Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a division of medicine that takes the complete range of human behaviors, from strict mental sickness to daily worries and concerns, as its study. In the 19th century the regulation was largely concerned with the insane, with the mentally ill sequestered in large custodial asylums situated largely in rural areas; as a result, psychiatrists were cut off from medicine's main currents. In the early 20ths century, under the guidance of such men as Adolf Meyer and E. E. Southard, psychiatry extended to address both the pathological and the normal, with questions connected with schizophrenia at the one tremendous and problems in living at the other. While the medical specialty of psychiatry utilizes research in the area of neuroscience, psychology, biology, medicine, biochemistry, and pharmacology, it has generally been considered a middle ground between neurology and psychology. Unlike other doctors and neurologists, psychiatrists specialize in the doctor-patient relationship and are trained in the use of psychotherapy and other therapeutic communication methods. Psychiatrists can therefore recommend medications, order laboratory tests, utilize Neuro-imaging in a clinical setting, and conduct physical examinations.