Psychiatry, is a medical specialty 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 utilizing some of medicine's newest classification schemes, diagnostic tools and treatments.

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. In the Middle Ages, psychiatric hospitals were first created as custodial institutions to house those with mental disorders, and to provide early forms of treatment. By the 18th century, mental health institutions utilized more elaborate treatments for those with mental disorders. As a result of these early psychiatric interventions, the 19th century saw a massive increase in patient populations. This dramatic increase led to the decline of treatments offered in such institutions and damage to the reputation of psychiatry.

The 20th century saw a rebirth of a biological understanding of mental disorders as well the introduction of disease classification. 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, clinicians 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.

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