On Psychiatry:
If you would like more information on mental health and psychiatry, please visit the American Psychiatric Association’s web site.

What is A Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has graduated from medical school and has completed an additional four years of approved, hospital-based residency training in psychiatry. Many psychiatrists train even longer, further specializing in areas such as: child and adolescent psychiatry; geriatric psychiatry; addiction psychiatry; or forensic psychiatry.

Psychiatrists’ medical background, training and experience allow them – under state licensing laws-to prescribe medication, and order and interpret medical tests. These procedures are essential for the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, just as they are for all other medical illnesses. Psychiatrists are also uniquely qualified to approach care and treatment from a therapeutic, as well as a medical, foundation.

What is Mental Health?
APA works to improve public understanding of mental disorders and to take the mystery out of public perception of mental illnesses in an effort to reduce mental illness stigmas. Many mental disorders have both physical and emotional bases, so an individualized assessment and course of treatment is key to maintaining a healthy mind and living a healthy life. Mental disorders are recognizable, diagnosable and highly treatable. Therefore, treatment works and indeed, seeking help is a sign of strength.

What is the American Psychiatric Association (A.P.A.)?
The American Psychiatric Association (APA), founded in 1844, is a medical specialty society representing nearly 36,000 psychiatrists in the U.S. and from around the globe. APA is the largest and longest-serving psychiatric medical association. APA advocates for psychiatrists and patients in many ways:

• Supporting the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders;

• Working to secure increased funding for psychiatric research and education; and

• Educating lawmakers about issues, ranging from the need for fair health insurance coverage of mental illnesses to concerns over managed care companies’ business practices and the confidentiality of patient medical records.

APA is also a resource for mental health information and news. Through the Web sites www.psych.org, www.healthyminds.org, and www.parentsmedguide.org, physicians, health care professionals and the public can access up-to-date information on individual and family mental health needs. APA also publishes its “Let’s Talk Facts” brochure series to offer factual, science-based information on a variety of mental disorders. The brochures are fee for the general public and can be purchased by health care providers, health care and academic institutions and business and corporations that seek to improve consumer understanding of mental health disorders.

The APA has several subsidiaries that support patient care and the profession of psychiatry: the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education (APIRE), American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. (APPI), the American Psychiatric Foundation (APF) an the American Psychiatric Association Political Action Committee (APAPAC).

• APPI is the world’s premier publisher of books, journals, and multimedia on psychiatry, mental health and behavioral science;

• APF is the charitable and educational affiliate of APA, working to advance public understanding that mental illnesses are real and can be effectively treated;

• APIRE, founded in 1998, facilitates APA’s leadership role in contributing to the scientific base of psychiatric practice and public policy; and

• APAPAC functions as APA members’ political voice by allowing them to support pro-mental health congressional candidates