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Mental Health Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On August 16, 2023

Introduction

You probably found your way here looking for mental health topics for your final year research project. Look no further, we have drafted a list of issues, and their research aims to help you when you are brainstorming for dissertation or thesis topics on mental health in 2020.

PhD-qualified writers of our team have developed these topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal or full dissertation service from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives, literature review , and the proposed research methodology to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to understand how to structure your dissertation .

Latest Mental Health Dissertation Topics for 2023

Review the step-by-step guide on how to write your dissertation here .

Topic 1: Assessing the Influence of Parents’ Divorce or Separation on Adolescent Children regarding long-term psychological impact.
Topic 2: Investigating the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on a child’s Mental health and self-worth.

Topic 3: Assessing the effect of Psychological training on males suffering from Post-Surgery Anxiety in the UK.

Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental Illness and Suicides- A case study of UK’s Young Adults.

Topic 5: Examining the behaviour of Mental Health Nurses taking care of Schizophrenia Patients in the UK.

Topic 1: an assessment of the influence of parents' divorce or separation on adolescent children in terms of long-term psychological impact..

Research Aim: This study aims to investigate the level of traumas experienced by the children of divorced or separated parents. The principal aim of this study is to explore the long-term psychological impacts of parents’ divorce on the life of children regardless of their gender and age in terms of mental wellbeing, academic performance, and self-worth.

Topic 2: An investigation of the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on the Mental health and Self-worth of a child.

Research Aim: This study aims to assess the long-term impacts of the trauma children face in their early years of life on their overall mental health. Also, numerous studies have emphasized improving the quality of life for children who tend to experience multiple traumas and take them along in adulthood. Therefore, this study also proposed the impacts of traumatic childhood experiences on self-worth, mental health, and vitality of implementing firm intervention before the child reaches adulthood.

Research Aim: Postoperative problems may occur as a result of surgical stress. This study aims to examine different approaches to control post-surgical anxiety and improve patients’ lives in the short and long term, focusing on male patients in the UK. It will also give us an understanding of how psychological training and interventions affect anxiety in male patients and help them overcome this through a systematic review.

Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental illness and Suicides- A case study of UK's Young Adults.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the relationship between mental illness and suicides and risk factors in the UK. This study will specifically focus on young adults. It will examine different mental disorders and how they have led to suicide and will analyse further studies of people who had died by suicide and find evidence of the presence or absence of mental illness.

Research Aim: Negative behaviours and discrimination have been usually reported as a reason for the inconvenience in the treatment of mentally ill or schizophrenia patients, which negatively impacts the patient’s results. Health care professionals’ attitudes have been regarded as being more negative than the general public, which lowers the outlook for patients suffering from mental illness. This study will examine the behaviour of mental health nurses regarding schizophrenia patients in the UK and also focus on the characteristics associated with nurses’ attitudes.

COVID-19 Mental Health Research Topics

Topic1: impacts of the coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the impacts of coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups

Topic 2: Mental health and psychological resilience during COVID-19

Research Aim: Social distancing has made people isolated and affected their mental health. This study will highlight various measures to overcome the stress and mental health of people during coronavirus.

Topic 3: The mental health of children and families during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will address the challenging situations faced by children and families during lockdown due to COVID-19. It will also discuss various ways to overcome the fear of disease and stay positive.

Topic 4: Mental wellbeing of patients during the Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will focus on the measures taken by the hospital management, government, and families to ensure patients’ mental well-being, especially COVID-19 patients.

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2021

Topic 1: kids and their relatives with cancer: psychological challenges.

Research Aim: In cancer diagnoses and therapies, children often don’t know what happens. Many have psychosocial problems, including rage, terror, depression, disturbing their sleep, inexpiable guilt, and panic. Therefore, this study is designed to identify and treat the child and its family members’ psychological issues.

Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient’s radiation therapy

Research Aim: This research is based on the analysis of hematopoietic devices’ reactions to ophthalmology’s radiation.

Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study

Research Aim: This research will focus on the effects of cyberbullying and physical bullying and their consequences on the victim’s mental health. The most significant part is the counter effects on our society’s environment and human behaviour, particularly youth.

Topic 4: Whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify: whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Topic 5: Importance of communication in a relationship

Research Aim: This research aims to address the importance of communication in relationships and the communication gap consequences.

Topic 6: Eating and personality disorders

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on eating and personality disorders

Topic 7: Analysis of teaching, assessment, and evaluation of students and learning differences

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse teaching methods, assessment, and evaluation systems of students and their learning differences

Topic 8: Social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Research Aim: This research aims to study the social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Topic 9: The role of media in provoking aggression

Research Aim: This research aims to address the role of media and in provoking aggression among people

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2020

Topic 1: what is the impact of social media platforms on the mental wellbeing of adults.

Research Aim: the current study aims to investigate the impact social media platforms tend to have on adults’ mental well-being with a particular focus on the United Kingdom. While many studies have been carried out to gauge the impact of social media platforms on teenagers’ mental well-being, little to no research has been performed to investigate how the health of adults might be affected by the same and how social media platforms like Facebook impact them.

Topic 2: The contemporary practical management approach to treating personality disorders

Research Aim: This research will discuss the contemporary practical management approach for treating personality disorders in mental health patients. In the previous days, much of the personality disorder treatments were based on medicines and drugs. Therefore, this research will address contemporary and practical ways to manage how personality disorders affect the mental state of the individuals who have the disease.

Topic 3: How is Prozac being used in the modern-day to treat self-diagnosed depression?

Research Aim: In the current day and age, besides people suffering from clinical depression, many of the teens and the adults across have started to suffer from self-diagnosed depression. To treat their self-diagnosed depression, individuals take Prozac through all the wrong means, which harms their mental state even more. Therefore, the current study aims to shed light on how Prozac is being used in the modern age and the adverse effects of misinformed use on the patients.

Topic 4: Are women more prone to suffer from mental disorders than men: Comparative analysis

Research Aim: There have been several arguments regarding whether women are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than men. Much of the research carried out provides evidence that women are more prone to suffer from mental disorders. This research study aims to conduct a comparative analysis to determine whether it’s more likely for men or women to suffer from mental disorders and what role biological and societal factors play in determining the trend.

Topic 5: The impact of breakups on the mental health of men?

Research Aim: Several studies have been carried out to discuss how women are affected more by a breakup than men. However, little research material is available in support of the impact the end of a relationship can have on men’s mental health. Therefore, this research study will fill out the gap in research to determine the impact of a breakup on men’s mental health and stability.

Topic 6: A theoretical analysis of the Impact of emotional attachment on mental health?

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the theories developed around emotional attachment to address how emotional attachment can harm individuals’ mental health across the globe. Several theories discuss the role that emotional attachment tends to play in the mind of a healthy being, and how emotional attachment can often negatively affect mental well-being.

Topic 7: How do social media friendships contribute to poor mental health?

Research Aim: This research idea aims to address how social media friendships and networking can often lead to a lack of self-acceptance, self-loathing, self-pity, self-comparison, and depression due to the different mindsets that are present in today’s world.

Topic 8: What role do parents play in ensuring the mental well-being of their children?

Research Aim: It is assumed that parents tend to stop playing a role in ensuring that the mental health and well-being of their children are being maintained after a certain age. Therefore, this study will aim to put forward the idea that even after the children pass the age of 18, activities and their relationship with their parents would always play a role in the way their mental health is being transformed.

Topic 9: A study on the mental health of soldiers returning from Iraq?

Research Aim: This topic idea puts forward the aim that the mental health of soldiers who return from war-struck areas is always a subject of interest, as each of the soldiers carries a mental burden. Therefore, it is vital to understand the soldiers’ mental health returning from Iraq, focusing on what causes their mental health to deteriorate during the war and suggestions of what to do or who to call if they do become unwell.

Topic 10: How the contemporary media practices in the UK are leading to mental health problems?

Research Aim: The media is known to have control and influence over people’s mindsets who are connected to it. Many of the contemporary media practices developed in the UK can negatively impact the mental well-being of individuals, which makes it necessary to analyse how they are contributing to the mental health problems among the UK population.

Topic 11: What is the impact of television advertising on the mental development of children in the UK?

Research Aim: This topic would aim to address how television advertising can negatively impact children’s mental development in the United Kingdom, as it has been observed in many studies that television advertising is detrimental to the mental health of children.

Topic 12: How deteriorating mental health can have an Impact on physical health?

Research Aim: This research aims to address the side-effects of deteriorating mental health on the physical health of individuals in the society, as it is believed that the majority of the physical ailments in the modern-day and age are due to the deteriorating mental health of individuals. The study can address the treatments for many ailments in our society due to deteriorating mental health and well-being.

Topic 13: The relationship between unemployment and mental health

Research Aim: How unemployment relates to concepts, such as a declining economy or lack of social skills and education, has been frequently explored by many researchers in the past. However, not many have discussed the relationship between unemployment and the mental health of unemployed individuals. Therefore, this topic will help address the problems faced by individuals due to unemployment because of the mental blocks they are likely to develop and experience. In the future, it would lead to fewer people being depressed due to unemployment when further research is carried out.

Topic 14: The mental health problems of prisoners in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: While prisoners across the globe are criticised and studied for the negativity that goes on in their mindsets, one would rarely research the mental health problems they tend to develop when they become a prisoner for committing any crime. It is often assumed that it is the life inside the prison walls that impacts the prisoners’ mental health in a way that leads to them committing more crimes. Therefore, this research topic has been developed to study prison’s impact on prisoners’ mental well-being in the United Kingdom to eventually decrease the number of crimes that occur due to the negative environment inside the prisons.

Topic 15: Mental well-being of industry workers in China

Research Aim: While many research studies have been carried out regarding the conditions that the workers in China tend to be exposed to, there is very little supporting evidence regarding the impact such working conditions have on the mindset and mental health of the workers. Therefore, this study aims to address the challenges faced by industry workers in China and the impact that such challenges can have on their mental well-being.

Topic 16: Is the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom effective?

Research Aim: Many people have made different assumptions regarding the mental health care services provided across the globe. However, it seems that little to no research has been carried out regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom. Therefore, this study aims to put forward research into the mental health care services provided in well-developed countries like the United Kingdom to gauge the awareness and importance of mental health in the region.

Topic 17: What are the mental health problems the minorities in the United Kingdom face?

Research Aim: It is believed that the minorities in the United Kingdom are likely to experience physical abuse, societal abuse and are often exposed to discrimination and unfair acts at the workplace and in their social circle. The study investigates the range of mental problems faced by minorities in the UK, which need to be addressed to have equality, diversity, and harmony.

Topic 18: The impact the Coronavirus has had on the mental health of the Chinese people

Research Aim: The spread of the deadly Coronavirus has led to many deaths in the region of China, and many of those who have been suspected of the virus are being put in isolation and quarantine. Such conditions tend to have hurt the mental health of those who have suffered from the disease and those who have watched people suffer from it. Therefore, the current study aims to address how the Coronavirus has impacted the mental health of the Chinese people.

Topic 19: How to create change in mental health organisations in China?

Research Aim: Research suggests little awareness about mental health in many Asian countries. As mental health problems are on the rise across the globe, it is necessary to change mental health organisations. Therefore, the study aims to discuss how to create change in mental health organisations in the Asian region using China’s example.

Topic 20: Addressing the mental health concerns of the Syrian refugees in the UK

Research Aim: This research project would address the concerns in terms of the refugees’ mental health and well-being, using an example of the Syrian refugees who had been allowed entry into the United Kingdom. This idea aims to put forward the negative effects that migration can have on the refugees and how further research is required to combat such issues not just in the United Kingdom but worldwide.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

Important Notes:

As a mental health student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing mental health theories – i.e., to add value and interest in the topic of your research.

Mental health is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like civil engineering , construction , project management , engineering management , healthcare , finance and accounting , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , project management , and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best mental health dissertation topics that fulfill your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample mental health dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your Mental Health Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

A Title Page
Acknowledgements
Declaration
Abstract: A summary of the research completed
Table of Contents
Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter, and state whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
References : This should be completed following your University’s requirements
Bibliography
Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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How to find mental health dissertation topics.

To find mental health dissertation topics:

Research recent mental health issues.
Examine gaps in existing literature.
Consider diverse populations or perspectives.
Explore treatment approaches or therapies.
Look into stigma and societal factors.
Select a topic that resonates with you for in-depth study.

Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

100+ Mental Health Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring mental health topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of mental health-related research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

Mood disorders
Anxiety disorders
Psychotic disorders
Personality disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Eating disorders
Substance-related disorders

Mood Disorders

Research in mood disorders can help understand their causes and improve treatment methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

The impact of genetics on the susceptibility to depression
Efficacy of antidepressants vs. cognitive behavioural therapy
The role of gut microbiota in mood regulation
Cultural variations in the experience and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Environmental factors and treatment
The link between depression and chronic illnesses
Exercise as an adjunct treatment for mood disorders
Hormonal changes and mood swings in postpartum women
Stigma around mood disorders in the workplace
Suicidal tendencies among patients with severe mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Research topics in this category can potentially explore the triggers, coping mechanisms, or treatment efficacy for anxiety disorders.

The relationship between social media and anxiety
Exposure therapy effectiveness in treating phobias
Generalised Anxiety Disorder in children: Early signs and interventions
The role of mindfulness in treating anxiety
Genetics and heritability of anxiety disorders
The link between anxiety disorders and heart disease
Anxiety prevalence in LGBTQ+ communities
Caffeine consumption and its impact on anxiety levels
The economic cost of untreated anxiety disorders
Virtual Reality as a treatment method for anxiety disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Within this space, your research topic could potentially aim to investigate the underlying factors and treatment possibilities for psychotic disorders.

Early signs and interventions in adolescent psychosis
Brain imaging techniques for diagnosing psychotic disorders
The efficacy of antipsychotic medication
The role of family history in psychotic disorders
Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of psychotic disorders
Co-morbidity of psychotic and mood disorders
The relationship between substance abuse and psychotic disorders
Art therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia
Public perception and stigma around psychotic disorders
Hospital vs. community-based care for psychotic disorders

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Personality Disorders

Research topics within in this area could delve into the identification, management, and social implications of personality disorders.

Long-term outcomes of borderline personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder and criminal behaviour
The role of early life experiences in developing personality disorders
Narcissistic personality disorder in corporate leaders
Gender differences in personality disorders
Diagnosis challenges for Cluster A personality disorders
Emotional intelligence and its role in treating personality disorders
Psychotherapy methods for treating personality disorders
Personality disorders in the elderly population
Stigma and misconceptions about personality disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Within this space, research topics could focus on the causes, symptoms, or treatment of disorders like OCD and hoarding.

OCD and its relationship with anxiety disorders
Cognitive mechanisms behind hoarding behaviour
Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for severe OCD
The impact of OCD on academic performance in students
Role of family and social networks in treating OCD
Alternative treatments for hoarding disorder
Childhood onset OCD: Diagnosis and treatment
OCD and religious obsessions
The impact of OCD on family dynamics
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Causes and treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research topics in this area could explore the triggers, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD. Here are some thought starters to get you moving.

PTSD in military veterans: Coping mechanisms and treatment
Childhood trauma and adult onset PTSD
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) efficacy
Role of emotional support animals in treating PTSD
Gender differences in PTSD occurrence and treatment
Effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD patients
PTSD and substance abuse: A dual diagnosis
First responders and rates of PTSD
Domestic violence as a cause of PTSD
The neurobiology of PTSD

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This category of mental health aims to better understand disorders like Autism and ADHD and their impact on day-to-day life.

Early diagnosis and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADHD medication and its impact on academic performance
Parental coping strategies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Autism and gender: Diagnosis disparities
The role of diet in managing ADHD symptoms
Neurodevelopmental disorders in the criminal justice system
Genetic factors influencing Autism
ADHD and its relationship with sleep disorders
Educational adaptations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders and stigma in schools

Eating Disorders

Research topics within this space can explore the psychological, social, and biological aspects of eating disorders.

The role of social media in promoting eating disorders
Family dynamics and their impact on anorexia
Biological basis of binge-eating disorder
Treatment outcomes for bulimia nervosa
Eating disorders in athletes
Media portrayal of body image and its impact
Eating disorders and gender: Are men underdiagnosed?
Cultural variations in eating disorders
The relationship between obesity and eating disorders
Eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community

Substance-Related Disorders

Research topics in this category can focus on addiction mechanisms, treatment options, and social implications.

Efficacy of rehabilitation centres for alcohol addiction
The role of genetics in substance abuse
Substance abuse and its impact on family dynamics
Prescription drug abuse among the elderly
Legalisation of marijuana and its impact on substance abuse rates
Alcoholism and its relationship with liver diseases
Opioid crisis: Causes and solutions
Substance abuse education in schools: Is it effective?
Harm reduction strategies for drug abuse
Co-occurring mental health disorders in substance abusers

Choosing A Research Topic

These research topic ideas we’ve covered here serve as thought starters to help you explore different areas within mental health. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

It’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis . Think about the relevance of the topic, its feasibility , and the resources available to you, including time, data, and academic guidance. Also, consider your own interest and expertise in the subject, as this will sustain you through the research process.

Always consult with your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic aligns with academic requirements and offers a meaningful contribution to the field. If you need help choosing a topic, consider our private coaching service.

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Public health-related research topics and ideas

Good morning everyone. This are very patent topics for research in neuroscience. Thank you for guidance

What if everything is important, original and intresting? as in Neuroscience. I find myself overwhelmd with tens of relveant areas and within each area many optional topics. I ask myself if importance (for example – able to treat people suffering) is more relevant than what intrest me, and on the other hand if what advance me further in my career should not also be a consideration?

This information is really helpful and have learnt alot

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Home » 300+ Mental Health Research Topics

300+ Mental Health Research Topics

Mental health is a complex and multi-faceted topic that affects millions of people worldwide. Research into mental health has become increasingly important in recent years, as the global burden of mental illness continues to rise. From identifying risk factors and developing effective treatments, to addressing social and cultural influences, mental health research covers a broad range of topics . In this blog post, we will explore some of the most important and fascinating mental health research topics that are currently being studied by experts in the field.

Mental Health Research Topics

Mental Health Research Topics are as follows:

The impact of social media on mental health
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for reducing stress and anxiety
The relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental health outcomes
The role of exercise in promoting mental health and well-being
The impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for treating depression and anxiety
The impact of sleep deprivation on mental health and cognitive functioning
The relationship between diet and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of workplace stress on mental health
The effectiveness of group therapy for treating mental health disorders
The relationship between substance abuse and mental health outcomes
The impact of stigma on mental health treatment-seeking behavior
The effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy for improving mental health
The impact of environmental factors on mental health outcomes
The relationship between chronic illness and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of art therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of cultural factors on mental health outcomes
The relationship between personality traits and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of music therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of trauma on memory and cognitive functioning
The relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of social support on mental health outcomes
The relationship between perfectionism and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of exposure therapy for treating anxiety disorders
The impact of early intervention on mental health outcomes
The relationship between attachment styles and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of narrative therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of technology on mental health outcomes
The relationship between resilience and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of family therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of gender on mental health outcomes
The relationship between creativity and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy for treating borderline personality disorder
The impact of personality disorders on mental health outcomes
The relationship between trauma and addiction
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy for improving cognitive functioning in individuals with mental illness
The impact of discrimination on mental health outcomes
The relationship between emotional intelligence and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of play therapy for treating mental health disorders in children
The impact of attachment trauma on relationships in adulthood
The relationship between religious or spiritual beliefs and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy for treating mental health disorders
The impact of chronic pain on mental health outcomes
The relationship between self-esteem and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for treating trauma-related disorders
The impact of parenting style on mental health outcomes in children
The relationship between mindfulness and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy for improving mental health.
The relationship between childhood trauma and mental illness
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for treating anxiety disorders
The role of genetics in the development of mental illness
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for treating depression
The impact of exercise on mental health
The prevalence and causes of burnout among healthcare professionals
The effectiveness of group therapy for treating substance abuse disorders
The impact of sleep on mental health
The relationship between trauma and dissociation
The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy for treating phobias
The relationship between gut health and mental health
The impact of stigma on seeking mental health treatment
The relationship between spirituality and mental health
The impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental health
The relationship between attachment style and mental health
The effectiveness of art therapy for treating PTSD
The impact of chronic illness on mental health
The relationship between personality traits and mental illness
The effectiveness of narrative therapy for treating depression
The relationship between social support and mental health
The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy for treating trauma
The impact of discrimination on mental health
The relationship between parental bonding and mental health
The effectiveness of family therapy for treating eating disorders
The impact of environmental factors on mental health
The relationship between hormonal changes and mental health
The effectiveness of equine therapy for treating addiction
The impact of trauma on attachment
The relationship between exercise addiction and mental health
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for treating anxiety disorders
The impact of racism on mental health
The relationship between animal-assisted therapy and mental health
The effectiveness of exposure therapy for treating OCD
The impact of gender identity on mental health
The relationship between social anxiety and substance abuse
The effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy for treating relationship issues
The impact of social inequality on mental health
The relationship between spirituality and substance abuse
The effectiveness of schema therapy for treating personality disorders
The impact of peer support on mental health
The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy for treating depression
The impact of poverty on mental health
The relationship between sleep disorders and mental health
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for treating addiction
The impact of immigration on mental health
The relationship between self-esteem and mental health.
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating anxiety disorders
The relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental health
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for depression
The impact of exercise on mental health outcomes
The role of sleep disturbances in the development of psychiatric disorders
The effectiveness of pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder
The relationship between alcohol use and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of psychotherapy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder
The impact of nutrition on mental health outcomes
The relationship between chronic pain and mental health
The effectiveness of group therapy in treating depression
The role of stigma in mental health treatment-seeking behaviors
The relationship between trauma exposure and suicidal behavior
The effectiveness of telehealth interventions for mental health care
The role of attachment styles in the development of mental illness
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety
The impact of work-related stress on mental health
The relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation in treating schizophrenia
The role of family dynamics in the development of mental illness
The relationship between childhood adversity and substance use disorders
The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in treating borderline personality
The effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy in treating depression
The impact of peer support groups on mental health outcomes
The role of spirituality in coping with mental illness
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in treating anxiety
The impact of trauma-informed care on mental health treatment outcomes
The relationship between body image and mental health
The effectiveness of art therapy in treating PTSD
The role of cognitive biases in the development of mental illness
The relationship between social isolation and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in treating phobias
The impact of stigma on mental health among LGBTQ+ individuals
The relationship between trauma and eating disorders
The effectiveness of emotion regulation interventions in treating borderline personality disorder
The role of attachment styles in the treatment of anxiety disorders
The relationship between childhood abuse and dissociative disorders
The effectiveness of family-based interventions in treating adolescent depression
The relationship between social inequality and mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for substance use disorders
The role of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating OCD
The relationship between emotional regulation and addiction recovery
The impact of trauma-focused therapy on PTSD symptoms in military veterans
The relationship between sleep disorders and mood disorders
The effectiveness of exercise interventions in treating depression
The role of trauma-informed care in treating substance use disorders
The relationship between trauma and personality disorders
The effectiveness of interpersonal therapy in treating depression
The impact of cultural factors on mental health treatment outcomes
The relationship between stigma and medication adherence in mental health treatment
The effectiveness of behavioral activation interventions in treating depression
The role of cognitive biases in addiction recovery
The relationship between social support and addiction recovery
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in addiction recovery
The impact of comorbid medical conditions on mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain management
The role of coping strategies in the treatment of anxiety disorders
The relationship between anxiety and substance use disorders
The impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of narrative therapy in treating trauma
The role of social support in trauma recovery.
The relationship between trauma and depression
The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in treating substance use disorders
The impact of adverse childhood experiences on mental health outcomes
The role of cultural competence in mental health treatment
The relationship between childhood obesity and mental health
The effectiveness of art therapy in treating anxiety disorders
The impact of mindfulness on workplace mental health
The effectiveness of group therapy in treating substance use disorders
The role of spirituality in addiction recovery
The relationship between personality disorders and addiction
The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in treating anxiety disorders
The impact of social support on PTSD treatment outcomes
The relationship between social anxiety and substance use disorders
The effectiveness of virtual reality therapy in treating PTSD
The role of resilience in mental health recovery
The relationship between addiction and trauma in veterans
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation in treating ADHD
The impact of parental mental illness on children’s mental health outcomes
The relationship between trauma and bipolar disorder
The effectiveness of narrative therapy in treating depression
The role of mindfulness in addiction recovery
The relationship between borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating eating disorders
The impact of workplace bullying on mental health outcomes
The relationship between trauma and self-harm behaviors
The effectiveness of family therapy in treating addiction
The role of stigma in addiction recovery
The effectiveness of schema therapy in treating personality disorders
The impact of childhood neglect on mental health outcomes
The relationship between anxiety and chronic pain
The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in treating personality disorders
The role of self-compassion in mental health recovery
The relationship between trauma and dissociative disorders
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in treating personality disorders
The impact of adverse work conditions on mental health outcomes
The relationship between addiction and sleep disorders
The effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating phobias
The role of emotional regulation in addiction recovery
The relationship between trauma and addiction in women
The impact of childhood bullying on mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating personality disorders
The role of resilience in addiction recovery
The relationship between ADHD and substance use disorders
The impact of social support on eating disorder treatment outcomes
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in treating personality disorders
The role of positive psychology in mental health recovery
The relationship between trauma and PTSD in children
The effectiveness of family-based interventions in treating substance use disorders
The relationship between social media use and body image concerns
The effectiveness of group therapy for substance use disorders
The role of resilience in coping with mental illness
The impact of trauma on attachment patterns in adulthood
The relationship between childhood neglect and depression
The role of emotional intelligence in mental health outcomes
The effectiveness of family therapy for eating disorders
The impact of mindfulness on emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder
The relationship between childhood ADHD and substance use disorders in adulthood
The role of social support in preventing suicide
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia
The impact of trauma on the development of borderline personality disorder
The relationship between childhood bullying and anxiety disorders in adulthood
The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy for eating disorders
The role of attachment styles in the treatment of personality disorders
The impact of family conflict on adolescent mental health
The relationship between childhood maltreatment and self-harm behaviors
The effectiveness of exposure therapy for PTSD
The role of social support in the treatment of depression
The impact of trauma on the development of dissociative identity disorder
The relationship between childhood abuse and addiction
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for ADHD
The role of cognitive biases in the development of OCD
The impact of perfectionism on mental health outcomes
The relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation for executive functioning deficits in bipolar disorder
The role of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of hoarding disorder
The impact of societal expectations on mental health in minority groups
The relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality disorder
The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for chronic pain
The role of social support in the treatment of substance use disorders
The impact of trauma on attachment patterns in childhood
The relationship between childhood ADHD and depression in adulthood
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder
The role of emotional regulation in preventing self-harm behaviors
The impact of societal stigma on mental health treatment-seeking behaviors
The relationship between childhood trauma and eating disorders
The effectiveness of interpersonal therapy for depression
The role of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of panic disorder
The impact of trauma on the development of anxiety disorders
The relationship between childhood trauma and bipolar disorder
The effectiveness of exposure and response prevention for OCD
The role of cognitive biases in the treatment of PTSD
The impact of social support on mental health outcomes in LGBTQ+ individuals
The relationship between childhood trauma and social anxiety disorder
The effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy for personality disorders
The role of emotional regulation in the treatment of anxiety disorders
The impact of childhood trauma on substance use disorders in adulthood
The relationship between childhood ADHD and anxiety disorders in adulthood
The relationship between social media use and body image dissatisfaction
The role of childhood attachment in the development of anxiety disorders
The relationship between social support and PTSD recovery
The effectiveness of psychotherapy for treating substance use disorders
The impact of trauma exposure on cognitive functioning
The relationship between sleep disorders and anxiety
The role of childhood adversity in the development of eating disorders
The effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety disorders
The impact of racial discrimination on mental health outcomes
The role of emotion dysregulation in the development of personality disorders
The effectiveness of family-based interventions in treating eating disorders
The impact of childhood trauma on self-esteem
The role of attachment styles in the treatment of PTSD
The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy for treating eating disorders
The impact of parental stress on child mental health outcomes
The relationship between childhood ADHD and substance use disorders
The role of resilience in the treatment of trauma
The effectiveness of motivational interviewing in treating substance use disorders
The impact of childhood trauma on physical health outcomes
The relationship between anxiety and perfectionism
The role of cultural factors in the development of eating disorders
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for trauma
The impact of peer victimization on mental health outcomes
The role of self-compassion in the treatment of depression
The effectiveness of exposure therapy for OCD
The impact of childhood trauma on social relationships
The relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis
The role of cognitive biases in the development of eating disorders
The effectiveness of transdiagnostic treatments for anxiety and depression
The impact of chronic illness on mental health outcomes
The role of self-esteem in the treatment of anxiety disorders
The effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in treating trauma
The impact of maternal depression on child mental health outcomes
The relationship between trauma and dissociative symptoms
The role of attachment styles in the treatment of eating disorders
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation in treating eating disorders
The impact of adverse childhood experiences on the development of addiction
The relationship between anxiety and hoarding behavior
The role of cognitive biases in the development of substance use disorders
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic pain management
The impact of childhood trauma on emotional regulation
The relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal behavior
The role of mindfulness in the treatment of depression
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders.

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230 Current Mental Health Research Topics For Top Dissertation

Mental health characterizes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It involves the taking of multiple approaches to care for these different areas.

Medical news today notes that our mental health determines how we handle stress, relate to other people, and make healthy and articulate choices.

Mental health research is fast becoming one of the most researched areas in health. With this, so many research works can be chosen from this field. Therefore, as a student writing your essay on mental health, you must conduct extensive research for sufficient information.

Structure Of Mental Health Research Paper Or Essay

Students often have ample information on the chosen mental health nursing research topics, but the challenge they often encounter is properly arranging these topics to communicate knowledge effectively. We’ve prepared a mental illness research paper outline to improve your research paper.

Abstract. Your abstract provides a summary of the area your topic will be based on and what the aim and objectives of this topic focus are. Your abstract is like a door that leads to your research, so you need to make it interesting and informative.
Introduction. The introduction is the foremost part of your research paper or essay. Your introduction should always be straightforward, touching across all the relevant information that will be further pieced out subsequently.
Body. This is the actual content of your research paper or essay. In the body, you are expected to assemble all the various subtitles related and relevant to your topic of interest. All your opinions, findings, research methodology, and discussions will be contained in the body. To create a rich, high quality research paper or essay, the body of your writing must examine relevant data.
Conclusion. Your conclusion is the part where you are expected to summarise your arguments, thereby restating your thesis. By doing this, you’re bringing everything you’ve examined into consciousness again to remind your readers of the main issues and how it has been developed in the course of your writing.
Reference List. In the course of your essay, you must have used different sources. As you go along, you should therefore ensure that you keep notes of the books, journals, articles you have read, ensuring that the reference style goes with what your university and college recommend for your class. This way, you’ll stick with what your school dictates as the reference style and be praised by your teachers or professors at the end of the school year. Your references also have to be current.

By using this structure your thesis or dissertation will be way more clear.

Characteristics Of Mental Health Essay

How do you recognize a good essay? How do you know that everyone will welcome your contributions to the mental health essays? It would help if you considered these tips:

Clear Grammar. In other words, your diction must be grand yet easily understood. If it’s difficult for one to efficiently and thoroughly grasp your work, it’s not great work, and the essay’s purpose could be jeopardized. It would help if you communicated in simple language.
Conciseness. Conciseness is simply communicating in as few words as possible. As the soul of communication, brevity makes your words last longer in the minds of readers. To achieve this, erase superfluous or elaborative words, be pointed in your writing, and make your sentences too passive.
Depth and Arguments. Your arguments must be intellectually in depth and high level. With different mental health topics to write about, you need to explore a topic whose arguments you can profoundly develop. With this, you’ll be able to turn the ideas into something exciting and engaging. To create a good essay or an engaging one, this is something your readers look forward to.
Clear Structure. You must structure your work to relate well with your mental illness research topics. This is the only way to make your readers follow your thoughts without stress. Thus, your essay or paper must have an introduction, a body, the conclusion, and a reference list.

This brief guide should help you have an idea of what a professor is looking for. And now here is a helpful list of topics to consider when writing your bachelor thesis or about mental health in general:

Research Questions About Mental Health

Since the subject, mental health is quite vast and includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, below are some of the best mental health research questions that allow the student to focus on a particular field of research.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of delivering mental health care virtually?
Can mental health conditions limit how a person engages with technology?
How can physicians maximize the combination of existing treatment options with virtual mental health procedures?
Have virtual interventions been proven safe?
What are the measures put in place to ensure that mental health platforms are safe?
What different effects will the adoption of virtual meetups have on the patients’ appointment time?
Are virtual therapies as effective as physical therapies?
Can one ascertain total satisfaction from standard elements of therapy through virtual meetups?
Does virtual interaction create better avenues for minorities as compared to traditional interface?
Can the different virtual platforms be used to reach out to people with mental health problems effectively?
Does obesity affect mental health?
What are the possible symptoms of mental illness in family members?
At what point do people with mental illness become destructive?
What are the causes of anorexia?
Why does a person with mental illness begin to cut themselves?
How easily can one treat post-traumatic stress?
Does childbirth lead to depression?
Are mental illnesses more prevalent in men or women?
Is ADHD a mental illness?
What are the causes of ADHD in young adults?
Are mental illnesses prevalent in survivors of war?
Can OCD be termed a mental illness?
How can one tell when a person begins to develop obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Are movies, games, etc., some of the leading causes of depression in young adults?
How can one quickly ascertain if they’re mentally ill or not?
What are the side effects of drug abuse on mental health?
A study into medically proven ways of curing ADHD.
The impacts of ADHD on Young adults.
A study of the mental effects of excessive consumption of Marijuana
How ADHD and autism affect young people in the 21st century.
The mental challenges of living with learning disabilities.

Mental Health Research Paper Topics

Mental health is the psychological and emotional part of human health. Good mental health suggests good cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing. The following mental health research topics will provide multiple avenues for students to base their research topics on:

The relationship between depression and weight loss
The rise of eating disorders in teenagers and adolescents
The glamorization of mental illness in modern media
Why is it still somewhat taboo to speak openly about mental health?
The lasting psychological trauma of rape
PTSD in modern-day youth
How positive portrayals of mental illness in movies have helped destigmatize it
Violence in video games and violence in real life: is there a link between the two?
The effects of victim-blaming on rape victims
Is mental illness hereditary?
why mental health education is relevant in our society
ADHD in adults: regular, or a problem?
Harmful misconceptions about OCD
The relationship between physical health and mental wellness
Is postpartum depression a modern illness?
Why is a bipolar disorder more than a mood swing disorder
The relationship between childhood bullying and self-esteem issues in adults
Is mental illness more prevalent in men or women?
Advances in mental health education and research in the last decade
Living with mental health in the age of social media
Mental health and Nollywood: a study of mental illness portrayal in Nollywood
Mental health and social media: how social media has helped to destigmatize mental illness
Why schools should have functioning guidance counselors for students and teachers
The importance of including mental health topics in the school curriculum
The need to create safe spaces for people living with mental health issues.

Mental Health Topics To Write About

Your mental health deals with several health disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders. In case your mental health research topics are based on the categorical aspects of mental health, the following are research topics on mental health that you can write about:

What is mental health?
Destigmatizing mental health discussions
Mental health education in Nigerian societies
Can exposure to violent games and movies cause people to become killers?
Are sociopaths born or made?
The importance of self-affirmation to goal achievement
Why therapy isn’t only for the mentally ill
Why you have to love yourself to be able to receive love from others
Living with social anxiety
Overcoming low self-esteem
Why OCD is not just about an obsession with keeping things clean
How self-loathing makes us self-destructive
The benefits of mental health support groups
How to handle bullying when your child is the aggressor
Why do we need time for ourselves
Is your friend group toxic?
On low self-esteem and managing relationships
Why it’s insensitive to refer to the mentally ill as crazy
Why do we sometimes feel unloved?
Why it is helpful to have supportive friends and family when going through a hard time
Medically proven ways to deal with a constant depressive episode
Why depression pills should be regulated
Why everyone needs access to pills to relax anxiety
The importance of antidepressants to neurotics
How to successfully manage the challenges of living with mental health challenges

Mental Illness Research Paper Topics

Mental illness is a range of mental conditions that affect the mind, how we think, our behaviors. If you’ve been looking for the best mental illness research paper topics, your search stops here. Find below mental illness topics to help with your research:

The difference between depression and sadness
Similarities between bipolar disorder
Treating mental disorders using medication: a study on the pros and cons
The effects of postpartum depression on family members
The relationship between bullying and eating disorders
Common misconceptions about mental illness
Mental illness in the media: positive influence or harmful perpetuation of stereotypes?
A study on serial killers: how their childhoods shaped who they became
Self-esteem issues as a trigger for eating disorders
A study on the compulsive nature of kleptomania
A study on how movies shape our perception of mental illness
Identifying signs and symptoms of sociopathy in children
A study on the relationship between paranoia and impulsive actions
The relationship between suicide and low self-esteem
Genetics and mental illness: a study on mental illness in three generations of family members
A study on how past traumatic events shape our present
Why eating disorders are mental disorders
The portrayal of mental illness in the media in the past fifty years
Improvements in mental illness diagnosis and treatment in the past century
Examining the effects of mental illness on the lives of teenagers: a qualitative study
Examining the impacts of antidepressants in curbing depression
A study into the root cause of mental health challenges in young adults
Investigating the causes of mental illness in 80+ adults
The lingering cases of mental health challenges in older people
The need for the free accessibility of mental health facilities by students.

Research Topics In Psychiatry

Psychiatry is a vast field of study in medicine. Any psychiatry topics must make the research journey more straightforward. That said, the following are interesting topics in psychiatry:

Defects of tobacco addiction on the human brain
Treating schizophrenia: most effective ways
ADHD: more prevalent in adults than children?
Perfectionism and OCD: Where do we draw the line?
Why we should look out for symptoms of depression
How has the raid of COVID-19 affected the mental health of people?
What are the factors that provoke depression?
Bipolar disorders as symptoms of mental illness
What is the potency of talk therapy in relating to suicidal patients
Anxiety disorder: symptoms and remedies
Practical measures in overcoming alcohol abuse in men
Depression: cyberbullying as a tool for enhancing depressive tendencies in young adults
The adverse effect of antidepressants on brain activities
Genetics: A yardstick for determining mental health illness
Lack of sleep as a tool for building anxiety
Stress as a buildup for depression
Side effects of psychiatric treatments on older people
The effects of COVID-19 on brain activity
Preventing the excessive usage of sedatives in young adults
Aging as a measure of depression
Treating mental illness: Applying classical soul music as a means in the 21st century
Child mental disorders: curbing unhealthy family relationships
Postpartum depression is the leading cause of mental illness amongst women
A study on the distinction between Bipolar I and Bipolar II
The need for the destigmatization of psychiatric patients

Research Topics In Mental Health Nursing

Mental health nursing is a highly essential field of study that should be considered:

The challenges involved in psychiatric nursing care
Mental health risks involved in working with psychiatric patients
Merits and demerits of mental health nursing careers
Self-discipline in psychiatry nursing fields
Nursing ethics: what a nurse should know
Approaches to nursing theories
Talk therapy in nursing fields
Dealing with exposed trauma: a typical nursing experience
Psychiatry nursing: a walk in the park?
Limitation of responsibilities by nurses on psychiatric patients
The essence of skilled nurses in clinical psychology
Effective patients’ recovery: the roles of nurses in present-day psychiatry
Practical application of nursing experience in psychiatry wards
Forbidden practices in nursing homes
Is psychiatry nursing predominantly a woman’s job?
Promoting nursing staff shortage in health sectors
Evaluating anti stigmatization by nurses in psychiatric wards
Damning effects of psychiatric nursing on nurses
Mental health illness: are nurses exempted?
Nursing practices applied in treating children and adults
Helpful ways mental health nurses administer care to patients
Ways care for mental health patients can be improved in the hospitals
Effective ways of caring for mental health patients
Why mental health nursing should be a specialized healthcare role
Importance of mental health nursing
Why mental health nursing should be prioritized as a specialist role

Critical Analysis Research Paper Topics In Mental Health

The following are some critically analyzed paper topics in mental health that will make your research more accessible and give more depth to your essay.

Problems related to physical and mental health issues in men and women
Supporting children’s mental health in the 21st century
Bipolar disorder problem as a mental health challenge
Mental health and eating disorders
A mental health project: a research methodology on curbing mental illnesses
Connecting poverty and mental health problems
Mental health counseling: a way in the wilderness
Mental health administration: a necessity in present-day lives
Mental health and spirituality
Effects of marijuana on mental health
The critical role of school psychology in the mental health movement
Code of ethics for mental health professions worldwide
Mental health counselors: professionalism in workplaces
Mental health benefits in the employee benefits packages
Eliminating stigmatization in mental health diagnoses
Community mental health as a tool for curbing disorders
Mental health counselor: a much-needed remedy
Mental health issues in the criminal justice system
Refugees and their mental health
Medical ethics in mental health care
Child’s mental health and depression in adulthood: a qualitative study
Transitions in late life: a typical study of mental health concerns
Mental health nursing: health and illness
Mental health specialist jobs and career
Mental health: screening and assessment of nursing personnel
The role of female mental health in socio-cultural conditions
Schizophrenia: a dominant mental health disorder
Mental health practice model for public institutions
Mental health: research methodologies issues
Mental health strategies at the workplace

Good Research Questions About Mental Health

Good research questions must be willing to provide concise and thorough answers. Over time, researchers have generated questions that border on mental health that have proven highly effective.

Should the use of antidepressants be accessible to children?
Why do people need access to mental health care?
What is the importance of prioritizing mental health care?
Is self-care the same as mental health care?
Is there a correlation between self-care and mental health care?
How to prioritize mental health
The study of the growing mental health challenge amongst young adults
Growth of depression in third-world countries
The effects of poverty on mental health
A study on the effects of mental health education on the treatment of the mentally ill
Institutionalized bullying in schools and its effects on students’ mental health
The importance of mother’s mental health in the aftermath of childbirth
Addressing mental health problems in children below the age of ten
The effects of sudden environmental changes on childrens’ mental health
The focus on mental health in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic
Harmful effects of social media on the mental health of Nigerian youth
Fostering mental health discourse among males
Trolling and cancel culture and their effects on the mental health of their victims
The benefits of mental health apps in the lives of individuals
Measures to promote mental health awareness in religious spheres

Mental Illness Thesis Ideas

By nature, there are several mental illness thesis ideas you can explore. The following are proven great thesis ideas that concern mental health.

Addressing inadequate measures to combat mental illness in Nigerian societies
A study on the marginalization of the mentally ill in the society
Mental illness stigma and seeking help: how mental health stigma affects
The effects of mental illness stigma in people’s seeking of treatment
Embracing mental illness discourse in schools and the workplace
Why mental illness is an illness and not a figment of the imagination
The relationship between mental illness and violence
The relationship between childhood abuse and mental illness
The benefits of support systems to the mentally ill
Mental illness and the perpetuation of gun violence among youth in the united states
A study of mental illness portrayals in Nigerian media
Mental illness portrayals in Nigerian media: harmful or beneficial?
A study on the harmful effects of certain medications on mental disorders
Tackling common misconceptions about mental disorders among members of the older generation
Advancements in mental illness treatment methods
Breakthroughs in mental illness research in the 50s and 60s
A study on ethically questionable mental health research experiments in the last 50 years
Living with mental illness in the age of toxic internet culture
The increase in cases of depression and anxiety in youths between the early 2000s and late 2010s
Mental illness and criminality: a study on the relationship between the two
Drug abuse: a study on how college students engage in drugs
A study of the nicotine content of harmful drugs
A critical study of the early stage of mental illness in patients.

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207 Mental Health Research Topics For Top Students

College and university students pursuing psychology studies must write research papers on mental health in their studies. It is not always an exciting moment for the students since getting quality mental health topics is tedious. However, this article presents expert ideas and writing tips for students in this field. Enjoy!

What Is Mental Health?

It is an integral component of health that deals with the feeling of well-being when one realizes his or her abilities, cope with the pressures of life, and productively work. Mental health also incorporates how humans interact with each other, emote, or think. It is a vital concern of any human life that cannot be neglected.

How To Write Mental Health Research Topics

One should approach the subject of mental health with utmost preciseness. If handled carelessly, cases such as depression, suicide or low self-esteem may occur. That is why students are advised to carefully choose mental health research paper topics for their paper with the mind reader.

To get mental health topics for research paper, you can use the following sources:

The WHO website
Websites of renowned psychology clinics
News reports and headlines.

However, we have a list of writing ideas that you can use for your inspiration. Check them out!

Mental Illness Research Questions

The role of antidepressant medicines in treating mental illnesses
How taxation of alcoholic beverages and their restriction can help in curbing mental illnesses
The impact of mental illnesses on the economic development of a country
Efficient and cost-effective ways of treating mental illnesses
Early childhood interventions to prevent future mental illnesses
Why children from single-parent families are prone to mental illnesses
Do opportunities for early learning have a role in curbing mental diseases?
Life skills programmes that everyone should embrace to fight mental illnesses
The role of nutrition and diet in causing mental illness
How socio-economic empowerment of women can help promote mental health
Practical social support for elderly populations to prevent mental illnesses
How to help vulnerable groups against mental illnesses
Evaluate the effectiveness of mental health promotional activities in schools

Hot Mental Health Topics For Research

Do stress prevention programmes on TV work?
The role of anti-discrimination laws and campaigns in promoting mental health
Discuss specific psychological and personality factors leading to mental disorders
How can biological factors lead to mental problems?
How stressful work conditions can stir up mental health disorders
Is physical ill-health a pivotal contributor to mental disorders today?
Why sexual violence has led many to depression and suicide
The role of life experiences in mental illnesses: A case of trauma
How family history can lead to mental health problems
Can people with mental health problems recover entirely?
Why sleeping too much or minor can be an indicator of mental disorders.
Why do people with mental health problems pull away from others?
Discuss confusion as a sign of mental disorders

Research Topics For Mental Health Counseling

Counselling strategies that help victims cope with the stresses of life
Is getting professional counselling help becoming too expensive?
Mental health counselling for bipolar disorders
How psychological counselling affects victims of mental health disorders
What issues are students free to share with their guiding and counselling masters?
Why are relationship issues the most prevalent among teenagers?
Does counselling help in the case of obsessive-compulsive disorders?
Is counselling a cure to mental health problems?
Why talking therapies are the most effective in dealing with mental disorders
How does talking about your experiences help in dealing with the problem?
Why most victims approach their counsellors feeling apprehensive and nervous
How to make a patient feel comfortable during a counselling session
Why counsellors should not push patients to talk about stuff they aren’t ready to share

Mental Health Law Research Topics

Discuss the effectiveness of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Does the Capacity to Consent to Treatment law push patients to the wall?
Evaluate the effectiveness of mental health courts
Does forcible medication lead to severe mental health problems?
Discuss the institutionalization of mental health facilities
Analyze the Consent to Clinical Research using mentally ill patients
What rights do mentally sick patients have? Are they effective?
Critically analyze proxy decision making for mental disorders
Why some Psychiatric Advance directives are punitive
Discuss the therapeutic jurisprudence of mental disorders
How effective is legal guardianship in the case of mental disorders?
Discuss psychology laws & licensing boards in the United States
Evaluate state insanity defence laws

Controversial Research Paper Topics About Mental Health

Do mentally ill patients have a right to choose whether to go to psychiatric centres or not?
Should families take the elderly to mental health institutions?
Does the doctor have the right to end the life of a terminally ill mental patient?
The use of euthanasia among extreme cases of mental health
Are mental disorders a result of curses and witchcraft?
Do violent video games make children aggressive and uncontrollable?
Should mental institutions be located outside the cities?
How often should families visit their relatives who are mentally ill?
Why the government should fully support the mentally ill
Should mental health clinics use pictures of patients without their consent?
Should families pay for the care of mentally ill relatives?
Do mentally ill patients have the right to marry or get married?
Who determines when to send a patient to a mental health facility?

Mental Health Topics For Discussion

The role of drama and music in treating mental health problems
Explore new ways of coping with mental health problems in the 21 st century
How social media is contributing to various mental health problems
Does Yoga and meditation help to treat mental health complications?
Is the mental health curriculum for psychology students inclusive enough?
Why solving problems as a family can help alleviate mental health disorders
Why teachers can either maintain or disrupt the mental state of their students
Should patients with mental health issues learn to live with their problems?
Why socializing is difficult for patients with mental disorders
Are our online psychology clinics effective in handling mental health issues?
Discuss why people aged 18-25 are more prone to mental health problems
Analyze the growing trend of social stigma in the United States
Are all people with mental health disorders violent and dangerous?

Mental Health Of New Mothers Research Topics

The role of mental disorders in mother-infant bonding
How mental health issues could lead to delays in the emotional development of the infant
The impact of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on postpartum women
Why anxiety and depression are associated with preterm delivery
The role of husbands in attending to wives’ postpartum care needs
What is the effectiveness of screening for postpartum depression?
The role of resilience in dealing with mental issues after delivery
Why marginalized women are more prone to postpartum depression
Why failure to bond leads to mental disorders among new mothers
Discuss how low and middle-income countries contribute to perinatal depression
How to prevent the recurrence of postpartum mental disorders in future
The role of anti-depression drugs in dealing with depression among new mothers
A case study of the various healthcare interventions for perinatal anxiety and mood disorders

What Are The Hot Topics For Mental Health Research Today

Discuss why mental health problems may be a result of a character flaw
The impact of damaging stereotypes in mental health
Why are many people reluctant to speak about their mental health issues?
Why the society tends to judge people with mental issues
Does alcohol and wasting health help one deal with a mental problem?
Discuss the role of bullying in causing mental health disorders among students
Why open forums in school and communities can help in curbing mental disorders
How to build healthy relationships that can help in solving mental health issues
Discuss frustration and lack of understanding in relationships
The role of a stable and supportive family in preventing mental disorders
How parents can start mental health conversations with their children
Analyze the responsibilities of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
The role of a positive mind in dealing with psychological problems

Good Research Topics On Refugees Mental Health

Why do refugees find themselves under high levels of stress?
Discuss the modalities of looking after the mental health of refugees
Evaluate the importance of a cultural framework in helping refugees with mental illnesses
How refugee camp administrators can help identify mental health disorders among refugees
Discuss the implications of dangerous traditional practices
The role of the UNHCR in assisting refugees with mental problems
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among refugees
Dealing with hopelessness among refugees
The prevalence of traumatic experiences in refugee camps
Does cognitive-behavioural therapy work for refugees?
Discuss the role of policy planning in dealing with refugee-mental health problems
Are psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine effective in refugee camps?
Practical groups and in‐group therapeutic settings for refugee camps

Adolescent Mental Health Research Topics

Discuss why suicide is among the leading causes of death among adolescents
The role of acting-out behaviour or substance use in mental issues among adolescents
Mental effects of unsafe sexual behaviour among adolescents
Psychopharmacologic agents and menstrual dysfunction in adolescents
The role of confidentiality in preventive care visits
Mental health disorders and impairment among adolescents
Why adolescents not in school risk developing mental disorders
Does a clinical model work for adolescents with mental illnesses?
The role of self-worth and esteem in dealing with adolescent mental disorders
How to develop positive relationships with peers
Technology and mental ill-health among adolescents
How to deal with stigma among adolescents
Curriculum that supports young people to stay engaged and motivated

Research Topics For Mental Health And Government

Evaluate mental health leadership and governance in the United States
Advocacy and partnerships in dealing with mental health
Discuss mental health and socio-cultural perspective
Management and coordination of mental health policy frameworks
Roles and responsibilities of governments in dealing with mental health
Monitoring and evaluation of mental health policies
What is the essence of a mental health commission?
Benefits of mental well-being to the prosperity of a country
Necessary reforms to the mental health systems
Legal frameworks for dealing with substance use disorders
How mental health can impede the development of a country
The role of the government in dealing with decaying mental health institutions
Inadequate legislation in dealing with mental health problems

Abnormal Psychology Topics

What does it mean to display strange behaviour?
Role of mental health professionals in dealing with abnormal psychology
Discuss the concept of dysfunction in mental illness
How does deviance relate to mental illness?
Role of culture and social norms
The cost of treating abnormal psychology in the US
Using aversive treatment in abnormal psychology
Importance of psychological debriefing
Is addiction a mental disease?
Use of memory-dampening drugs
Coercive interrogations and psychology

Behavioural Health Issues In Mental Health

Detachment from reality
Inability to withstand daily problems
Conduct disorder among children
Role of therapy in behavioural disorders
Eating and drinking habits and mental health
Addictive behaviour patterns for teenagers in high school
Discuss mental implications of gambling and sex addiction
Impact of maladaptive behaviours on the society
Extreme mood changes
Confused thinking
Role of friends in behavioural complications
Spiritual leaders in helping deal with behavioural issues
Suicidal thoughts

Latest Psychology Research Topics

Discrimination and prejudice in a society
Impact of negative social cognition
Role of personal perceptions
How attitudes affect mental well-being
Effects of cults on cognitive behaviour
Marketing and psychology
How romance can distort normal cognitive functioning
Why people with pro-social behaviour may be less affected
Leadership and mental health
Discuss how to deal with anti-social personality disorders
Coping with phobias in school
The role of group therapy
Impact of dreams on one’s psychological behaviour

Professional Psychiatry Research Topics

The part of false memories
Media and stress disorders
Impact of gender roles
Role of parenting styles
Age and psychology
The biography of Harry Harlow
Career paths in psychology
Dissociative disorders
Dealing with paranoia
Delusions and their remedy
A distorted perception of reality
Rights of mental caregivers
Dealing with a loss
Handling a break-up

Consider using our expert research paper writing services for your mental health paper today. Satisfaction is guaranteed!

The Top 10 Most Interesting Mental Health Research Topics

In the United States, the majority of people have been diagnosed with at least one mental disorder. Once considered shameful, mental health issues are now being discussed more openly through various online platforms, such as the best mental health podcasts and blogs, which have made information more accessible. As a result, more people are seeking forms of mental healthcare and researchers are learning even more.

While research on mental health has come a long way, there is still a long way to go in destigmatizing mental health conditions and spreading mental health awareness. If you are looking for mental health research paper topics and are struggling to narrow down your list, take a look at the top 10 most interesting mental health research topics to help get you started.

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What makes a strong mental health research topic.

The best way for you to develop a strong mental health research topic is by first having a specific and well-defined area of interest. Your research topic should provide a clear and simple roadmap to help you focus your research paper. Additionally, consider your audience and the topic’s significance within the mental health field. What does it contribute?

Tips for Choosing a Mental Health Research Topic

Choose a topic that is interesting to you. You may be writing to share your findings with your peers, but your topic should excite you first and foremost. You will spend a significant amount of time on it, so it should be work you are eager to dive into.
Choose a fresh approach. There is an extensive amount of mental health research conducted by mental health professionals. Use your research skills to choose a topic that does more than just restate the same facts and information. Say something that hasn’t been said before.
Choose a topic that matters. The topic you choose should make a contribution to all the mental health education and research that already exists. Approach your topic in a way that ensures that it’s of significance within the field.
Choose a topic that challenges you. A sure-fire way to find out if your topic meets the criteria of being interesting, fresh, and significant, is if it challenges you. If it’s too easy, then there must be enough research available on it. If it’s too difficult, it’s likely unmanageable.
Choose a topic that’s manageable. You should aim to choose a topic that is narrow enough in its focus that it doesn’t overwhelm you. Consider what’s feasible for you to dedicate to the research in terms of resources and time.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The purpose of a research topic is to let the reader know what specific area of mental health research your paper will focus on. It is the territory upon which your research paper is based. Defining your topic is typically the initial step of any research project.

A research question, on the other hand, narrows down the scope of your research and provides a framework for the study and its objectives. It is based on the research topic and written in the form of a question that the research paper aims to answer. It provides the reader with a clear idea of what’s to be expected from the research.

How to Create Strong Mental Health Research Questions

To create a strong research question, you need to consider what will help guide the direction your research takes. It is an important part of the process and requires strong research methods . A strong research question clearly defines your work’s specific focus and lets your audience know exactly what question you intend to answer through your research.

2. The Psychology of Gender Identity, Inclusivity, and Diversity

With the conversations surrounding gender and identity in recent times, a research topic on the psychology of gender identity, inclusivity, and diversity is a good option. Our understanding of gender now, in the 21st century, has evolved and gender identity has become non-binary, more inclusive, and more diverse.

3. The Psychological Effects of Social Phobia on Undergraduate Students

Some of the most common mental illnesses in the United States are phobias, so the topic of the psychology and effects of phobias is interesting and relevant to the majority of people. There are various categories of phobias that have been identified by the American Psychiatric Association that you could choose to focus on.

4. Eating Disorders Among Teenagers and Adolescents

Eating disorders among teenagers and adolescents in the United States are prevalent, especially among young women. The statistics surrounding mental health issues show that 10 in 100 young women suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, as well as a preoccupation with food and body dysmorphia.

5. The Correlation Between Childhood Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Problems in Adulthood

When groups of people with learning disorders (LD) were compared with groups that had no known history of LD, a correlation between childhood LD and mental health issues in adulthood was found. This research is important because it helps us to understand how childhood LD increases mental health risks in adulthood and affects emotional development.

6. How Mental Disorder is Glamorized and Sensationalized in Modern Media

Shows and movies centered around the depiction of mental illness have become more popular in recent years. The portrayal of characters with mental illnesses can often be damaging and fail to take into account the complexities of mental disorders, which often leads to stigmatization and discrimination, and a reluctance to seek mental health care.

7. The Relationship Between Self-esteem and Suicide Rates Among Adolescents

A relationship between self-esteem and suicide rates among adolescents has been found when looking into their suicidal tendencies. This is more so the case with any individual who already suffers from a mental health issue. Low self-esteem has been linked to increased levels of depression and suicide ideation, leading to higher chances of suicide attempts among adolescents.

8. Destigmatizing Mental Illness and Mental Disorders

The rates at which people are diagnosed with mental illnesses are high. Even so, their portrayal in the media has resulted in the belief that those who suffer from a mental health issue or live in mental health facilities are dangerous. Conducting research on abnormal psychology topics and destigmatizing mental illness and mental disorders is important for mental health education.

9. Psychological Trauma and the Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Mental health statistics show that most abuse happens in childhood, causing long-lasting psychological trauma. The type of trauma caused by child abuse and childhood sexual abuse affects development in infants and children. It has been linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, guilt, sexual issues, dissociative patterns, and relationship issues, to name a few.

10. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychological Well-Being

There is no doubt about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 confinement on psychological well-being. The threat to public health, the social and economic stresses, and the various reactions by governments and individuals have all caused unexpected mental health challenges. This has affected behaviors, perceptions, and the ways in which people make decisions.

Mental Health Research Questions

Are digital therapy sessions as impactful as face-to-face therapy sessions for patients?
What are the best methods for effectively using social media to unite and connect all those suffering from a mental health issue in order to reduce their isolation?
What causes self-destructive behavior in some children?
Can introducing mental health topics in the school curriculum help to create understanding and reduce the stigmatization of mental disorders?
What are the most effective methods to improve brain health and emotional intelligence as we go through the aging process?

Choosing the Right Mental Health Research Topic

When choosing the right mental health research question, it is essential to figure out what single issue you want to focus on within the broader topic of mental conditions. The narrower your scope, the easier it will be to conduct thorough and relevant research. Vagueness can lead to information overload and a lack of clear direction.

However, even though it needs to be specific, your research question must also be complex enough to allow you to develop your research. If it’s too narrow in its focus, you won’t give yourself enough room to flesh out your findings as you build on your research. The key is to find the middle ground between the two.

Mental Health Research Topics FAQ

A mental disorder refers to any of the various conditions that affect and alter our behavior, thoughts, and emotions. More than half of Americans get diagnosed with a mental disorder at some point in their lives. They are common and manageable with the right support. Some mental illnesses are occasional, such as postpartum depression, while others are long-term, such as panic attacks.

Mental health research raises awareness of mental health disorders and promotes mental health care. It provides support and evidence for the effectiveness of mental health services and programs designed for psychiatric patients and those with mental health disorders. The information provided by the research helps us better understand mental illnesses and how best to approach treatment plans.

Behavioral health and emotional health are part of a person’s overall mental health since they are all interlinked and each one affects the other. When we speak of mental health, we are referring to behavioral, cognitive, and emotional well-being, which can also affect physical health.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the five main categories of mental illness include dementia, mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, feeding and eating disorders, and personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the “Anti-gay Propaganda Law” in Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Moscow, Russia

Published: 27 February 2017
Volume 94 , pages 319–329, ( 2017 )

Cite this article

Emily Hylton 1 ,
Andrea L. Wirtz 1 ,
Carla E. Zelaya 1 ,
Carl Latkin 2 ,
Alena Peryshkina 3 ,
Vladmir Mogilnyi 3 ,
Petr Dzhigun 3 ,
Irina Kostetskaya 3 ,
Noya Galai 1 , 4 &
Chris Beyrer 1

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Depression is a major public health problem in the Russian Federation and is particularly of concern for men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM living in Moscow City were recruited via respondent-driven sampling and participated in a cross-sectional survey from October 2010 to April 2013. Multiple logistic regression models compared the relationship between sexual identity, recent stigma, and probable depression, defined as a score of ≥23 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We investigated the interactive effect of stigma and participation in the study after the passage of multiple “anti-gay propaganda laws” in Russian provinces, municipalities, and in neighboring Ukraine on depression among MSM. Among 1367 MSM, 36.7% ( n = 505) qualified as probably depressed. Fifty-five percent identified as homosexual ( n = 741) and 42.9% identified as bisexual ( n = 578). Bisexual identity had a protective association against probable depression (reference: homosexual identity AOR 0.71; 95%CI 0.52–0.97; p < 0.01). Those who experienced recent stigma (last 12 months) were more likely to report probable depression (reference: no stigma; AOR 1.75; 95%CI 1.20–2.56; p < 0.01). The interaction between stigma and the propaganda laws was significant. Among participants with stigma, probable depression increased 1.67-fold after the passage of the anti-gay laws AOR 1.67; 95%CI 1.04–2.68; p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms are common among MSM in Russia and exacerbated by stigma and laws that deny homosexual identities. Repeal of Russia’s federal anti-gay propaganda law is urgent but other social interventions may address depression and stigma in the current context.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank SANAM clinic and Tatiana Bondarenko for insight, support, and use of the SANAM clinic for conduct of qualitative research and the Be Safe study. We appreciate the efforts put forth by Irina Deobald and Konstantin Dyakonov in the formative phases of this project. We are deeply thankful to the participants who contributed their time and personal experiences to this study.

Authors’ Contributions

CB, ALW, CEZ, NG, VM, AP, and CL collaborated in the design and oversight of the overall study. PD and KI collected data. EH conducted data analysis. ALW reviewed and provided input to the statistical analysis. EH and ALW wrote the initial drafts of this manuscript. All authors had full access to the data, reviewed and edited the manuscript, and all take responsibility for its integrity as well as the accuracy of the analysis.

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Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Room E7141, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

Emily Hylton, Andrea L. Wirtz, Carla E. Zelaya, Noya Galai & Chris Beyrer

Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

Carl Latkin

AIDS Infoshare, Moscow, Russian Federation

Alena Peryshkina, Vladmir Mogilnyi, Petr Dzhigun & Irina Kostetskaya

Department of Statistics, The University of Haifa, Mt Carmel, Israel

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Correspondence to Andrea L. Wirtz .

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by both the Ethics Committee of the State Medical University, IP Pavlov, St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Institutional Review Board, Baltimore, Maryland.

Funding for this study came from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH R01 MH085574-01A2) “High Risk Men: Identity, Health Risks, HIV and Stigma” funded from 2009 to 2014. Drs. Wirtz, Latkin, Galai, and Beyrer are also supported by the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research (P30AI094189).

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Hylton, E., Wirtz, A.L., Zelaya, C.E. et al. Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the “Anti-gay Propaganda Law” in Mental Health among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Moscow, Russia. J Urban Health 94 , 319–329 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-017-0133-6

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Published : 27 February 2017

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-017-0133-6

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v.14(3); 2022 Mar

Suicidality Among Men in Russia: A Review of Recent Epidemiological Data

Val bellman.

1 Psychiatry, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, USA

Vaishalee Namdev

2 Medicine and Surgery, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Indore, IND

Suicide is a phenomenon that is not related to a specific class of countries but is a problem worldwide. Many studies have attempted to explain gender differences in suicidal behaviors. Unfortunately, Russia holds the world’s top place for the number of suicides committed by its male citizens. Russia is still demonstrating unusually high death rates due to non-natural causes, and these demographic trends are concerning. We analyzed suicidality among men in Russia over the past 20 years using official data published by the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) and secondary sources. We also discussed male suicide as a social problem, analyzed, and evaluated male suicidality in Russia from 2000 to 2020, and reviewed the factors influencing the prevalence of male suicides over female suicides in Russia.

Russia is still going through one of the most significant historical changes in the last 100 years. Our analysis showed discrepancies between official numbers and data published by non-government organizations in Russia. Unemployment, low socioeconomic status, underdiagnosed and/or untreated mental illness, and substance abuse are major risk factors for suicide in Russian men. Cultural influences also make suicidal behavior socially scripted in Russia.

By providing examples and analyzing data, we aspire to encourage improvements in the practice of mental wellbeing in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. The recommendations within this report are intended as a starting point for dialogue to guide effective suicide prevention in this country.

Introduction

Suicides and self-harming behaviors are significant public health and social problems in post-Soviet Russia. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide [ 1 ], accounting for over 58,000 deaths annually in Europe [ 2 ] and 16,546 deaths in Russia in 2020 [ 3 ]. According to experts, there are 11.4 suicides per 100,000 people in the world, which equates to 804,000 suicides annually [ 4 ]. Although the suicide rates in Russia are gradually decreasing (39.1/100,000 in 2000 to 23.4/100,000 in 2010 and 11.3/100,000 in 2020 [ 3 ]), the number of suicides among men is significantly higher than among Russian females [ 5 , 6 ].

The suicide rates vary greatly between Russian cities and within the country, and the difference between regions varies tenfold. The suicide rates are higher in rural communities when compared with their urban counterparts. Social deprivation, economic depression, unemployment, heavy alcohol consumption, etc. are also more prevalent in rural areas of Russia. Indigenous peoples around the country are burdened with a markedly increased suicide rate, which may be associated with a challenging social situation, inadequate family support, lower socioeconomic status, and an increased prevalence of alcohol and psychoactive substances, which also act as suicide risk factors in general [ 7 , 8 ]. The suicide rates among men in Russia (26.1 per 100,000) were over three times higher than among women (6.9 per 100,000) in 2016. Committing suicide appears to be a male phenomenon over the past 20 years in post-Soviet Russia [ 9 ]. For suicide attempts, the level estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 20 times higher than the suicide rate [ 10 ]; the gender gap is less pronounced.

This phenomenon, when men commit suicide more frequently than women while women are much likelier to commit suicide attempts, is known as the gender paradox of suicidal behavior [ 2 , 6 ]. All Russian citizens are expected to receive medical care that meets the highest standards, regardless of their race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Although the Russian healthcare system remains gender-neutral, Russian men are not considered a “risk” group and are not involved in targeted state-sponsored suicide prevention programs [ 11 ].

Materials and methods

Data on the population and male suicide rates were taken from the official reports of Rosstat and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for 2001-2020. Secondary data were obtained from international databases and published studies in Russian and English. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the information about the population being studied. This methodology helped us summarize data in the form of simple quantitative measures, such as percentages and means, or visual summaries, such as diagrams and bar charts. The literature review attempted to bring together all available evidence on a specific, clearly defined topic.

Published studies were identified through ‘pearl growing’, citation chasing, a search of databases, using the filters, and the authors’ topic knowledge. The articles were searched in MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, COCHRANE, eLibrary, and CyberLeninka. A search of databases was undertaken in December 2021 using predefined keywords. Citation chasing was conducted by analyzing the references for each included study. A total of 122 potential papers were identified. We also included at least 20 Russian biomedical journals listed in databases, which were translated into English. The summary document contained the list of included and excluded articles; the inclusion status for each article was based on a review of the full-text manuscript. The inclusion criteria were articles with the target population, specific location, investigated epidemiological trends, or the comparison between two-to-three studied regions (cities, states, or districts). Exclusion criteria were unrelated, duplicated, unavailable full texts published before 2001. Data were abstracted from 60 eligible papers. Some of these sources had English-language abstracts, but other articles’ texts had to be translated. The evidence was graded for each source based on the quantity and quality of studies and potential data flaws. The quality, validity, and type of published data were considered.

The citation management system EndNote allowed us to organize our literature databases with internet searches and have add-ons for Office programs, which made the process of literature citation convenient. However, the majority of articles in Russian could not be captured by the citation management system. Additionally, the search for article content was sometimes unavailable for search engines. The authors had to enter this information manually to ensure consistency in the referencing of studies. Some Russian sources were originally published as extensive PDF files of the entire journal issue without dividing it into separate articles and providing no descriptors, making manual, time-consuming input of information the only possibility.

Not only are men likelier to die of suicide than women between the ages of 10 and 60 years, but the suicide rate among men also grows with every decade of life, reaching a peak at 50 [ 12 , 13 ]. Russian men become increasingly inclined to commit suicide before their 60th birthday, usually via firearms or strangulation. Although men aged 60, 70, and 80 die from suicide less often than men aged 40 to 59, gender differences prevail. The suicide rate among men over 60 is about 30 cases, compared to about 10 (per 100,000 people) among women of the same age [ 11 , 12 ].

Official data illustrate that suicide rates among men have gradually decreased over the past 20 years. While in 2000 it was 68.4 cases per 100,000 people, in 2010, it was 41 cases per 100,000 people, gradually decreasing to 29.3, 27.6, 21.7, 20.5, and 19.8 cases in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, per 100,000 people. Suicide mortality among women is significantly lower than among men. In 2015-2016, it was nearly four times lower than among men and amounted to 7.5 and 7.1 cases per 100,000 people, respectively, in 2015 and 2016. The suicide rate among men in 2000-2020 per 100,000 people is shown in Figure Figure1 1 [ 3 ].

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According to official data, the suicide rate among all age groups decreased. In recent years, the suicide rate among adult men has varied. Data demonstrate that the suicide rate among men increases with every decade of life, reaching a peak of 50 years. Thus, at the age of 15-19 years, the mortality rate from suicide among men was 10-12 cases in 2015-2016 per 100,000 people, at the age of 20-24 years: 18-20 cases, 25-29 years: 24-26 cases, 30-34 years: 31-35 cases, 35-39 years: 37-40 cases, and reaching a maximum in the age group of 50-54 years at 38-41 cases, then decreases gradually. Figure Figure2 2 summarizes data on male suicide mortality in 2015-2016, depending on the age per 100,000 people [ 12 ].

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The data show that the suicide mortality rate among the male population in various age groups has been steadily decreasing since 2002. Between 2000-2003, all age groups of the male population demonstrated a growth in the number of suicide cases. It peaked in this period (2000-2020), except for the 15-29 age group. Between 2004 and 2010, there was the fastest decline in the suicide mortality rate among the male population in different age groups, after which the rate of decline in the mortality rate slowed, which may have been due to the financial and economic crisis in Russia (2008-2010). Figures Figures3 3 - -5 5 summarize the changes in the suicide mortality rate among men in different age groups in 2000-2020 [ 3 ].

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Between 2000-2020, the male suicide rate was variable across all levels of urbanization with higher rates in nonmetropolitan/rural areas than in medium or large metropolitan clusters. Geographic disparities (specific federal districts versus Russia overall) in suicide rates might reflect suicide risk factors known to be prevalent in less urban areas, such as limited access to mental health care, social isolation, and substance abuse.

Official data show that in 2015-2017, the suicide mortality rates among the male population in the Central Federal District, the city of Moscow, and the North Caucasian Federal District were lower than the average for the Russian Federation. The lowest rates were seen in the city of Moscow and the North Caucasian Federal District. In the Northwestern Federal District, suicide mortality rates among the male population were about the same as those in the Russian Federation overall. In the Volga Federal District, Ural Federal District, Siberian Federal District, and Far Eastern Federal District, suicide mortality rates among the male population were higher than the average in Russia. Figure Figure6 6 summarizes the male suicide mortality rates in various federal districts and the Russian Federation in 2015-2017 [ 11 , 12 ].

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Interestingly, Mal et al. (2020) stated that the highest suicide mortality rates were in five Russian federal districts: Northwestern, Volga, Ural, Siberian, and Far Eastern; however, their analysis focused on suicide mortality rates in general. Additionally, the authors indicated that suicide mortality rates were significantly lower in Central, Southern, and North Caucasian Federal Districts [ 14 ].

The impact of urbanization on suicidality in Russian men and on the mental health of the general population remains underestimated [ 15 ]. The highest degree of urbanization was recorded in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia, where almost 85 percent of the inhabitants lived in city areas. The extent to which the suicide rate in urban areas is influenced by exposure to risk factors other than urbanization remains unknown due to a lack of data. The lowest male suicide mortality rates in the Northwestern Federal District are seen in the city of St. Petersburg, where these numbers are lower than the indicators for the Northwestern Federal District. Suicide mortality rates among the male population in the Northwestern Federal District decreased in 2015-2017. The most significant decrease occurred in the Novgorod region. Figure Figure7 7 shows the suicide mortality rates among the male population in various regions of the Northwestern Federal District in 2015-2017 [ 11 , 12 ].

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Interestingly, the regions located in the Northern Caucasus demonstrate significantly lower male suicide rates compared to the rest of the nation [ 16 ]. These numbers and demographic trends were noted almost 20 years ago and remain consistent with our data. The published data suggest that the highest suicide mortality rates among the male population in the North Caucasian Federal District were in the Republic of Alania, being higher than the indicators for the North Caucasian Federal District by about 15%. The lowest male suicide mortality rates were in the Republic of Ingushetia. The numbers are lower than these indicators for the whole North Caucasian Federal District by over two times. These male suicide mortality rates are the lowest of those discussed in this report. However, higher suicide rates were found among male soldiers who served in the Chechen wars and/or were actively serving in other areas of the Caucasus [ 17 ]. Figure Figure8 8 shows suicide mortality rates among the male population in various regions of the North Caucasian Federal District in 2015-2017 [ 11 , 12 ].

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Interestingly, the Russian Southern Federal District borders the republics of the North Caucasus. While some parts of that district are ethnically like the North Caucasus, the male suicide mortality rates are like other regions of Russia with a predominantly Slavic population. Data on male suicide mortality rates in various regions of the Southern Federal District from 2015-2017 showed a gradual tendency to decrease, but those numbers are still significantly higher than in the North Caucasus region. In the Republic of Kalmykia, suicide mortality rates among the male population in 2015-2017 were higher than in the Southern Federal District by about 20%. In the Rostov region, suicide mortality rates among the male population in 2015-2017 were about 15% lower than those in the Southern Federal District. Figure Figure9 9 illustrates suicide mortality rates among the male population in various regions of the Southern Federal District in 2015-2017.

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The Central Federal District is located in the center of the European part of Russia. It is the district with the highest density of population in Russia-60.30 people per square kilometer: a high level of urbanization, as about 50% of the population lives in the Moscow region. This region has a high level of economic and social activity and a presumably better socioeconomic situation. However, male suicide mortality rates vary between cities. Suicide mortality rates among the male population in the Belgorod Region and the city of Moscow were lower than in the whole Central Federal District. In the Kursk and Moscow regions, mortality rates were about the same as in the Central Federal District, especially in 2017. In the regions of Bryansk, Vladimir, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Smolensk, Tver, and Yaroslavl, suicide mortality rates among the male population were higher than in the Central Federal District. In 2015-2017, nearly all regions of the Central Federal District demonstrated decreased male suicide mortality rates. The fastest rates of decline were observed in the regions of Belgorod, Kursk, Smolensk, and Tver. In the Voronezh region, there was an increase in the death rate from suicide among the male population. In Moscow in 2016, the suicide mortality rate increased among the male population compared to 2015. In 2017, this index dropped again. Males aged 55 years and older were more likely to die from suicide than any other age group for both males and females. Figure Figure10 10 shows male suicide mortality rates in various regions of the Central Federal District and the Russian Federation in 2015-2017 [ 11 , 12 ].

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The red column (4.3) is the suicide mortality rate among the female population in Moscow in 2016 [ 11 , 12 ]

Male suicides in the Volga Federal District showed a linear trend of decline in 2015-2017, despite the risk factors for suicide generally increasing. The most significant decrease in male suicide mortality rates among the male population was observed in the Saratov region, which initially showed an unexpected increase in male suicide rates (higher than in the Volga Federal District by about 23%) [ 11 , 12 ]. Suicide mortality rates among the male population in the Ural Federal District in 2015-2017 also showed a tendency to decrease [ 11 , 12 ].

Social marginalization and depopulation are particularly widespread in regions of the Asian part of the country. Despite the implementation of additional state-run social and demographic incentives, the impoverishment of human capital is still evident in this region. This region is far removed from Russia’s European core and financial centers but remains uncomfortably close to dynamic and powerful China. Despite the oil and gas resources of East Siberia and the Far East Federal District, its regional product amounts to just 5-6 percent of Russia’s total gross domestic product (GDP).

These two regions have long been known as underdeveloped and socially challenging. Despite these circumstances, the suicide mortality rates among the male population in the Siberian Federal District (SFD) in 2015-2017 also showed a tendency to decrease. The most significant decrease in suicide mortality rates among the male population occurred in the Altai Republic. In the Krasnoyarsk Region, the Irkutsk region, the indicators were fairly even, like the rates for the Siberian Federal District. Interestingly, in Omsk, suicide mortality rates among the male population in 2015-2017 were about 10% lower than those in the entire Siberian Federal District. The official data show that the highest male suicide mortality rates in the Far Eastern Federal District were in the Amur and Sakhalin Regions, being higher than these rates for the Far Eastern Federal District by 28% and 23%, respectively. Interestingly, the lowest male suicide mortality rates were in the Kamchatsky Territory, where these numbers were lower than the indicators for the Far Eastern Federal District by about 10-15%. Figures Figures11 11 and 12 summarize data regarding male suicide mortality rates in various regions of the SFD and the Far Eastern Federal District in 2015-2017 [ 11 , 12 ].

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Data accuracy issues

According to the World Bank, Russia ranks third in the world in the suicide mortality rate, and this rate in 2019 was 25.10/100,000 per year. However, this rate is disproportionally higher for men. It is important to mention that these rates have been declining over the past 20 years. The available data highlight that the suicide mortality rate among Russian men was as high as 96.7/100,000 in 2000 and decreased to 43.60 in 2019 [ 18 ]. Interestingly, these numbers do not correlate with the data provided by Rosstat [ 3 ]. Table Table1 1 provides additional information on this matter.

Adopted from macrotrends.com [ 18 ].

The research data published in Russia are not always transparent. For example, the “event of undetermined intent” has shown exponential growth since 2014 and has exceeded suicide mortality rates [ 19 ]. The researchers believe that this subcategory includes “latent homicides and suicides,” while actual suicide mortality rates remain unclear. Local coding and data recording standards vary significantly and can negatively affect the transparency of the data. Specifically, many suicides are frequently listed within the “external causes of morbidity and mortality” subcategory [ 19 ]. The ICD-10 classification category includes multiple “environmental events and circumstances as the cause of injury, and other adverse effects,” where potential suicides can be included without any further systematization. “Latent suicides” include falls from heights, poisoning, and hanging with unspecified intent. They account for a significant proportion of suicide mortality. Since they are counted as events of undetermined intent, statistics show a sharp drop in suicide mortality rates, which has a linear trend [ 20 ]. This approach serves as a perfect example of data distortion practices. Moreover, there is no distinct updated information regarding suicides committed in Chechnya and in other North Caucasus republics. Yumaguzin (2019) indicated that suicide rates are significantly underestimated, while ill-defined causes of death are used to misinterpret data related to suicide and self-harming behaviors [ 19 ].

According to Verbitskaya [ 21 ], 80% of publications in Russian have methodological issues or unacceptable research designs. Based on our analysis, many studies conducted or published in Russia have methodological flaws (e.g., incomparable populations, lack of standards, internationally approved scales, and different designs). An analysis of the literature published in Russian showed that many journals have no specific or evidence-based standards for the description and presentation of research results. Although these issues are not directly related to our assessment of men’s suicide rates, it is important to mention these flaws to facilitate positive changes in data reporting. No matter how much the data vary, male suicide mortality rates remain exceptionally high.

Socioeconomic environment

Many experts agree that male suicide mortality rates are a consequence of social, economic, psychological, and demographic issues. Some of Russia’s cultural norms can be attributed to the nation’s tumultuous history, such as that of the former Soviet Union. With the fall of communism, the nation experienced social and economic hardships that adversely affected many Russians’ mental health. Some theorize that such monumental societal changes during that time have had long-term effects, persisting until the present day. However, there has been a downward trend in suicide rates over the last two decades because the nation has improved on many socioeconomic indicators [ 22 ]. The number of suicides correlates with social changes, such as resettlement, assimilation, and the destruction of the conventional social structure.

Financial struggles can be attributed to increased suicidality in men. The three main economic indicators, which are GDP, unemployment rate, and consumer price index, are associated with suicidal ideas, suicide attempts, and suicides [ 23 ]. In the economic crises of the 1990s, unemployment and a decrease in personal income were directly correlated with growing suicide rates, especially among men [ 24 ]. Another study evaluated how certain socioeconomic factors influenced suicide patterns within Russia. The findings demonstrated a significant decline in the male suicide rate with the country’s improvement in economic indicators (e.g., income per capita, GRP growth rate, etc.). The study also evaluated the effects of marriage and divorce on suicide rates among men. Marriage has negative effects on suicide rates, while divorce has positive effects on suicide rates [ 25 ]. Russian men are more prone to relocate and tend to move to large cities to obtain employment and work on a shift basis. These difficulties have also led to the insufficient development of institutions expected to address these social issues [ 26 ].

Geographical aspects

People living in rural areas of Russia are at a greater risk of suicide than those living in urban areas or big cities. The strength of the connection between intoxication and suicide also depends on the geographical region in Russia. Specifically, the data show that rates increase from the south and west to the north and east of the country [ 24 ].

Not only are suicide rates significantly lower in the Northern Caucasus, but other factors also make it important to consider other psychosocial factors. For example, a higher proportion of Muslims in these regions results in a different cultural context in the Northern Caucasus than in the rest of Russia, plus religious differences and Islamic scriptures against suicide. Furthermore, the intersection of these cultural factors with social institutions means that several of the measures included here as controls are confounded with a location in this area.

Average alcohol consumption in central Russia is high with a relatively large proportion of unrecorded consumption ranging from almost zero to 21 liters [ 27 ]. The rates of heavy alcohol consumption (more than 40 g of pure alcohol per day) among men were the lowest in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia (2.3 L of ethanol per adult/year) and the highest in Magadan region (24.3 L per adult/year) [ 28 ]. Alcohol consumption is lower in these regions, and wine products are more often consumed here than in the rest of the country, meaning that the preference for vodka is not as strong as elsewhere in Russia.

Cultural aspects

The Russian mentality is characterized by a man destined to serve the motherland, the army, and his family. Russian culture is rooted in rigid gender roles, and these norms are present even at the institutional level. In The ABC for Men, the author determined that Russia has over a dozen laws that discriminate against men. For example, Russian law supports the idea of motherhood among women, yet no laws exist that support fatherhood. Although there is no concept of "single father" in Russian law, the number of families consisting of single fathers with children is slowly growing in Russia (1.18% in 2002 vs. 1.27% in 2010. According to Russian law, these men are eligible for the same benefits as single mothers [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Russian legislators have attempted to pass several similar bills that, although unsuccessful, highlight the inequities between males and females.

Along these lines, men experience different expectations in terms of occupation. Women are not allowed to work certain jobs that are considered difficult or dangerous. Likewise, these occupations consist solely of male employees, allowing men easier access to suicide modalities at hazardous places of work. Such methods, such as pesticides or firearms, are more lethal. Not only this, but a man’s age of retirement is a full five years later than that of a woman [ 31 ]. These policies indicate Russian cultural pressures, which may adversely affect men’s mental health and suicide rates. Finally, 40-50 percent of all marriages in Russia will end in divorce or separation. High divorce rates may also contribute to the likelihood of higher suicide rates in this country [ 32 ].

Child and adolescent suicidality in Russia

Across all post-Soviet countries, Russia has one of the highest rates of child and adolescent suicide [ 33 ]. Parental neglect, such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in childhood (PSEA), is very common in Russian families. The link between PSEA and the risk of suicide throughout life has been confirmed by published research data [ 34 ].

According to multiple reports, Russia has often outstripped Europe when it comes to teen suicide rates [ 35 ]. The adolescent suicide rates (specifically between ages 15-34) have steadily increased since 1996, more so than the older age groups. Suicide among young Russian males is four times more common than among young females (32.8 per 100,000 people versus 7.6 in 2004), and it occurs among ever-younger males, some in their early teens [ 36 ]. Although younger groups have had consistently lower suicide rates than middle-aged and older adults, young Russian men have attempted suicide almost twice as often as female youth since 1989. According to reports, almost 4,000 teen suicide attempts were registered in Russia annually, and as many as 1,500 of them resulted in death. In 2016, an ominous report by journalist Galina Mursaliyeva in the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta surfaced, which brought to light the presence of online “death groups” on the social media platform vk.com , which influenced countless teenagers to commit suicide worldwide [ 37 ], the biggest proportion of which were Russian teenagers.

In turn, the administrations’ knee-jerk reactions to increasing internet censorship did little to address the situation. There was a 14% spike in emergency room trips for potential suicides by children and adolescents in 2018 compared to 2017 (692 in 2017 versus 788 in 2018), according to findings reported by state officials [ 38 ]. Local media reports estimated that adolescent suicide rates remained relatively unchanged in 2018-2019. Interestingly, local experts noted that increasingly more Russian teenagers wanted to participate in or “supervise” online suicide games in 2020-2021 [ 39 ].

The underlying conditions that deem these children more susceptible to suicidal ideations are social isolation, a dysfunctional family system (e.g. families with interpersonal conflicts, misbehavior, child abuse or neglect), increased social isolation due to stigma surrounding mental health, an inability to relate to the opposite sex, and intolerance toward LGBTQ+ youth [ 40 , 41 ]. Additionally, decreased attention by caregivers to a child’s emotional needs has been the norm for a long time.

Multiple support groups, such as Your Territory and Deti 404, have since emerged on Vk.com to give teenagers a platform to express their frustrations with a skilled support network that provides counseling and mental health support [ 40 ].

Mental health and stigma

Studies of the relationship between psychopathology, substance abuse, and suicide consistently indicate that around 70% of people who die from suicide suffer from an identifiable mental disorder before death. Episodes of major depression associated with a major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder account for at least half of suicide cases [ 42 ]. The prevalence of affective disorders in Russia ranges from 30-40%. The majority of cases remain underdiagnosed and undertreated [ 43 ]. Among suicides, there are usually many factors that can increase underlying risks or interact with depression and increase suicide risk, such as alcohol- and drug-related disorders, which are more common in men [ 44 ].

In almost all regions across the country, men consistently live shorter lives than women. Especially among middle-aged Russian men, high alcohol consumption and ongoing mental health problems contributed to gender differences in all-cause mortality [ 45 ].

In Russia, there is a stigma associated with mental health and consequent suicide. Many Russians consider mental health disorders to be self-inflicted and do not believe in treatment. This stigma can extend to a suicidal individual’s friends, family, and mental health professionals.

Binge drinking is commonplace among Slavic nations, with Russia being one of them. Suicides among men in Russia are specifically associated with high rates of alcoholism. Russia’s cultural pressures also affect the physical health of the country’s men. Men are discouraged from coping with life stressors in healthy ways, and many men turn to drinking or smoking to cope [ 31 ]. Data have shown that many Russian men drink alcohol to cope with stress, unemployment, depression - in situations in which they would otherwise have difficulty coping. High levels of alcoholism in Russia existed before the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, a sharp rise began in the early 1990s and has risen to one of the highest worldwide. Local officials have estimated that alcohol consumption is up to 15 liters per person per year, while consumption in the European Union and the United States is between 7 and 10 liters [ 31 ].

Vodka accounts for roughly 75% of the nation’s alcohol consumption, and approximately one-third of Russian men report binge drinking vodka at least once monthly [ 46 ]. While inebriated, individuals are more susceptible to existing mental health issues and maybe likelier to act on suicidal thoughts. It was shown that life expectancy decreased by 12% between 1990 and 1994, which was directly related to alcohol mortality [ 24 ]. Researchers estimate that 61% of male suicides in Russia involve alcohol, compared to 22% of deaths worldwide that involve alcohol [ 47 ].

Future trends

Russia is witnessing extremely high male suicide rates. As the high suicide rate among Russian males is multifaceted, it can be difficult to develop effective solutions. Current thinking suggests that access to mental health services can lessen suicide rates. Considering all the difficulties, the transition of primarily descriptive results to specialized suicide prevention programs among men turned out to be a challenging task that requires complex medical and social approaches [ 48 - 50 ].

In the last two decades, the Russian Federation has introduced many measures that have yielded tangible results. In the early 2000s, the state became fully involved in the control of the alcohol market [ 46 ]. In 2006, Russia implemented an alcohol policy to control the alcohol market and contain alcohol-related poisonings. President Putin implemented the law in January 2006, which regulated the volume and quality of alcohol products. The patterns thereafter revealed important learnings as to how alcohol consumption affects suicide rates. One study determined that the 2006 policy yielded a 9% decrease in male suicide mortality. This translates into 40, 000 male lives saved yearly from suicide by restricting alcohol [ 24 ].

The WHO published data that, in 2003, both alcohol-related mortality and the amount of alcohol consumed per year decreased significantly [ 51 ]. In this way, the mortality of men has decreased by as much as 40%, while men’s life expectancy has increased from 57 to 68 years over the past 15 years [ 51 ]. In the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, local experts suggested that the pandemic might lead to an increase in suicide among Russians. Official data released by Rosstat suggested that for the entire year 2020, the standardized mortality ratio due to suicides dropped by 4.1%. However, WHO experts concluded that suicide mortality in Russia is worse than officially reported. According to their report, “Suicide Worldwide in 2019: Global Health Estimates,” the suicide rates (per 100 000) were 25.1 (crude suicide rate) and 21.6 (age-standardized suicide rate), or at least twice as high as the official data [ 52 ]. Given these discrepancies in the data, it is almost impossible to predict future tendencies in men’s suicide mortality. Algorithms used to estimate suicide mortality in men are no longer valid since the data are often inaccurate.

Several effective suicide prevention programs have been implemented in Russia. For example, school- and college-based suicide prevention programs [ 53 - 55 ] have proven effective in reducing the number of suicide attempts among students. Programs aimed at meeting the needs of elderly people from high-risk groups were less effective due to the questionable design of those interventions [ 56 ], none of which have been implemented since 2019.

Laws that prevent access to a particular method, be they stricter firearm control laws, restriction of access and use of blister packs of pills, lockable pesticide boxes, or bridge barriers (often in combination with a crisis intervention telephone hotline), may affect the suicide rate, even if some adjustments to those methods may occur over time [ 57 ].

While Russia, unlike the United States, does not have anything like the Second Amendment in its Constitution, it does provide its citizens with the constitutional right to self-defense. Additionally, background checks before the ownership of guns are more rigorous and consider an individual’s medical and psychological history [ 58 ]. Despite stricter laws, certain individuals could easily bypass background checks either via corrupt measures or obtain firearms via illegal channels, which is a huge market. This problem was brought to the fore, especially after the mass shooting incident in the Russian city of Kazan in May 2021, when a 19-year-old went on a shooting spree, killing nine people and injuring 23. The authorities quickly passed stricter gun control laws, which included more stringent background checks and control over illegal gun trafficking [ 59 ].

The country also saw a spate of physician deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which two healthcare workers died, and one suffered serious injuries due to falling from a building. While the cause of death is still a matter of speculation, it brought into light a system underequipped to deal with the pandemic due to a short supply of equipment and manpower. Reports also highlight the apathy of the hospital administration in dealing with the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases and caring for healthcare workers, many of whom worked tirelessly even after becoming symptomatic [ 60 ].

Conclusions

Although the suicide statistics in Russia are profound, the suicide rate may be even higher than what has been reported. One of the biggest drivers of male suicidality in Russia is the country’s cultural norms. Russia remains very rooted in tradition, and within this tradition lies unique societal pressures. Cultural and psychosocial aspects of the Russian male experience, such as gender norms, low quality of life, and alcohol consumption, are likely key contributors to the country’s high suicide rates.

Our analysis of official reports and secondary sources in Russia also confirmed that there are too many publications of poor-quality study design and statistical analysis. Finally, continuous improvement of public health policy and fundamental and translational research can contribute to reducing the future suicide rate among the male population in Russia.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Human Ethics

Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study

Animal Ethics

Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue.

Vol 5, No 1 (2024)

By Sections

Celebrating a Storied History: Moscow Preobrazhenskaya Mental Hospital Marks its 245 th Anniversary

Authors: Burygina L.A. 1 , Golubev S.A. 1 , Filipchenko O.V. 1
Mental-health Clinic No. 4 named after P. B. Gannushkin
Issue: Vol 4, No 1 (2023)
Pages: 64-72
Section: INFORMATION
URL: https://consortium-psy.com/jour/article/view/3704
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/CP3704

About the authors

Supplementary files.

In 2022, Mental-health Clinic No. 4 named after P. B. Gannushkin, one of the oldest mental health institutions in Russia known as Preobrazhenskaya Hospital before the October Revolution of 1917, celebrated its 245 th anniversary. The history of the hospital reflects all stages of the evolution of the basic principles and aspects of mental health care in Russia. On many occasions, the institution served as a platform for eminent researchers and clinicians to achieve scientific breakthroughs and their application in practice. This article is a review of the major milestones in the history of the hospital. It highlights the great achievements of its psychiatrists and presents some previously unpublished archival documents that offer a new perspective on the history of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital.

INTRODUCTION

In 2022, Mental-health Clinic No. 4 named after P. B. Gannushkin, one of the oldest mental health institutions in Russia known as Preobrazhenskaya Hospital before the October Revolution, celebrated its 245 th anniversary. This represents the number of years since Catherine the Great signed a decree establishing the Moscow House of Invalids, where several dozen beds were set aside for the mentally ill. The document, issued in 1777 [ 1 ], laid the foundation not only for Moscow’s first specialized institution that could accommodate patients with mental disorders, but also, without exaggeration, for the entire field of Russian psychiatry.

The implementation of the Pinel reform in Russia, the introduction of the concept of “moral treatment”, the first scientific conferences and open clinical discussions, all these stages in the evolution of the basic principles and aspects of mental health care have found their reflection in the history of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital over the past 245 years. This is why Vasily Gilyarovsky poetically referred to the Hospital as “the cradle of Russian psychiatry” [ 2 ].

Each page in the history of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital is not only an impressive list of achievements and innovations, but also a unique gallery of distinguished names [ 3–7 ]. It served as a basis for the greatest medical luminaries of the time, such as V. F. Sabler, V. R. Butzke, V. A. Gilyarovsky, N. N. Bazhenov, A. V. Snezhnevsky, D. E. Melekhov, T. I. Yudin, S. G. Zhislin, and G. Y. Avrutsky, from which to make their scientific discoveries and validate them in practice; this was also the place where such luminaries of Russian psychiatry as S. S. Korsakov, A. U. Frese, E. K. Krasnushkin, P. E. Snesarev, A. S. Tiganov, and I. Y. Gurovich, and many others, began their medical careers.

It is a well-known and undisputed fact that Preobrazhenskaya Hospital was the first (and almost only one until the end of the 19 th century) psychiatric hospital to appear in Moscow. But historians and researchers in psychiatry have spent more than 100 years trying to dig up documents that could allow them to determine the exact year of its founding.

Starting in the second half of the 19 th century, the question has frustrated many eminent physicians of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, including S. I. Steinberg [ 8 ], I. V. Konstantinovsky [ 9 ], N. N. Bazhenov [ 10 ], M. A. Dzhagarov [ 11 ], and A. B. Alexandrovsky [ 12 ]. Their work can now help us to form a fairly comprehensive view of how the State and society gradually, step by step, developed an awareness of what such an independent institution as a psychiatric hospital was all about. They painstakingly assembled scattered documents and facts to finally pinpoint with certainty the day it all began and the events that could be considered key milestones in the hospital’s history.

FROM FIRST MENTIONS TO 19th CENTURY REFORM

The first building that hosted Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, originally known as Moscow Dolgauz, opened its doors on June 15, 1808. In the 20 th century, it became routine to trace all anniversaries of the institution back to that date. But is that right? Could the mere fact that the hospital acquired its own building be considered the seminal event of the first inpatient psychiatric hospital in Moscow?

On July 13, 1777, Catherine the Great signed a decree mandating the opening of the House of Invalids in Moscow, with one of its “wards” dedicated to the care of the mentally ill. This is the date that, 100 years later, the doctors at Preobrazhenskaya Hospital referred to as the starting point in the history of their institution [ 8 ]. One of their main arguments was the fact that, on May 17, 1792, Catherine the Great issued a decree [ 1 ] establishing for the first time the position of Special Doctor at the mental health hospital. Hence, this decree confirms that this type of social institution for people with mental disorders already existed in 1792.

According to the decree signed by Catherine the Great, the primary role in the observation of patients was assigned to the warden, who was in charge not only of the guards (retired soldiers), but also of the doctor responsible for the professional supervision of patients. In reality, however, the staff physician had to juggle work at the mental health hospital with his duties in the nursing home, the hospice, and the almshouse. As a result, his attention was limited to those patients who had a chance of recovery [ 13 ].

When assessing the efforts of the first doctors at the mental health hospital, such as F. Raschke, then C. Pouliard, A. Blimmer, J. Karas (and all this happened long before the hospital had its own building), N. N. Bazhenov wrote in his book about Preobrazhenskaya Hospital: “It is important to note that even then there was a firm belief that the insane person was a patient, with all that such a conclusion entailed, including examination by a physician, admission to the mental health hospital for treatment (no matter how crude and primitive that treatment might have been), and finally discharge when the physician was satisfied that the goal of admission (a cure) had been achieved” [ 10 ].

Other doctors at Preobrazhenskaya Hospital also left their mark in the history of Russian psychiatry of the 19 th century. For example, Zinovy Ivanovich Kibalchich, Chief Doctor of the hospital in 1811–1828, left us a documented description of the prevailing realities in a mental hospital at the beginning of the 19 th century. In his 1821 article “Report on the House of the Insane in Moscow and the Methods of Treatment Used There” published in the Journal of the Imperial Philanthropic Society (issue No. 11, 1821), he not only described in detail Moscow Dolgauz and the methods of treatment used there, but he was also one of the first to point out the existence of mental disorders that are now referred to as “borderline conditions” [ 14 ].

Vasily Fedorovich Sabler, chief doctor of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital in 1828–1871, was a true “revolutionary” in the early history of psychiatric care in Russia (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Vasily Fedorovich Sabler (1797–1877) — chief doctor of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital in 1828–1871.

A brilliant clinician and talented scientist, V. F. Sabler provided evidence for the nosological independence of progressive paralysis, described its accompanying mental and neurological disorders, and developed humanistic principles of individual approach to patients. He was one of the first to hypothesize that some forms of illness can evolve into others, and that severe somatic illness accompanied by high body temperature (fever) can contribute to the cure of psychosis.

In the history of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, V. F. Sabler played an equally prominent role as an outstanding manager. With a radical reform of the hospital’s management system, he ensured that the Chief Doctor would become the actual head of the institution. He supervised all areas of the hospital’s activities and prepared reports on the clinic that were published in the press (including in Europe).

This administrative reform marked a dramatic shift in attitudes toward the mentally ill. V. F. Sabler was greatly influenced by Philippe Pinel’s concept, which led him to completely overhaul the patient management system, finally replacing the chains used on violent patients with straitjackets and restraint chairs with straps.

It was the first instance when treatment was given priority over charity. This included the first patient histories (known as “case sheets”, see Figure S1 in the Supplementary) and prescription books. Depending on the course of their disease, patients were categorized as acute or chronic and treated using a different therapeutic approaches.

The new emphasis was not only on the medical observation of the patients, but also on their moral challenges and re-education. Patients were no longer seen as “dangerous madmen” but as “unreasonable children” who needed proper care and exercise. That is why occupational therapy was considered so important. According to the instruction “On the Exercises for the Sick People Placed at the Mental Health Hospital” published in 1834, each patient was assigned a strictly individual occupation. It was then that Preobrazhenskaya Hospital established a sewing shop, a tailor’s shop, a shoemaker’s shop, a dyer’s shop, a paint shop, a plasterer’s shop, and a vegetable garden. The women could also knit socks and embroider canvas.

V. F. Sabler initiated the effort to draft legislation on the mentally ill, which provided the impetus to address a long overdue problem in the patient examination process. For centuries, medical matters had been handled by officials with no expertise in diagnosing mental illness, and during the reign of Nicholas I, the authorities began committing patients to institutions “pending further orders” rather than “pending recovery”, as had always been the case. It was not until February 18, 1835, that a decree was issued establishing a procedure for forensic psychiatric examination that required convincing evidence of mental illness from credible medical experts.

In 1841, the so-called “special patient examination procedure” was introduced and implemented for the first time at Preobrazhenskaya Hospital. If in St. Petersburg the “lunatics” continued to be transported to the Provincial Board, in Moscow the “subjects” were now sent to Preobrazhenskaya Hospital for “expert examination” and placed in a ward specially purposed for such subjects in a section of St. Catherine’s Almshouse. Membership in the Patient Examination Committee was also established at that time and did not change until 1917. It included the hospital doctor, his/her assistant, the provincial marshal of the nobility, the chief of the district police or the head of the city. Patients were discharged only after a new examination, which could take place at the end of a two-year “observation” period, and this period could be shortened only by special decision of the Senate.

The hospital owes both its name, Preobrazhenskaya, and the confirmation of its new official status as a medical institution to V. F. Sabler. It was he who on May 31, 1838, petitioned Emperor Nicholas I to sign a decree renaming the Moscow Dolgauz as the Preobrazhenskaya Mental Hospital.

Assessing the changes that took place in the hospital during the first hundred years of its existence, historians of psychiatry are quite right to note that as early as the middle of the 19 th century Preobrazhenskaya Hospital had made the transition from a “charity house” to an in-patient psychiatric institution and had evolved into “the center of not only practical but also scientific psychiatry, which became the tradition of the Moscow psychiatric school, distinguishing it from the St. Petersburg psychiatric school” [ 7 ].

These changes, most of which were introduced during V. F. Sabler’s leadership, allowed Samuil Ivanovich Shteinberg (the hospital’s chief doctor in 1872–1877) to begin work on the institution’s first collection of scientific papers in the run-up to the centennial of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital in 1877. The preserved documents (“Preobrazhenskaya Hospital Office File on the Centennial Anniversary...”) show that the preparations for this anniversary had begun well in advance. As early as in February 1876, the chief physician, S. I. Shteinberg, wrote a letter to the trustees of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital with a detailed plan of the celebration. A circular letter was sent to the staff instructing S. S. Korsakov, N. I. Derzhavin, and V. R. Butzke to begin preparing articles identifying the major milestones in the history and development of the hospital (Figure S2 in the Supplementary).

In the 1870s and 1880s, the hospital attracted a cadre of brilliant and exceptionally gifted young physicians who introduced the most advanced methods of patient care into existing medical practice. First of all, this applies to Sergey Sergeyevich Korsakov, the founder of the nosological branch of psychiatry, the creator of the Moscow scientific school and the author of a classic course in psychiatry [ 4 , 5 ]. His name is closely connected with the history of the “therapeutic revolution” at Preobrazhenskaya Hospital. The energy and reputation of S. S. Korsakov helped to complete and irretrievably establish “moral treatment” at the hospital and the “open door” policy (from 1889), followed by out-of-hospital care, which radically changed the entire approach to patients.

20 th CENTURY: TRANSFORMATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Looking back, it is impossible to ignore one obvious fact: almost all the chief doctors of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital in the period before the Russian Revolution of 1917 acted as reformers of the entire Russian psychiatric care system. An honorable place in this gallery of illustrious figures is occupied by Nikolai Nikolaevich Bazhenov, chief doctor of the hospital in 1904–1917 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Nikolai Nikolaevich Bazhenov (1857–1923) — chief doctor of the hospital in 1904–1917.

Preobrazhenskaya Hospital owes its vast expansion and the introduction of the then — revolutionary system of “advanced care” to this fascinating figure of Russian psychiatry, outstanding clinician, ingenious manager, and respected teacher.

In the new “advanced care” system, the uneducated wardens and nannies were replaced by young medical interns and sisters of mercy. The doors to the wards were unlocked, the bars on the windows were replaced with tempered glass, and the straitjackets were displayed as museum pieces [ 15–17 ]. To ensure that patients were under continuous and competent supervision, the interns were required to live in the hospital, rotate on round-the-clock duty, welcome new admissions, and complete patient histories and observation diaries. All direct patient care was assigned to mid-level medical staff. Thirty-two sisters of mercy washed and fed the patients, gave them baths, accompanied them on walks, etc. Each ward had a head nurse who distributed medications, served lunch and dinner, was in charge of laundry, and performed other household duties. Nannies and servants were assigned only janitorial duties. In the spirit of those times, the hospital widely applied a system of moral influence, a prototype of today’s psychosocial therapy that included respectful treatment and support of patients, their socialization, and involvement in various activities.

At the beginning of the 20 th century, with N. N. Bazhenov’s contribution, the hospital was transformed into a research and treatment institution, which became a center of advanced psychiatric knowledge. The scope of N. N. Bazhenov’s innovations is quite impressive: in just a few years the clinic, where at the turn of the century treatment of patients resembled more that in a prison than in a medical institution, was transformed into a modern hospital, on par with the best that Europe could offer [ 15–17 ].

Preobrazhenskaya Hospital was also the place where the Law on the Mentally Ill, a revolutionary act for its time, was proposed 80 years before the adoption of the Russian Federal Law on Psychiatric Care in 1992. The legal principles outlined by N. N. Bazhenov at the first congress of the Russian Union of Neuropathologists and Psychiatrists in 1911 are still relevant today:

“The following issues need to be brought to the forefront of mental health care and legislated:

a) The principle of extending state care to all mentally ill people in the country, and specifying the measures to implement this task and the central and local authorities responsible for these tasks.

b) Conditions for allowing treatment at home in the patient’s own family.

c) Sufficient safeguards must be in place to ensure that the principles of inviolability of the person and individual liberty can only be violated when the mental illness of the person in question makes this imperative” [ 18 ].

N. Bazhenov is also connected with the first commemoration of the foundation of the hospital celebrated in the 20 th century. In December 1909 the 100 th anniversary of the opening of the first building hosting Preobrazhenskaya Hospital on Matrosskaya Tishina Street was commemorated in gushing but solemn fashion, with the participation of the general public.

By that time the clinic had already received a plot of 11 dessiatins of land with the two and three-story buildings of the former Kotov factory (known as “Kotov’s Half”) (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Kotov factory. Photo of the beginning of the 20 th century.

The factory buildings were refurbished, and a dormitory for the staff was equipped with ventilation, plumbing, and even central heating, which allowed N. N. Bazhenov to write proudly that “now Preobrazhenskaya Hospital has such premises for the staff that few Russian or even Western European hospital institutions can boast of” [ 10 ].

However, the problem of overcrowding could be solved only by the construction of new buildings on Kotov’s Half, which required additional funds. So, N. N. Bazhenov decided to organize a gala evening for the city’s dignitaries on the former Kotov estate.

The day of the anniversary celebration was packed with events, including a solemn liturgy and breakfast for 300 guests; in the afternoon, there was a large concert by professional musicians from Moscow; a festive tea ceremony for patients, distribution of anniversary souvenirs, such as cups with the hospital insignia; and in the evening a banquet for 200 guests was held at the Kotov’s cottage located in a picturesque setting on the border of the Preobrazhenskaya and Sokolnicheskaya groves.

In addition to the concert, the highlight of the “cultural program” was the exhibition, for which N. N. Bazhenov selected not only everyday objects from psychiatric hospitals of different centuries (straitjacket, restraint chair, and “case sheets”), but also the creative works of patients (paintings and caricatures, wood and paper crafts, embroidery, and knitting). The models of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital and the Eiffel Tower were particularly popular with the public, because of their size and resemblance to the originals.

In addition to the gala dinner, the guests were treated to a theatrical performance, which included an act from the play “The Marriage of Krechinsky”, with a reference to Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, and, at the end of the evening, fireworks from an area near the buildings in Kotov’s Half — N. N. Bazhenov did not miss a single opportunity to draw the attention of the patrons and city authorities to the matter of financing the future construction. In 1910–1914, his work culminated in the successful completion of three new buildings and repairs to the old factory facilities on Kotov’s Half.

But let’s take a closer look at the year of this anniversary: Why was it celebrated in 1909? For a long time, 1809 was mistakenly considered the year in which the first specialized hospital for the mentally ill was opened. It was mentioned both in the Historical Essay on the Imperial St. Catherine’s Almshouse by V. Molnar [ 13 ] and in the Historical Essay on Preobrazhenskaya Hospital by I. V. Konstantinovsky [ 9 ]. For this reason, the anniversary was celebrated in 1909 and the following plaque was installed on the facade of the building: “1809–1909: To the centenary of the Preobrazhenskaya Mental Hospital, the first in Moscow designed specifically for psychiatric purposes”.

Only later, while working on the manuscript of his book “The Moscow Dolgauz” or “Essays on the History of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital” did N. N. Bazhenov study the documents in the hospital archives and found out that the new mental health hospital in Preobrazhenskoye was opened earlier, in June 1808, when 53 patients from the house of the former Secret Expedition were transferred to the building on Matrosskaya Tishina 1 [ 10 ].

By the beginning of the 20 th century, the records had cemented all three major milestones in the history of the establishment of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital: 1777, 1808, and 1838. One might think that this would have settled the question of the first dates for future celebrations once and for all.

However, the revolution of 1917 and the subsequent division of the hospitals sowed confusion into the “question of anniversaries”. In the spirit of Soviet traditions, Preobrazhenskaya Hospital was stripped of its former name in 1920 and became Moscow City Hospital No. 1. What’s more, in 1931, it was divided into two independent medical institutions with different goals and missions. The hospitals kept changing names, numbers, internal organizational structure, and overall scope of activities, and only relatively recently, in 2017, did the two hospitals return to their historical roots by merging under the name of P.B. Gannushkin Mental-health Clinic No. 4 (Figure 4).

Figure 4. The history of the renaming of the hospital in the 20 th century.

Over the next 100 years, Kotov’s half of Preobrazhenskaya Hospital acquired a different, but equally illustrious, name — Gannushkin Hospital. In the second half of the 20 th century, it maintained its position as an advanced center of research and practice, with many pioneering milestones in the history of Russian psychiatry:

– It developed the system of maintenance therapy, which is so important in preventing relapses.

– For the first time in the USSR, it began to use insulin shock therapy (under the direction of M. Y. Sereisky), as well as electroconvulsive therapy (with the contribution of G. A. Rotshtein).

– It also marked the beginning of the “psychopharmacological treatment era in psychiatry” with the trials of many medications that were subsequently integrated into mainstream clinical practice.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Reflecting on the title of this article, “Celebrating a Storied History”, one may note that in 2022 the institution historically known as Preobrazhenskaya Hospital will celebrate its anniversary for the first time in more than a century since that memorable evening organized by N. N. Bazhenov at the former Kotov estate. How does Gannushkin Hospital, the illustrious heir to the great traditions established by Preobrazhenskaya Hospital, look at the new generation in the year of its 245 th anniversary?

More recently, just 3–4 years ago, it got a facelift after extensive repair and construction work to restore the buildings dating back to the early 20 th century. Most importantly, the reorganization allowed for more streamlined psychiatric care, created a common information space, rationalized territorial localization, and brought patient treatment and routing patterns into a consolidated format.

With four specialized clinics in operation since 2020, the hospital now has several new structural units, including a clinic for affective and suicidal disorders, a clinic for borderline conditions, a clinic for first psychotic episodes, a clinic for pharmacoresistant conditions, and a clinic for mental disorders that are compounded by substance abuse. The Mental Health Counseling Center, opened in 2021, provides outpatient care for individuals suffering from various mental disorders including somatoform, stress-related, and neurotic disorders.

Today Gannushkin Hospital boasts a center for complex diagnostics, a clinical and diagnostic department with specialized clinics (such as dentistry, ophthalmology, gynecology, ENT, ultrasound), an anesthesiology and intensive care unit, a clinical and diagnostic laboratory, a psychological and psychotherapeutic center, a social and legal assistance center, as well as a physiotherapy department (including a transcranial magnetic stimulation room and xenon therapy room), pharmacy, X-ray rooms, and a physiotherapy room.

At the moment, the hospital has 9 outpatient branches known as Psychoneurological Dispensaries (PNDs), some of which have a history spanning more than 100 years. 2 Three Memory Clinics were founded on the basis of PND. These medical and rehabilitation units are designed to help elderly patients with early signs of dementia and mild cognitive decline.

The staff of the oldest psychiatric hospital in Moscow has carefully passed down to younger generations traditions that combine the utmost sense of humanity and the highest level of professionalism in helping patients with mental disorders. These traditions are the cornerstone that enables the team at Mental-health Clinic No. 4 named after P. B. Gannushkin to live its mission every day by providing personalized and comprehensive mental health care based on the principles of partnership and trust, with the aim of restoring and maintaining a high quality of life for its patients.

Authors’ contribution: All the authors made a significant contribution to the article.

Funding: The research was carried out without additional funding.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Supplementary data

Supplementary material related to this article can be found in the online version at doi: 10.17816/CP3704

1 The house on Myasnitskaya Street, formerly owned by the Secret Expedition, was transferred to the Public Charity Office in the early 19 th century. This is where the patients of the House of Invalids and the Madhouse were accommodated in 1801.

2 PND No. 8, for example, was founded in 1919 and made psychiatric history as the prototype of the emerging district-level psychiatric care in Soviet Russia.

Larisa A. Burygina

Cand. Sci (Med.), Director

Sergey A. Golubev

Dr. Sci (Med.) , Deputy Medical Director

Oksana V. Filipchenko

Cand. Arts, Head of Information and Analysis Department

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DISSERTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL-HEALTH STIGMA: ... Student mental health is an increasingly important issue in higher education as college ... 2010). In addition, campus tragedies such as that at Virginia Tech in 2007 and media coverage of the topic raise legitimate questions about how the mental-health needs of ...
Professionals' Perspective on Mental Health Courts
Part of thePsychiatric and Mental Health Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please
Sexual Identity, Stigma, and Depression: the Role of the ...
Depression is a major public health problem in the Russian Federation and is particularly of concern for men who have sex with men (MSM). MSM living in Moscow City were recruited via respondent-driven sampling and participated in a cross-sectional survey from October 2010 to April 2013. Multiple logistic regression models compared the relationship between sexual identity, recent stigma, and ...
Mental health
Mental health is a state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life. ... Topics in Psychology. Explore how scientific research by psychologists can ...
Suicidality Among Men in Russia: A Review of Recent Epidemiological
Introduction. Suicides and self-harming behaviors are significant public health and social problems in post-Soviet Russia. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide [], accounting for over 58,000 deaths annually in Europe [] and 16,546 deaths in Russia in 2020 [].]. According to experts, there are 11.4 suicides per 100,000 people in the world, which equates to 804,000 suicides ...
Celebrating a Storied History: Moscow Preobrazhenskaya Mental Hospital
In 2022, Mental-health Clinic No. 4 named after P. B. Gannushkin, one of the oldest mental health institutions in Russia known as Preobrazhenskaya Hospital before the October Revolution of 1917, celebrated its 245 th anniversary. The history of the hospital reflects all stages of the evolution of the basic principles and aspects of mental health care in Russia.
Union for Mental Health
World Mental Health Day is celebrated each year throughout the world on 10th October. The theme for this year is "Making mental health and well-being for all a global priority". WHO will mark World Mental Health Day by hosting its Mental Health Forum 2022 on 10 and 11 October (between 1200-1500 CET each day) via...

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Latest Mental Health Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 3: Assessing the effect of Psychological training on males suffering from Post-Surgery Anxiety in the UK.

Topic 5: Examining the behaviour of Mental Health Nurses taking care of Schizophrenia Patients in the UK.

Topic 2: An investigation of the impact of Trauma and Health-related quality of life on the Mental health and Self-worth of a child.

Topic 4: Investigating the Relationship between Mental illness and Suicides- A case study of UK's Young Adults.

COVID-19 Mental Health Research Topics

Topic 2: Mental health and psychological resilience during COVID-19

Topic 3: The mental health of children and families during COVID-19

Topic 4: Mental wellbeing of patients during the Coronavirus pandemic

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2021

Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient’s radiation therapy

Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study

Topic 4: Whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Topic 5: Importance of communication in a relationship

Topic 6: Eating and personality disorders

Topic 7: Analysis of teaching, assessment, and evaluation of students and learning differences

Topic 8: Social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Topic 9: The role of media in provoking aggression

Best Mental Health Topics for Your Dissertation in the Year 2020

Topic 2: The contemporary practical management approach to treating personality disorders

Topic 3: How is Prozac being used in the modern-day to treat self-diagnosed depression?

Topic 4: Are women more prone to suffer from mental disorders than men: Comparative analysis

Topic 5: The impact of breakups on the mental health of men?

Topic 6: A theoretical analysis of the Impact of emotional attachment on mental health?

Topic 7: How do social media friendships contribute to poor mental health?

Topic 8: What role do parents play in ensuring the mental well-being of their children?

Topic 9: A study on the mental health of soldiers returning from Iraq?

Topic 10: How the contemporary media practices in the UK are leading to mental health problems?

Topic 11: What is the impact of television advertising on the mental development of children in the UK?

Topic 12: How deteriorating mental health can have an Impact on physical health?

Topic 13: The relationship between unemployment and mental health

Topic 14: The mental health problems of prisoners in the United Kingdom

Topic 15: Mental well-being of industry workers in China

Topic 16: Is the provision of mental health care services in the United Kingdom effective?

Topic 17: What are the mental health problems the minorities in the United Kingdom face?

Topic 18: The impact the Coronavirus has had on the mental health of the Chinese people

Topic 19: How to create change in mental health organisations in China?

Topic 20: Addressing the mental health concerns of the Syrian refugees in the UK

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Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

Mood Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Personality Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Eating Disorders

Substance-Related Disorders

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