Psychology vs. Psychiatry: Which Is Better?

Confused by the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist? WebMD explains who does what and how that affects treatment.

By Martin F. Downs
WebMD Feature

What's the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

That may sound like a setup for a knee-slapper, but it's actually a good question, and many people don't know the full answer.

It's not as simple as who tends to what, like the difference between a goatherd and shepherd. Both kinds of professionals treat people with problems that vary widely by degree and type, from mild anxiety to schizophrenia. Both can practice psychotherapy, and both can do research.

The short answer is, psychiatrists are medical doctors and psychologists are not. The suffix "-iatry" means "medical treatment," and "-logy" means "science" or "theory." So psychiatry is the medical treatment of the psyche, and psychology is the science of the psyche.