Psychiatry is a branch of medicine which exists to study, prevent, and treat mental disorders in humans The art and science of the clinical application of psychiatry has been considered a bridge between the social world and those who are mentally ill. Both its research and clinical application are considered interdisciplinary. Because of this, various subspecialties and theoretical approaches exist in psychiatric research and practice. Psychiatrists can be considered physicians who specialize in the doctor-patient relationship.

Ancient psychiatry originated in the 5th century BC with the ideology that psychotic disorders were supernatural in origin. At that time clergy were the individuals in society with the responsibility of "curing" mental disorders. By the middle ages psychiatric hospitals were first created as custodial institutions to house those with mental disorders. During the 18th century the idea arose that mental health institutions could utilize treatments.

The shift of psychiatry to the hard sciences moved psychiatry into a different direction which resulted in an altered doctor-patient relationship. These changes were seen by many in society as negative and anti-psychiatry movements emerged. The shift in thinking, as well as the introduction of psychiatric medications, led to the dismantling of state psychiatric hospitals. While community treatment was seen as the single solution for those suffering from mental disorders, clinician's soon realized that it was only another treatment option following the drift of disturbed populations into homelessness and prisons.

The dramatic changes associated with psychiatric diagnoses and treatments have pushed the field into recognizing the balance between the biological and social sciences and has called for a significant demand of research looking into the origins, classification, and treatment of mental disorders.

Those who practice psychiatry are different than most other mental health professionals and physicians in that they must be familiar with both the social and biological sciences. The discipline is interested in the operations of different organs and body systems as classified by the patient's subjective experiences and the objective physiology of the patient. Psychiatry exists to treat mental disorders which are conventionally divided into three very general categories; mental illness, severe learning disability, and personality disorder.

Scope of practice

Psychiatry has generally been considered a middle ground between neurology and psychology. Unlike other physicians and neurologists, psychiatrists specialize in the doctor-patient relationship and are trained in the use of psychotherapy and other therepautic communication techniques. Psychiatrists can therefore prescribe medications, order laboratory tests, utilize neuroimaging in a clinical setting, and conduct physical examinations.