This branch of psychiatry involves treating adults with mental illness. General adult psychiatrists work with patients who have severe depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, mania and anxiety. They assess and treat patients in crisis, including people who have attempted suicide or patients frightened because of psychotic (unreal) beliefs - for instance that they are being followed by people who plan to kill them. These doctors can subspecialise within this discipline to work in areas such as eating disorders. They use medical investigations, for example blood tests and scans, to aid diagnosis before considering potential treatments, including medications, electroconvulsive therapy and talking therapies.

GENERAL ADULT PSYCHIATRY

Child and adolescent psychiatrists work with children and young people with a range of emotional and psychiatric disorders. Typically they help young people with behavioural problems, anxiety, depression and self-harm. They might chose to specialise in areas such learning disabilities, eating disorders, young offenders, and with children who are looked after or adopted. Child and adolescent psychiatrists work closely with families and carers, as well as a variety of professionals, including child psychologists, nurses, teachers and social services. These doctors provide a range of treatments, including individual talking therapies, family therapy and medication.

CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

Old age psychiatrists work with adults over the age of 65 who have mental illness. As people get older the interaction between their physical, psychiatric and social problems can become very complex. Old age psychiatrists look after people with a wide range of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and different types of dementia. These doctors work closely with a variety of professionals and services, including nurses, other doctors, social services, occupational therapists and voluntary organisations.  There is a strong focus for caring for people in the community, and optimising quality of life for older people and their families.

OLD AGE PSYCHIATRY

In this specialty, medicine meets the law. Forensic psychiatrists work closely with the police and criminal justice system. They provide care and treatment in secure hospitals for patients who have carried out very serious offences due to their illness, and treat prison inmates. Forensic psychiatrists will often act as expert witnesses in court - they are asked to assess whether a person’s mental state has impaired their ability to understand right and wrong at the point they committed a crime. These doctors require good clinical knowledge and advanced understanding of criminal and mental health law.

FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

Psychiatrists in this field work with adults with learning disabilities. These patients are more likely to experience mental illness, including autistic spectrum disorders, anxiety, depression and psychosis. They can find it much harder to communicate their needs so even minor problems can have a severe effect. Doctors in this field require good clinical skills because their patients often have other complex physical health problems that they also look after, for example epilepsy. These psychiatrists work with a variety of other professionals to provide patient-centred community care, which enables people with learning disabilities to live supported but independent and fulfilling lives.

PSYCHIATRY OF LEARNING DISABILITIES

Medical psychotherapists are doctors who specialise in providing talking therapies. They provide treatment for patients over long periods to cure chronic and disabling mental illness. There are a variety of different talking therapies, with specific models of therapy being used for particular conditions. These doctors provide one-to-one therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic therapy, and group or family therapy. All talking therapies enable patients to understand themselves better, improve how they interact with the people around them, and aim to improve their quality of life.

MEDICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY