Updated on 5/18/2022

Getting medication for your mental health can be daunting. After all, how can you be sure you’ve been prescribed the right meds?

This is an issue that affects so many of us: around 40 million Americans take psychiatric drugs. One in six US adults reported taking one of more psychiatric drugs in 2013, according toAdvisory.

Psychiatry and prescriptions onlineReceive an evaluation and prescription for mental health medication (if needed) from a psychiatry-trained medical provider.Get started

Psychiatry and prescriptions onlineReceive an evaluation and prescription for mental health medication (if needed) from a psychiatry-trained medical provider.

Psychiatry and prescriptions online

Receive an evaluation and prescription for mental health medication (if needed) from a psychiatry-trained medical provider.

“Psychotropic drugs are valuable tools in treating many mental health disorders, but inappropriate prescribing can cause serious harm,”wrote Brendan L. Smith in a 2012 edition of the APA’sMonitor on Psychology magazine.

So how can we trust we’re being prescribed the right medication, and the right dosage, for our condition?

Who Can Prescribe Mental Health Medication?

First, let’s consider which professionals can legally prescribe medication. According toMental Health America, this list includes psychiatrists, psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioners, primary care physicians, physician’s assistants, or nurse practitioners (depending on the state).

So your GP can, and and many often do, prescribe medication for mental health conditions and disorders, but it’s important to keep in mind that this may not always be your best option for mental health care and the careful management of your treatment.

Getting Meds Without An Evaluation Can Be Risky

Research published inPsychiatric Servicesin 2013 found that 58% of individuals who were prescribed a psychotropic medication in 2009 hadnopsychiatric diagnosis during the year.

But being prescribed drugs before a formal mental health evaluation has been carried out can be “quite risky”, according to psychiatrist Victoria L Dunckley, M.D. “In psychiatry, there is a lot of symptom overlap, so the same symptom can represent more than one disorder, making diagnosis tricky — and increasing the likelihood of the wrong kind of medication being prescribed,” she wrote inPsychology Today.

There’s a shortage of psychiatrists in the US, making it difficult for patients to get an appointment, explains Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S, CFTP, CMHIMP.

As a result, “it is acceptable for a GP to prescribe psychotropic/mental health drugs without an evaluation from a mental health professional, if the specific situation requires it,” she says. “It is a common practice. However, both the GP and the patient must create a follow up/referral plan for the patient tosee a psychiatristand a counselor as soon as possible.”

It’s Better To Get Your Medication From A Psychiatrist

So,what is a psychiatrist? “A psychiatrist is a doctor that specializes in mental health,” Catchings points out.“As a specialist, this professional has more experience and knowledge in the subject and can better diagnose and prescribe medication.”

This is not at all to disparage general practitioners — GP’s are the primary point of contact for most Americans with the health care system and their contribution is invaluable. However, Catchings points out that “a GP or generalist is familiar with psychiatric illnesses, but does not specialize in treating mental health. For that reason, such illnesses are undetected sometimes and, when detected, are often poorly managed.” It’s simply that their training is rightly broad, wheras a psychiatrist is highly specialized in your mental health and treating it with medication.

As Dunckley wrote inPT, in a GP setting “the patient has a 10 or 15 minute appointment to describe their complaints — compared to a one or two hour session or multiple sessions with a psychiatrist or psychologist. The patient typically wants some action to be taken immediately, and the doctor only knows what the patient tells them. The physician feels pressure to do something to provide some relief, andvoila— the patient walks out with a prescription (or two).

Generally speaking, primary care providers do not have the time or the expertise to obtain a really good psychiatric history and complete a thorough assessment.”

Psychiatrists offer an in-depth evaluation

Another advantage in seeing a psychiatrist, is that they will typically carry out an evaluation and a diagnosis, or both, before prescribing any medication, says Catchings. “These professionals have the knowledge and experience to carry out an evaluation and diagnose.”

Good psychiatrists take a patient-focused approach

Psychiatrists are encouraged to take an approach that’s client-centered. They are also encouraged to share their treatment decisions with their clients, as a 2015 report inSocial Science & Medicineobserved.

The study used field recordings of actual psychiatric visits to “analyse how psychiatrists justify their psychiatric treatment recommendations to clients.” The researchers discovered that psychiatrists use two different types of ‘accounts” (i.e. rationales) for recommending medication. First, they tailor their recommendations to the clients’ concerns and needs; second, they base their recommendations on their professional expertise.

They can also provide valuable insight

Catchings also makes the point that because of their specialist expertise, psychiatrists are able to provide clients with added “insight” into their disorder or condition. (Insight in this contextrefersto a patient’s judgement of his own illness. A person with schizophrenia,for example, might not understand that their delusions aren’t real — considered impaired insight, or a lack of it altogether.)

“Individuals with medical illnesses do not understand the illness itself, but they know that they are ill and that they will benefit from treatment,” she says. “By contrast, those with psychiatric illnesses often do not recognize that anything is wrong. They don’t think they need help, or they believe there is nothing that can help them.”

Specialist Expertise Is Best

Once they evaluate and diagnose you, a good psychiatrist will also then take the time to explain the various treatments available — including those which do not involve medication, for examplecognitive behavioral therapywith a licensed therapist.

“More importantly, he/she/they are going to ask the patient whattheythink is better for them,” says Catchings. “In some cases, a patient may present symptoms that require the need of an immediate prescription and in other cases the patient can wait and try other interventions. The latter gives both psychiatrist and patient the opportunity to discuss treatment options and make an informed decision.” While your general practitioner is an incredibly valuable resource about almost any issue related to your health, when it comes to your mental health, a full evaluation and proper diagnosis from an in-person oronline psychiatristis typically considered preferable when possible.

Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.

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