinations. Psychologists have PhDs in clinical or counseling or the equivalent and have more training in psychological research and personality assessment than MDs.
Type of work:
The medical training of psychiatrists qualifies them for administering somatic therapies such electro-convulsive therapy and psychotropic medication. Psychologists work in some 40 different specialties. Psychiatrist may be experimenters studying rats in mazes or electrical impulses in nerve cells or environmental. Psychologists observing people in crowded cities.
Method of Treatment:
Psychiatrist treat variety of patients, from children and adolescents with behavior disorders to adults with severe cases of mental illness and prescribe medications. Psychologist treat emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioral intervention and provide counseling, conduct psychological testing and assessment.
In short:
Psychiatrist have a MD degree after any program majoring in science, thus, are qualified to be a medical doctor. Psychologist have a PhD degree after majoring in psychology.
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