1.
psychiatry department; psychiatric clinic
A medical department or clinic specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. In Japanese hospitals, this is the department name for psychiatry.
精神科を受診した。
I visited the psychiatry department.
精神科の先生に相談してみたらどうですか。
How about consulting a psychiatrist?
最近は精神科に通うことへの抵抗感が減ってきている。
Recently, the reluctance toward visiting a psychiatrist has been decreasing.
Compound of 精神 (mind, spirit) and 科 (department, specialty). The standard term for the psychiatry department in Japanese hospitals and clinics.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 精神科を受診する: to visit a psychiatrist
- 精神科に通う: to attend psychiatric treatment regularly
- 精神科医: psychiatrist
- 精神科病院: psychiatric hospital
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 心療内科: psychosomatic medicine department — treats physical symptoms caused by psychological factors; often perceived as less stigmatized
- 神経科: neurology department — treats neurological conditions (not psychiatric ones)
- カウンセリング: counseling — talk therapy, not necessarily medical
NOTE:
In Japan, some clinics use the name 心療内科 (psychosomatic medicine) instead of 精神科 to reduce the stigma associated with psychiatric care. Both departments may treat similar conditions like depression and anxiety.