Working Well

Psychiatrists are qualified medical doctors who diagnose and treat mental, emotional and behavioural disorders and prescribe medications and treatment to promote or restore good health.

Treatment methods used by psychiatrists can be physical, psychological, involve medication or may be a combination of these approaches. While psychiatrists often use medical psychotherapy to assist patients in understanding the basis of his or her problems and to work with the patient in finding a solution, psychiatrists typically prescribe medications, with the aim of removing symptoms, altering the course of the illnesses and to return patients to a normal life. In some instances medications can be life saving, for example, in a case of a severe depressive illness. Psychiatrists are highly experienced in prescribing and monitoring these medications.

To practice within Australia, psychiatrists must have studied medicine at university, undertake extensive training in psychiatry and have membership with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) or the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

There is usually a high demand for psychiatrists working in public areas such as government, community centres and hospitals who offer bulk billing through Medicare. While private psychiatrists do not offer bulk billing, you can receive a Medicare rebate on fees by receiving a referral from your GP.

This information was taken from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists website. For more information about Psychiatrists, please visit their website.