Focus on Mental Health: Psychiatrist v. psychologist
Updated: 5:03 PM EDT May 4, 2022
MARIA:OW N TO AN ISSUE THAT WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR MONTHS, THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON OUR MENTAL HEALTH. ED: AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO COVERING THIS TOPIC, WE’RE ADDING A PSYCHIATRIST TO OUR WEEKLY LINE-UP OF TRUSD,TE MEDICAL VOICES. TODAY, THAT PROFESSIONAL IS DR. MANUEL PACHE.CO CHIEF OF GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE PSYCHIATRY DEPARTMENT AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. DR. PACHECO, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> LONGER YOU’RE AROUND, THE MORE TITLES THEY ADD. MARIA: MAYBE YOU CAN JUST START BY EXPLAINING QUICKLY, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHIATRIST AND A PSYCHOLOGIST? I IMAGINE YOU GET THAT QUESTION A LOT. >> THANK YOU FOR BRINGGIN THAT UP. BOTH PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRIST HAS TO HAVE A FOUR-YEAR BACHELOR DEGREE. PSYCHIATRIST HAS ADDITIONAL FOUR YEARS OF MEDICAL SCHOOL AND FOUR OR MORE YEARSF O TRAINING AFTER THEY GET THEIR MEDALIC LICENSE. WE’RE MEDICAL DOCTORS. PSYCHIATRY IS A SPECIALTY OF MEDICINE. PSYCHOLOGISTS I HAVE MANY GOOD COLLEAGUE WHO ARE PSYCHOLOGISTS. THEY HAVE LSES THAN THE 6 TO 8 YEARS OF TRAINING. THEY ARE NOT MEDICAL DOCTORS. ED: YOU SPEND PART OF YOUR BUSY DAY TREATING PATIENTS WHO ARRIVE IN CRISIS THROUGH THE E.R.IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHAT IMPACT HAS THE PANDEMIC HAD ON YOUR CASELO? >> AT FIRST, THINGS GOT REALLY QUIET INHE T EMERGENCY ROOM BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO COME IN JUSTIFIABLY BECAUSE THERE WERE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD COVID. AT THAT TIME, WE HAD VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN EVEN PHYSICIANS LIKE MYSELF. WE.WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT RISKS WE WERE PLACING OURSELVES IN. EVENTUALLY, AS MORE COVID PATIENTS CAME IN, THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE THAT HAD MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS THAT CAME IN THAT HAD COVID. THINGS GOT OVERBURDEN. ANOTHER ADDITIONAL THING THAT CREATED A FLOOD WAS A LOT OF THE SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL WERE CLOSING BECAUSE THEY HAD STAFFING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR STAFF. LOT OF THE SAFETYET N ORGANIZATIONS WEREN’T AVAILABLE. IT WAS LIKE A CURVE. MARIA: YOU’RE STILL FLOODED AT THIS POINT? >> NOT AS BAD. LOT OF THESE OERTH FACILITIES ARE SLOWLY COMING BACK ONLINE. WHEN PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THEIR NORMAL RESOURCES AND TREATMENT RESOURCES AVAILABLE, THE ER IS THE SAFETY NET PRETTY MH.UC MARIA: DO WE HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY FOR THEM FOR BEDS? >> THAT’S A VERY DFIIFCULT TOPIC TO DISCUSS BECAUSE EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WEAD H A SHORTAGE OF PSYCHIAICTR INPATIENT BEDS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER LIKE DETOX BEDS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF MS.AS THE PANDEMIC HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUEXT ACERBATE THAT LACK OF CAPACITY. WE HAVE A GOOD CAPACITY FOR MEDICAL PATIENTS BECSEAU THAT DON’T HAVE SUBSTANCE USE OR PSHIYCATRIC DISORDERS. PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN VACCINATED. FOR PSYCHIATRICND A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER PATIENTS, LOT OF THE UNITS THAT WE WLDOU SEND PEOPLE TO STILL HAVE A LOWER CAPACITY. THEN DON’T WANT PEOPLE STAYING IN THE SEAM R
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Focus on Mental Health: Psychiatrist v. psychologist
Updated: 5:03 PM EDT May 4, 2022
Dr. Manuel Pacheco, senior consultant and chief of government advocacy and public policy for the psychiatry department at Tufts Medical Center, explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and breaks down the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on his team’s caseload.
Dr. Manuel Pacheco, senior consultant and chief of government advocacy and public policy for the psychiatry department at Tufts Medical Center, explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and breaks down the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on his team’s caseload.
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