Psychiatry and Mental Illness - Essay Example

 As an understanding of medicine has grown and developed over the past several decades, individuals have come to appreciate the role that specialists play. For instance, if an individual is suffering from particular illness or set of symptoms, general practitioners will invariably recommend that the individual sees a specialist. With respect to the question of whether or not psychiatrists should have a monopoly over treating mental illness, it is the understanding of this particular analyst that they should. Although this is a bold statement, the following analysis will be concentric upon backing this statement with relevant understanding and research. The root goal of this particular paper is to provide the reader with a more complete understanding of mental illness and how it should be treated; as well as the role that specialists play and seeking to address mental health needs. Firstly, the very definition of a specialist infers that the individual has an in-depth understanding of what particular aspects of medical knowledge. The underlying reason for specialists existing in the first place has do with their ability to quickly understand the roots of a particular issue and seeks to address it in a timely manner. Whereas it is true that medical science of the past century was oftentimes constrained with regard to technological shortcomings, one of the main reasons for why disease was oftentimes misdiagnosed or under-diagnosed and do with the fact that the existence of specialists was significantly lower as compared to the current time (Singh, 2014). The role of the specialists, whether a psychiatrist or another type of medical specialists, is not able to be earned unless the individual graduates medical school and spends a particularly long period of time interning and performing a residency within a specific field. Further, additional requirements oftentimes demand that on-the-job training exist for a period of years after a doctor completes these prior aspects of the medical training (Volpe et al., 2013). As a function of all of this, the individual is more suited towards understanding the dynamics of this particular field and recognizing key patterns that will assist them in diagnosing and treating patients within whatever field is required (Lingren et al., 2013). Returning to the issue of psychiatrists as the most relevant and qualified address treatment illness, it must further be understood that these stakeholders are those that have come in contact with mental illness the most within their career and can recognize signs and symptoms and prescribe effective treatments/interventions that will most adequately effect a change on public health. A further reason behind why psychiatrists should have a monopoly on treating mental illness has to do with the fact that these individuals already know which questions to ask. As was denoted previously within the above paragraph, a general practitioner or an individual that is specialized within another field is unfamiliar with the approach that should be taken concerning different types of mental illness. Yet, as a function of specialization and the means by which psychiatrists have skill and ongoing expertise in dealing with a litany of different mental health-related issues, they are able to quickly cut to the core of the situation and understand the unique dynamics of the individual’s mental health problems (Tesfaye et al., 2014). Faced with the inherent difficulty of integrating with individuals from a variety of different backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, races, and other complicating factors, psychiatrists have come to know what to expect and can provide legitimate levels of medical help intervention without expending a great deal of time focusing upon non-important information that other practitioners might necessarily be confused with. This is not to cast aspersions on the professionalism and overall success rate of different individuals within the healthcare community. Instead, it is merely meant as a means of underscoring the fact that specialization exist for a particular reason; namely to provide the most relevant forms of care to the patient in a timely manner. Another rationale that must be considered is with reference to the multiplicity of different pharmacological drugs that currently exists. The explosion of research and profitability that pharmacological drug intervention has provided within the past several decades has created a veritable explosion of different names of drugs and different brands that can affect a variety of different health care outcomes on the patient in question (Amini et al., 2013). Once again, the issue of specialization comes to the forefront with regard to this; due to the fact that a specialist within psychiatry is ultimately familiar with the many different drugs that are specifically related to treating different types of mental illness. By means of contrast in comparison, an individual that is not specialized within psychiatry and/or mental health is likely to only recognize a few of these different drugs and not be familiar with the nuanced approach is that could be employed by using a specific regimen of drug treatment. Moreover, as the realm of medical intervention with respect to mental illness has shifted over the past several decades away from institutionalization and towards pharmacological intervention, the need to be intimately aware of the potential drawbacks and benefits that different brands and compositions of drugs can have, especially in tandem with one another, is an essential complement in seeking treatment of illness and provide an effective approach within the current dynamic (Nik Ruzyanei et al., 2014). A prime case in point of this particular issue would be with regard to a general practitioner being required to understand a litany of different drug complications and uses for a variety of different disorders and illnesses. Although it is true that medical school provides a survey and analysis into the ways in which these drugs should be utilized within, practice, unless an individual integrates with these on a daily basis and prescribes them, as well as being aware of their unique side effects, the overall degree and extent to which knowledge can help to explain this particular specialty is naturally diminished and impact negatively upon the health and Outlook for the individual suffering from mental health problems. From the information that has thus far been presented, it is clear and apparent mental health is a complex issue that must necessarily require specialists as a means of addressing it properly. It should not be understood that a level of cynicism and/or snobbishness should develop in terms of psychiatrists that are specifically tasked with addressing issues related to mental health. Instead, it must be understood that in the same way the cardiac surgeons are the most effective in performing operations related to cardiac health and promoting the best interest of the patient with respect to other vascular issues, it is the role of the psychiatrist to seek to affect the same goals of patient utility and health within those that are challenge with mental illness. Within a perfect world, psychiatrist would immediately be presented with individual suffering from mental health from the very outset which their respective disorders are exhibited. However, within the real world, it is the role of general practitioners and other healthcare professionals to denote that mental illness is likely something that exists within a particular individual and were further into a specialist as a means of having further consultations/analysis. Within such a role, the need for the medical community to operate as a cohesive whole and consider the healthcare needs of individuals with relation to both physical and mental health remains a high priority and will likely to find the profession regardless of what specialization is under scrutiny. References Amini, H., Nejatisafa, A., Shoar, S., Kaviani, H., Samimi-Ardestani, M., Shabani, A., & ... Moghaddam, Y. (2013). Perception of Psychiatry.  Journal Of Psychiatry, 8(1), 37-43. Lindgren, E., Söderberg, S., & Skär, L. (2013). The Gap in Transition Between Psychiatry and General Practice. Journal Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 26(2), 103-109. doi:10.1111/jcap.12027 Nik Ruzyanei Nik, J., Hatta, S., & Salina Abdul, A. (2014). Challenges in Mental Health Administration. ASEAN Journal Of Psychiatry, 15(1), 113-116. Singh, A. R. (2014). The Task before Psychiatry Today Redux: STSPIR. Mens Sana Monographs, 12(1), 35-70. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.130295 Tesfaye, M., Abera, M., Gruber-Frank, C., & Frank, R. (2014). The development of a model of training in child psychiatry for non-physician clinicians. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health, 8(1), 1-16. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-8-6 Volpe, T., Boydell, K. M., & Pignatiello, A. (2013). Choosing Correct Psychiatry: Factors Influencing Professionals. Journal Of The Canadian Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(4), 260-267. Read More