Top Psychiatric Centres in Singapore

What Is a Psychiatric Centre?

A psychiatric centre is a branch that provides services and prescription of medicine for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders. 

A psychiatrist is a trained medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specialises in the field of mental health. Psychiatrists are qualified and certified to diagnose and treat both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems faced by individuals. They have a deep understanding of both physical and mental health – and how they interlinked with each other. Living in a fast paced society, it is no surprise that most people are experiencing stress-induced mental issues. Henceforth, these individuals are trained in the field of psychiatric services – also known as medical doctors who are experts in diagnosing and treating people with mental illness. Some mental disorder conditions include schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and addiction.

The mental health of an individual should never be overlooked and underestimated. People seek psychiatric help due to many distorted reasons. The problem can arise out of a sudden in one day, such as a panic attack, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing “voices.” This sudden problem can extend for a long-term; contributing to buildup of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness that never seem to be resolved, causing everyday life to feel meaningless or out of control.

Diagnosing Patients at Psychiatric Centres

As professional psychiatrists, they can diagnose or perform a full range of medical laboratory and psychological tests with the additional data collected from patients. This helps to provide a better picture of the patient’s physical and mental state. The psychiatrists’ educational knowledge and clinical training experiences will help to prepare them to improve and resolve the complex mental illnesses faced by patients. Some patients experience stress due to genetics and family history. In short, the psychiatrist will perform an accurate diagnosis by working with patients to develop their treatment plans.

Treatments at Psychiatric Centres

Psychiatrists use a range of treatments such as psychotherapy, medications, psychosocial interventions and other treatments (such as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) – depending on the conditions of each patient.

The most common form of treatment is psychotherapy, which is also known as communication therapy. It can be used to treat a huge range of mental disorders and emotional instability. Psychotherapy can be done individually, in pairs, in groups or with a family. This treatment involves a ‘talking’ relationship between the psychiatrist and patient. The ultimate goal of psychotherapy is to diminish or control unusual symptoms so that the patient can function better. Depending on the complexity of the problem, psychotherapy treatment may take only a few sessions or many sessions over a period of years. 

There are many different forms of psychotherapy. For instance, some therapies help patients to change their behaviours or thought patterns; whilst others help patients to explore the effect of past relationships and experiences on present behaviours. These processes are designed in a specific way to resolve problems faced by the patient. This type of therapy focuses on problem solving. 

Besides therapy sessions, most psychiatric centres provide medications to control or stop certain unusual behaviours faced by patients. Some are used to treat high blood pressure or diabetes. After all, psychiatrists are supposed to prescribe medications to help treat mental disorders. These psychiatric medications are produced to correct imbalances in brain chemistry that are involved in some mental disorders. Patients on long-term medication treatment will need to meet with their psychiatrist regularly to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and any potential side effects.

Qualifications of Psychiatrists 

To become a qualified psychiatrist, an individual must complete medical school and take a written examination for a state license to practice medicine, and then go through four years of psychiatry residency. The first year of residency training is usually spent in a hospital working with patients with a wide range of mental illnesses. Moving on, the psychiatrist trainee will spend at least three additional years learning the diagnosis and treatment of mental health. This include learning various forms of treatments such as psychotherapy, psychiatric medications usage and other treatments. Training might be conducted in in-patient, out-patient, and emergency room environment.

Working Environment of Psychiatric Centres

The working environment of psychiatric centres differs as psychiatrists work in a variety of settings, including private practices, clinics, general and psychiatric hospitals, university medical centres, nursing homes, community centres, courts and prisons, military schools, rehabilitation programs, emergency rooms and many other places. Most psychiatrists work in different settings  depending on where the patients are located. 

Cost of Services at Psychiatric Centres

The cost of services at psychiatric centres differs according to the location, professionalism, quality of staff and treatments offered by the doctor. In some hospitals or clinics, patients are offered a long term package that can be paid monthly. Nevertheless, the costs of treatment should not be a factor that patients should be worried about. Some local hospitals offer governmental subsidies and payments which can be deducted from the patient’s Medisave account.  

In conclusion, we have provided a comprehensive, integrated, multi-disciplinary listing for the best recommended psychiatric centres in Singapore. These centres are experts in the management of patients with psychological and psychiatric disorders, providing a compact range of specialty services to meet the individual needs of the patients.

Editor’s Note:

Disclaimer: While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information. If you have a medical condition, it is always better to consult with a certified health care professional directly instead of relying on any material in this website or any other literature.

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