FAQs.
ARE YOU A PSYCHIATRIST OR A PSYCHOLOGIST.
What's the difference?
So in keeping with the series, I'll be answering the one of the most frequently asked questions.
Are you a psychiatrist or psychologist? And what is really the difference between the two.
Both the psychiatrist and the psychologist have been professionally trained to deal with people with psychological distress or mental illness.
I am a psychiatrist. Who is a psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a trained medical doctor who then goes into specialist training of psychiatry.
So in the Nigerian setting, that's
6+x years of medical school.
1 year of internship/house job.
1 year of youth service.
Minimum 4 years of specialist training.
A psychiatrist sees, diagnoses the client and can prescribe drugs for the client.
Who is a psychologist?
A psychologist is someone who studied psychology in the university and then goes ahead to train as a clinical psychologist.
4+x years in school.
1 year youth service.
2+x years as a clinical psychologist.
A psychologist is more of the talk therapy. They do not prescribe drugs.
They both work hand in hand for the progress of the patient.
2. Are there psychologist in Nigeria (usually after I have explained I'm a psychiatrist).
The first time I got asked this question, I was about to pass out. Then I realised there is a lack of knowledge concerning mental health.
There are psychologists available in Nigeria both in the mental health sector and general health sector.
Ideally every unit in the hospital not just mental health units should have at least a psychologist to help deal with the various issues associated with ill health. A psychologist should be readily available when bad news is broken to a patient or his/her relatives. But I said ideally so that's not the case.
Psychologists can be found in the centres I listed in the previous post.
If you have any questions concerning Mental Health, please mail me at mentalhealthadvocacyng@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment