The Speciality
General Psychiatry encompasses the management of patients in hospital and community settings and may involve working with patients in one of the sub-specialities of General Psychiatry, such as Rehabilitation, Substance Misuse or Liaison Psychiatry. Work within General Psychiatry involves working within multidisciplinary teams to provide a range of support and services for a variety of acute and chronic psychiatric illnesses.
General Psychiatry has three sub-specialities - Addiction Psychiatry, Rehabilitation Psychiatry and Liaison Psychiatry. Completion of a year's higher specialist training in either one of these sub-specialities allows for an endorsement of a General Psychiatry CCST with a particular area of special interest listed.
Speciality Attractions
The work within General Psychiatry is varied and challenging. It involves participating in multidisciplinary clinical management including team leadership; co-ordinating care for people with psychiatric illness; working with a range of other medical, nursing and paramedical staff, together with statutory and voluntary organisations concerned in the care of people with mental illness.
The training scheme for Psychiatry involves exposure to a wide clinical experience, to academic research work and participation in teaching, management and audit. This enables trainees to undertake professional practice informed by a scientific, objective spirit which will enable them to evaluate developments in the speciality throughout their professional lives.
The advances in treatment in Psychiatry on a range of fronts enables those with an enquiring and perceptive spirit to be involved in the forefront of developing new and exciting treatment techniques within Psychiatry.
Personal qualities should include:
- A capacity to replace old knowledge with new, to develop new skills and adopt new attitudes
- Calmness with challenging patients, carers, colleagues and team members
- A high standard of interviewing skills is essential
- Ability to work as part of a team and to develop leadership skills within a multidisciplinary team