The human being is a tremendously complex organism, formed by multiple body systems. And this great complexity can be altered by a great many diseases. Fortunately, when this happens we have medical and health services to help us. But what happens when we talk about imbalances in brain biochemistry or mental problems?

In these cases we have different professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists. Regarding the latter, we can find a great variety of subtypes, depending on what aspects they specialize in. In this article we are going to talk about the types of psychiatry , mentioning some of the best known subdisciplines.

What is psychiatry?

It is called psychiatry , the branch of medicine that studies the human mind and mental disorders , from a generally medical-biological perspective.

The psychiatrist’s main function is to evaluate, diagnose and treat the presence of different psychiatric disorders in order to generate a recovery of the subject and an improvement in his or her quality of life. As doctors, they have the power to prescribe psychopharmaceuticals. The treatment they offer is generally pharmacological or medical , although they have to take into account the psychological factors that mediate in the experience of the disorder.

Likewise, they often have to deal not only with the patient but also with their relatives , especially in cases that require psychiatric internment or when talking about children or the elderly with impairment or dementia.

It is a specialization within the medical career, not a university career by itself. In order to become a psychiatrist, it is first necessary to study medicine and then to go to the MIR and choose that specialty. After that, the student must spend four years as a resident doctor in psychiatry.

Types of psychiatry according to their specialization

Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that is of great interest and use to the public, seeking to treat the various mental disorders and problems that may arise. However, not all psychiatrists work with the same type of patients, and there is a great diversity of specializations . In this sense, we can find, among others, the following types of psychiatry

1. Adult Psychiatry

General psychiatry is the one that usually treats adults with some kind of severe mental pathology. Mood disorders such as depression or bipolarity, anxiety problems and phobias and psychotic disorders are usually the main reason for consultation.

2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Probably the type of population most often consulted because of concern for their well-being is the child population. This is a particularly delicate and fragile type of population, with differential characteristics that require more delicate treatment. It is also one of the types of psychiatry in which will always require contact with parents or legal guardians , as well as with school institutions.

There are many problems that can be treated by specialists in this type of psychiatry, highlighting the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or ADHD. In addition, cases of child depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or problems in the psychotic field, such as early psychosis, are also observed and treated.

3. Geriatric Psychiatry

Old age is a time of great change in people’s lives. Retirement, aging and diminished capacity, illness and death of loved ones are more common at this stage of life. It is a stage with its own particularities, the elderly being generally delicate and fragile, and may require a psychiatric service in people who have disorders at this age or in order to treat the evolution of a disorder when they reach this age.

Professionals specializing in geriatric psychiatry usually treat elderly people with severe mental disorders and the cognitive and behavioural disorders typical of dementias.

2. Forensic psychiatry

This type of psychiatry is responsible for intervening in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of subjects with mental disorders and problems with the law. It is characterised by being in charge (together with forensic psychology) of the assessment of cognitive abilities in order to evaluate the degree of imputability and criminal responsibility of individuals , in addition to evaluating their progress and contributing to the treatment of possible psychiatric problems.

3. Sexology

Sexual dysfunctions and paraphilias can also be treated by sexology, which often makes use of psychiatrists or psychologists . Problems such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, anorgasmia, hypoactive sexual desire, aversion to sex, sex addiction or dyspareunia are some examples of the type of problems that can be treated from this discipline.

4. Psychiatry of eating disorders

Another type of psychiatry that requires a high degree of specialization is that associated with eating disorders, which is one of the few mental disorders that can lead to the death of the sufferer. This type of population requires a comprehensive and differentiated treatment, especially when we are facing serious cases. Anorexia and bulimia are the two most prevalent disorders .

5. Psychiatry of addictions

Addiction to a substance is one of the most frequent problems that can be observed in the population, and it requires specific preparation and knowledge about what addiction, abstinence or the different ways to treat it entails. In this sense, addiction to alcohol, cocaine, heroin or cannabis are some of the most common pathologies in this type of psychiatry .

However, it should be borne in mind that there are also non-substance related addictions. Compulsive shopping, gambling or addiction to new technologies are also examples of disorders that can be treated from this type of service.

6. Neuropsychiatry

Neuropsychiatry is a discipline that works on the presence of psychiatric disorders in the context of problems related to the nervous system . In this discipline there is usually a greater knowledge of the functioning of this system. It usually treats strokes, patients with cognitive impairment derived from a mental disorder or from the advice of substances or dementias, among others.

7. Liaison or Interconsultation Psychiatry

This type of psychiatry is characterised by the fact that it serves as a link between the psychiatric and medical aspects involved in suffering from an illness . Subjects such as the experience of a chronic or terminal illness, the adherence to treatment or the treatment of stress, anxiety or depression that may arise from it are typical of this type of psychiatrist.

8. Emergency Psychiatry

A type of psychiatry that, although it does so in Spain, is not recognized as a specialty in other countries. This is the psychiatrist who attends to emergency situations, such as the emergence of a psychotic break, depression with planned suicide or drug emergencies.

Bibliographic references:

  • Lieberman, J. A., Ogas, O. (2015): Shrinks: The untold story of Psychiatry . New York: Back Bay Books.
  • Semple, D. (2005): Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Sadock, B. J., Ahmad, S. and Sadock, V. A. (2018): Kaplan & Sadock’s Pocket Handbook of Clinical Psychiatry . Riverwoods, Illinois: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins