What is Psychiatry?

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor (an M.D. or D.O.) who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems.

People seek psychiatric help for many reasons. The problems can be sudden, such as a panic attack, frightening hallucinations, thoughts of suicide, or hearing “voices.” Or they may be more long-term, such as feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness that never seem to lift or problems functioning, causing everyday life to feel distorted or out of control.

Source: psychiatry.org

What conditions can psychiatrists treat?

Mental health conditions that may be diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist include:

  • anxiety and panic attacks
  • phobias
  • obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • personality disorders
  • schizophrenia
  • depression and bipolar disorder
  • dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
  • eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia
  • sleep disorders, such as insomnia
  • addictions, such as drug or alcohol misuse

Psychiatrists may also provide psychological support for people with long-term, painful or terminal physical health conditions.

Source: nhs.uk

Dr Beppe Micallef-Trigona

 

Dr Beppe Micallef-Trigona is a Maltese psychiatrist who returned to Malta after working as a consultant psychiatrist with the UK Ministry of Defence (Royal Navy), and previously, as a consultant psychiatrist in the UK National Health Service.

Following his undergraduate Medical degree at the University of Malta, he completed his specialisation in psychiatry and is on the specialist register of the Malta Medical Council as well as the UK’s General Medical Council. Dr Micallef-Trigona also went on to attain an MSc in Clinical Health Management at Aston University, UK and membership with the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Apart from his clinical work as a psychiatrist, Dr Micallef-Trigona is a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery at the University of Malta. His main research interests lie in the areas of neuropsychiatry, brain stimulation, treatment resistant depression, anxiety disorders such as OCD and Health Anxiety, early intervention in psychosis, organisational and occupational psychiatry and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He is specifically involved in transcranial magnetic stimulation as well as electroconvulsive therapy research and has carried out a number of publications in this field. Dr Micallef Trigona is actively involved in clinical audit and medical education, and is a trained medical assessor in the Malta Foundation Programme. He has delivered a number of public presentations at the University of Malta. Dr Micallef Trigona also has a strong interest in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and carried out postgraduate certification in CBT at Newcastle University.

Dr Micallef-Trigona was a founding member of the Malta Association of Psychiatric Trainees and served on the executive board for a number of consecutive years. Following the end of his psychiatry training, he was a founding member of the Maltese Association of Psychiatry and was elected to the first executive council; a post he currently holds.

Specialising in all areas of mental health, with a particular interest in:

  • Treatment-resistant depression and anxiety
  • Sports and Exercise Psychiatry
  • Neuropsychiatry – treating conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy and Dementia
  • Organisational and occupational psychiatry
  • Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Offers psychiatric consultations and low intensity CBT

Availability: Every Wednesday

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Beppe Micallef Trigona or for further assistance, kindly contact us at Front Office.