A military psychiatrist is a doctor of medicine (MD) or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) who has completed psychiatric training. The military psychiatrist’s job is to diagnose, treat, and manage mental health problems that affect military personnel and/or their families. The military psychiatrist, who can work as a civilian or as a direct commissioned officer, is responsible for improving the lives of military personnel and their families who are affected by such conditions. Because the military views effective treatment and management of conditions as enabling military personnel to positively contribute to the overall mission, the attending psychiatrist bears some responsibility for ensuring this occurs.
Working under extremely stressful conditions is a common occupational hazard associated with military service. These circumstances are a result of both combat situations and the unique challenges that come with living in the military. A new military psychiatrist will typically attend a training program where he or she will learn about the military lifestyle as well as how healthcare works within the military before working with military personnel. A military psychiatrist will be better able to understand how the military environment can negatively affect mental health after completing this training. With this knowledge, he or she is better able to communicate with military personnel and their families while still keeping the military’s overall objectives in mind.
The military psychiatrist will begin handling cases and seeing patients once he or she returns from training. The job’s ongoing tasks vary, but they are usually broken down into a few key areas. One of those tasks is to review existing case histories and prepare new ones for patients. He or she will evaluate data derived from the cases and assess the effectiveness of current treatment methods, as well as the potential for additional treatment, during this process.
Another important role that the military psychiatrist will play on a regular basis is case management. Designing plans to deliver psychiatric services and possibly directing mental health facilities will be part of patient case management. He or she will also frequently act as a consultant to other mental health or medical professionals, such as psychologists or social workers. One of the most important responsibilities of the role is to educate both patients and the general military public on prevention strategies for mental health issues. Because of his or her medical and mental health qualifications, the psychiatrist is usually in charge of aligning psychiatric services with other medical services.