| Psychiatry is the medical
specialty concerned with the study of mental disorders and the diagnosis,
management, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.
Psychiatry is not to be confused with psychology -
the scientific but non-medical study of the mind, incl. behaviour and
mental
processes. Both of these terms are derived from the prefix psych- which
refers to the mond or, more accurately, to the "psyche" i.e.
the "mind
or the soul; the mental as opposed to the physical aspects of a person".
An excellent (readable !) introduction to psychiatry is the Pengiun
Paperback: "Layman's
Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis" by Eric Berne - Psychiatrist
and Writer based in North America.
Some cultures and political regimes have abused this important
area of medicine by defining persons whose social, political, or religious
views they did not consider to be helpful or acceptable as "mentally
ill" and confining them to institutions that were
effectively prisons - but often referred to as some type of "hospital".
The issues
pertaining to these cases are concerned with social sciences, political
sciences and human rights law rather than with medicine.
Nevertheless, psychiatry and the politics of "mental illness" are
key areas in the growing field of medical ethics. These topics are hotly
debated in countries that legislate to detain persons whom medical doctors
consider "likely to commit" a crime - even if the individual
has not actually done so, or threatened to do so. Associated Terms:
* _ A medical specialist
in the field of psychiatry is called a psychiatrist.
* _ Psychogeriatrics is the
branch of psychiatry concerned with the mental health of older people.
Links to other relevant areas on this website include:
* _ Glossary Section for
Research
into Visual Perception (an aspect of perceptual psychology).
* _ Glossary Section for
General
Medical Terms.
This part of the IvyRose Holistic Resources Glossary is included as a
study-aid for students following first-level courses in human biology,
medicine, nursing, natural or holistic therapies, and associated theoretical
courses - who are required recognise and understand medical terms such
as those of the disciplines within medicine. |
