How Often Do You See a Psychiatrist?

How often you see a psychiatrist depends on your unique needs, your diagnosis, what medication you are prescribed, and how your treatment is progressing.

Psychiatrist appointments involve discussing your current mental health symptoms, history of symptoms, and treatment options, including medications. You can prepare for your visits by gathering medical information and preparing some questions to ask your psychiatrist.

How psychiatric appointments work

Psychiatrists are physicians (MDs or DOs). That means they are able to diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe medication, and help determine the best course of treatment for you.

Your first psychiatrist appointment is typically a longer, more in-depth appointment, where your psychiatrist gets to know you, goes over your mental health history, and evaluates your current symptoms. The first psychiatrist appointment is typically when a diagnosis can be made, though sometimes this will require more than one session.

Follow-up visits with a psychiatrist are typically when medication and other treatment plans are discussed. These are also opportunities to evaluate whether your medication is working, discuss any side effects you are experiencing, decide and if medication dosage needs to be changed. Your mental health symptoms will be discussed to determine if your treatment plan is working.

Psychiatrists typically make their diagnosis based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which gives criteria for specific mental health diagnoses. They monitor symptoms by asking you specific questions, and asking you to rate your symptoms based on intensity and how your symptoms are impacting your daily life.

After you’ve been prescribed psychiatric medication, your provider may ask specific questions to evaluate if your prescribed medication is reducing symptom frequency and severity, and they may discuss medication side effects you are experiencing.

Psychiatrists vs therapists

It’s common to be confused about psychiatrists versus therapists. Psychiatrists have medical degrees and can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medications. Therapists typically have higher level degrees like master’s degrees in disciplines like counseling, social work, or psychology.

Therapists provide psychotherapy, or talk therapy, which is a type of therapy where you speak to your therapist about your emotions, thoughts, and experiences, and learn about ways of coping. Unlike psychiatrists, therapists generally cannot prescribe mental health medications.

How long is a psychiatrist appointment?

Psychiatrist appointments can differ in length based on type of appointment, and what the purpose of the appointment is. How long a psychiatrist appointment takes can also vary based on the types of evaluations that need to happen, your unique mental health situation, how your symptoms are progressing, and the complexity of your treatments.

Here’s what to know:

• Most first psychiatric appointments last somewhere between 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the provider, type of assessments required, and the setting.
• Routine follow-up appointments are typically shorter, lasting between 15 and 30 minutes.
• There are exceptions to these estimates. For example, some first psychiatric appointments may last up to two hours, such as when you are getting specialized ADHD evaluations. Sometimes follow-up appointments extend to 45 to 50 minutes, for more complex issues.

*Based on finalized paid psychiatry visits with a copay. Insurance availability, coverage, and costs vary by state, plan, provider network, and provider availability.

Factors that impact how often you see a psychiatrist

How often you'll see your psychiatrist varies from person to person and depends on several different factors.

First visits

The first time you visit your psychiatrist, you should expect a longer visit. This is because your psychiatrist will be getting to know you, understanding your mental health history, going over basic health information, and evaluating your mental health. They may also use this first visit to decide on an initial treatment plan for you

Medication management

If your psychiatrist recommends medication, you’ll need to have follow-up visits to evaluate how you’re doing on your medication. These are usually shorter visits, where you’ll go over how the medication is impacting your symptoms, and any side effects you are noticing.

Mental health diagnosis

The type of mental health condition you are diagnosed with may impact how often you need to visit your psychiatrist. For example, complex mental health conditions like schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, or substance use disorders may require more visits to a psychiatrist.

Symptom severity

Severe symptoms, a sudden change in symptoms, or symptoms that aren’t responding to medication or other treatments may require more frequent visits.

Treatment progress

People who are responding positively to treatment and are experiencing a stabilization of their symptoms may be able to transition to less frequent visits with their psychiatrist.

Individual circumstances

Each of us is different when it comes to our mental health treatment, including our ability to access care, our age, our health conditions and disabilities, and our own personal preferences. These factors can influence psychiatric visit frequency, too.

How often do you see a psychiatrist for medication management? 

Medication for psychiatric conditions can be extremely helpful, but they require tailoring and close monitoring. That’s because not everyone responds the same to medications. Additionally, your medication needs may change over time.

The purpose of medication management follow-ups with a psychiatrist are to evaluate:

• How well a medication is working to decrease your symptoms
• Whether or not the medication dosage needs to be increased or decreased
• How well you are tolerating the medication and whether you are experiencing unwanted side effects

Follow-ups may be especially frequent when you first start a medication or when you are adjusting your medication. This is to ensure the medication is working as it’s intended to.

It’s important never to change your medication dosage or stop your medication without first consulting with your psychiatrist. Adjusting your medications without supervision can potentially cause serious physical and mental health side effects.

What to expect at first psychiatrist appointment 

 It’s normal to have lots of questions and concerns about what to expect during this first visit, so let’s break it down.

Your  first psychiatric appointment typically involves a comprehensive mental health evaluation. To that end, your psychiatrist will go over:

• Your current mental health symptoms, and how they are impacting your life
• Your health and medical history
• Your family mental history and physical health history
• Any medications you are currently prescribed
• What are you looking to address in seeking psychiatric care

During this first appointment, your psychiatrist may ask you a series of specific questions about your symptoms, and ask you to rate symptom severity. 

They may ask questions about how long you’ve had various symptoms, and how the symptoms affect your relationships, your sleep, your work and productivity, and overall ability to function.

Often, psychiatrists will be able to discuss possible diagnoses with you after your evaluation, and begin to develop a treatment plan with you. They may also recommend further evaluations, such an evaluation by another physician to rule out other health conditions that may be impacting your mental health.

Sometimes medication options are discussed during this first visit, though they may not be prescribed until subsequent visits.

How to prepare for a psychiatrist appointment

So, how exactly to prepare for a psychiatrist appointment? You don’t have to do a ton of preparation, but psychiatry appointment preparation can include gathering some information, considering your symptoms, and brainstorming a few questions you might want to ask your psychiatrist.

Medications

Write down all of the medications and supplements you are taking. For prescription medication, be sure to write down your current dosage and the reason you started taking this medication. It may be helpful in understanding your complete health picture. 

Mental health symptoms

It can be helpful to consider the different mental health symptoms you’re experiencing. Consider framing these as answers to questions such as:

•  When did they start? 
• How frequently do you have them? 
• How do they impact your everyday life?

Medical history

You may also want to review your own medical history. If you have been diagnosed with other health conditions, it can be helpful to share when and how you are managing it. You may want to share if you’ve been in therapy or seen a psychiatrist before, and if so, how those experiences went. 

Goals of treatment

As you prepare for your appointment, consider what your own goals are for treatment. This can tie back to specific symptoms that are most disruptive for you and parts of your life that you feel are impacted. You can also share what you hope to get out of this evaluation.

Questions for psychiatrist

You likely have many questions for your psychiatrist. You should consider writing them down beforehand. This first visit is a good opportunity for you to share your questions and concerns with your provider.

Questions to consider after assessment or diagnosis

• Can you explain my diagnosis to me in practical terms?
• What is your approach to treating mental health symptoms like mine?
• What type of psychotherapy is best to treat my condition?

Questions related to medication

• What medication side effects should I look for?
• How will I know that the medication is working?
• Why are you recommending this particular medication and how does it work?

Questions related to ongoing care

• How often will we be meeting and checking in about my progress?
• Are there any other providers or specialists I should see?
• What’s the best way to reach you in between appointments if I have questions?

Can you see a psychiatrist online? 

These days, there are many more options available when it comes to getting a psychiatric evaluation. You can get an online psychiatrist appointment with a licensed psychiatrist and receive quality, evidence based care.

Telehealth prescribing rules vary by location, availability of provider, and type of medication prescribed. Providers typically need to be licensed to practice in the state where you live in order to treat you.

BetterHealth offers online psychiatry appointments which may be helpful for people who find it difficult to travel to appointments or who have conditions like anxiety that can make in-person visits more challenging. 

How therapy can support your psychiatric care

Psychiatrists can diagnose you and prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists do psychotherapy, but most often you’ll need to see a therapist for consistent psychotherapy services. . Many psychiatrists recommend therapy as part of their treatment plans, and many types of effective mental health treatment involve a combination of talk therapy and medication.

Therapists can help you develop coping strategies to manage your symptoms, and address thoughts and behaviors patterns that are challenging. They can help you work through real life situations as they come up and support you in handling particularly difficult emotional challenges.

In addition to psychiatry services, BetterHelp’s online therapy platform allows you to connect with a therapist near you on a schedule that fits your needs. BetterHelp is in-network with over 125+ health plans including United, Aetna, Cigna, and more. 

At times, your therapist will work with your psychiatrist to ensure that your treatment plan stays on track and is more effective.