Physician specializing in mental illness and medication management?

• A. Psychiatrist
• B. Psychologist
• C. Pathologist
• D. Pediatrician

Answer: (A)

The key idea is identifying the physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions and who can prescribe and manage medications. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who completes residency in psychiatry, focusing on mental illnesses and their pharmacologic treatment. They assess, diagnose, and treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, and they carefully prescribe and adjust medications, monitor for side effects, and coordinate care with therapy and other services. Psychologists provide evaluation and psychotherapy but typically do not prescribe medications; pathologists study disease processes in tissues and seldom treat patients with mental health conditions; pediatricians care for overall children's health and may address behavioral concerns, but their specialty is not focused on mental illness and medication management.