Often, when people want to address their mental health concerns or they themselves and/or their families decide to seek treatment for mental illness, they are confused as to whom to visit. In the process, the entire task of thinking and deciding either gets cumbersome or they are misled. The term mental health professionals’ encompasses a wide range of professionals. In this article, we are going to discuss each one of them, the roles they play, and the services they provide. Let’s begin.
a) Psychiatrists: Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MBBS and Ayush) who have done their post-graduation in Psychiatry. They can diagnose and treat all kinds of mental illnesses, ranging from mild to severe. They mostly use physical examinations and lab tests for diagnosis and provide treatment with the help of medications. They may also be trained in specific forms of psychotherapy, but they primarily prescribe medications and other forms of treatment involving biological intervention.
b) Clinical Psychologists: In India, Clinical Psychologists are mental health professionals who have completed their Masters in Psychology in addition to two years of M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology or Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology (PGDCP) from an institute recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) to practise as Clinical psychologists and Clinical Psychologist associates, respectively. They are specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and concerns. They diagnose mental illness with the help of psychodiagnostic assessments and provide treatment by conducting psychotherapy, but they do not prescribe medications.
c) Counselling Psychologists: counselling Psychologists are mental health professionals who have completed their Masters of Arts (MA) or Masters of Science (MSc) in Psychology. They study the science of thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. In addition, they may be trained in specific forms of Psychotherapy and provide services accordingly. But they deal with less severe psychological issues than Clinical Psychologists and assist people in dealing with adjustment issues, emotion regulation, stress management, anger management, and behavioural difficulties. They may also work on developing certain aspects of an individual, like self-esteem, decision-making, problem-solving skills, assertiveness skills, etc.
d) Rehabilitation Psychologist: Rehabilitation Psychologists apply psychological principles and skills to treat cognitive, behavioural, and functional difficulties of people living with disabilities caused either through illness or injury, aiming to improve quality of life. They also work with families of people living with disabilities on coping and adaptation. They use different skills and procedures, including counselling and psychotherapy, cognitive remediation, and behavioural management.
e) Psychiatric Social Worker: Psychiatric Social Workers in India hold an MPhil degree in Psychiatric Social Work. It is a specialized field of medical social work wherein professionals help people with severe mental illness. They assist individuals in dealing with social problems that may accompany mental illness in terms of family, relationships, career, and quality of life. Besides assisting in the treatment process in various ways, they work towards reintegrating people with mental illness back into the community.
f) Psychiatric nurses: Psychiatric nurses are registered nurses who work in the mental healthcare sector. They take care of the psychological and physical well-being of people with mental illnesses. They also provide support to the family members or close ones of a person living with mental health issues.
In addition to the above-mentioned pillars in the field of mental health, there are many other significant branches such as sports psychology, industrial-organizational Psychology, forensic Psychology, criminal psychology, community psychology, evolutionary psychology, etc. Some upcoming areas of Psychology are Esports and gaming Psychology, Military psychology, and Travel Psychology.
Hence, according to the assistance we look forward to, we can choose to visit a mental health professional with the required skills and qualifications.