Hands-on
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Explore a possible path
Psychiatric Aides
Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff. May assist with daily living activities, lead patients in educational and recreational activities, or accompany patients to and from examinations and treatments. May restrain violent patients. Includes psychiatric orderlies.
How does this connect to your interests? →A look at the work
- Listen and provide emotional support and encouragement to psychiatric patients.
- Provide patients with cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities with routine physical, emotional, psychological, or rehabilitation care under the direction of nursing or medical staff.
- Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
- Restrain or aid patients as necessary to prevent injury.
- Work as part of a team that may include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, or social workers.
- Record and maintain patient information, such as vital signs, eating habits, behavior, progress notes, treatments, or discharge plans.
- Maintain patients' restrictions to assigned areas.
- Organize, supervise, or encourage patient participation in social, educational, or recreational activities.
A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.
Interests involved in this work
These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.
3.4 / 7
Investigative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Creative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Helping people
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Enterprising
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Organizing
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Skills to explore
Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
2023-08
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
2023-08
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2023-08
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2023-08
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
2023-08
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2023-08
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
2023-08
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
2023-08
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
2023-08
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
2023-08
Plan a small next step
Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.
Source preparation category: Job Zone 2 of 5 · 2026-02. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.
Related study fields
Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician →
Explore all related study fields →Source & methodology
O*NET-SOC code 31-1133.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.
How interest exploration matching works →Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.