Psychiatry deals with prevention, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of mental illness. A psychiatrist diagnoses and treats those with mental and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia, addictions, mood and anxiety disorders, substance-abuse disorders, and sexual and adjustment disorders. After assessment, the psychiatrist can diagnose, treat and manage an illness or problem by medication or various forms of psychotherapy. A psychiatrist is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, evaluate and treat psychologic and interpersonal problems, and to intervene with families who are coping with stress, crises and other problems.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Attention Deficit Hyperactive, Learning Disabilities, Co-Dependency, Attention Deficit Disorder, clinical depression, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Phobias, Mania, Schizophrenia, Claustrophobia, Paranoia, Agoraphobia, Psychosis, Social Anxiety Disorder, Hallucination, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic disorder, and Panic attacks.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Marital Therapy, Marital Counseling, Adolescent Counseling, Child Counseling, Stress Management, Hypnosis, Family Therapy, Shock Treatment, Relaxation Therapy, Electroconvulsive therapy, and psychiatric therapy.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Psychiatric Evaluation, Intelligence Tests, Personality Tests, ADD/ADHD Tests, Depression Tests, Stress Tests, Abuse Tests, psychiatric exam, Sexual Health Tests, and Addictions Tests.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 4,646 practicing psychiatrists. Broken out by city, psychiatry doctor density in Pacific Grove is 3, in Pacific Palisades is 4, in Pacifica is 2, in Pacoima is 5, in Palm Desert is 17, in Palm Springs is 7, in Palmdale is 1, in Palo Alto is 147, in Palos Verdes Estates is 4, in Palos Verdes Peninsula is 1, in Panorama City is 15, in Paradise is 3, in Paramount is 1, in Pasadena is 45, in Paso Robles is 1, in Patton is 53, in Pauma Valley is 1, in Pebble Beach is 1, in Penn Valley is 1, in Perris is 4, in Petaluma is 10, in Pico Rivera is 1, in Piedmont is 1, in Pinole is 2, in Pismo Beach is 2, in Pittsburg is 2, in Placentia is 3, in Placerville is 2, in Playa Del Rey is 2, in Pleasant Hill is 3, in Pleasanton is 9, in Pomona is 7, in Porter Ranch is 1, in Porterville is 6, in Portola Valley is 6, in Poway is 9, and in Princeton is 1.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.