mental health research questions

55 research questions about mental health

Last updated

11 March 2024

Reviewed by

Brittany Ferri, PhD, OTR/L

Research in the mental health space helps fill knowledge gaps and create a fuller picture for patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. Over time, these efforts result in better quality care and more accessible treatment options for those who need them.

Use this list of mental health research questions to kickstart your next project or assignment and give yourself the best chance of producing successful and fulfilling research.

Why does mental health research matter?

Mental health research is an essential area of study. It includes any research that focuses on topics related to people’s mental and emotional well-being.

As a complex health topic that, despite the prevalence of mental health conditions, still has an unending number of unanswered questions, the need for thorough research into causes, triggers, and treatment options is clear.

Research into this heavily stigmatized and often misunderstood topic is needed to find better ways to support people struggling with mental health conditions. Understanding what causes them is another crucial area of study, as it enables individuals, companies, and policymakers to make well-informed choices that can help prevent illnesses like anxiety and depression.

How to choose a strong mental health research topic

As one of the most important parts of beginning a new research project, picking a topic that is intriguing, unique, and in demand is a great way to get the best results from your efforts.

Mental health is a blanket term with many niches and specific areas to explore. But, no matter which direction you choose, follow the tips below to ensure you pick the right topic.

Prioritize your interests and skills

While a big part of research is exploring a new and exciting topic, this exploration is best done within a topic or niche in which you are interested and experienced.

Research is tough, even at the best of times. To combat fatigue and increase your chances of pushing through to the finish line, we recommend choosing a topic that aligns with your personal interests, training, or skill set.

Consider emerging trends

Topical and current research questions are hot commodities because they offer solutions and insights into culturally and socially relevant problems.

Depending on the scope and level of freedom you have with your upcoming research project, choosing a topic that’s trending in your area of study is one way to get support and funding (if you need it).

Not every study can be based on a cutting-edge topic, but this can be a great way to explore a new space and create baseline research data for future studies.

Assess your resources and timeline

Before choosing a super ambitious and exciting research topic, consider your project restrictions.

You’ll need to think about things like your research timeline, access to resources and funding, and expected project scope when deciding how broad your research topic will be. In most cases, it’s better to start small and focus on a specific area of study.

Broad research projects are expensive and labor and resource-intensive. They can take years or even decades to complete. Before biting off more than you can chew, consider your scope and find a research question that fits within it.

Read up on the latest research

Finally, once you have narrowed in on a specific topic, you need to read up on the latest studies and published research. A thorough research assessment is a great way to gain some background context on your chosen topic and stops you from repeating a study design. Using the existing work as your guide, you can explore more specific and niche questions to provide highly beneficial answers and insights.

Trending research questions for post-secondary students

As a post-secondary student, finding interesting research questions that fit within the scope of your classes or resources can be challenging. But, with a little bit of effort and pre-planning, you can find unique mental health research topics that will meet your class or project requirements.

Examples of research topics for post-secondary students include the following:

How does school-related stress impact a person’s mental health?

To what extent does burnout impact mental health in medical students?

How does chronic school stress impact a student’s physical health?

How does exam season affect the severity of mental health symptoms?

Is mental health counseling effective for students in an acute mental crisis?

Research questions about anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the most commonly spoken about mental health conditions. You might assume that research about these conditions has already been exhausted or that it’s no longer in demand. That’s not the case at all.

According to a 2022 survey by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 12.5% of American adults struggle with regular feelings of worry, nervousness, and anxiety, and 5% struggle with regular feelings of depression. These percentages amount to millions of lives affected, meaning new research into these conditions is essential.

If either of these topics interests you, here are a few trending research questions you could consider:

Does gender play a role in the early diagnosis of anxiety?

How does untreated anxiety impact quality of life?

What are the most common symptoms of anxiety in working professionals aged 20–29?

To what extent do treatment delays impact quality of life in patients with undiagnosed anxiety?

To what extent does stigma affect the quality of care received by people with anxiety?

Here are some examples of research questions about depression:

Does diet play a role in the severity of depression symptoms?

Can people have a genetic predisposition to developing depression?

How common is depression in work-from-home employees?

Does mood journaling help manage depression symptoms?

What role does exercise play in the management of depression symptoms?

Research questions about personality disorders

Personality disorders are complex mental health conditions tied to a person’s behaviors, sense of self, and how they interact with the world around them. Without a diagnosis and treatment, people with personality disorders are more likely to develop negative coping strategies during periods of stress and adversity, which can impact their quality of life and relationships.

There’s no shortage of specific research questions in this category. Here are some examples of research questions about personality disorders that you could explore:

What environments are more likely to trigger the development of a personality disorder?

What barriers impact access to care for people with personality disorders?

To what extent does undiagnosed borderline personality disorder impact a person’s ability to build relationships?

How does group therapy impact symptom severity in people with schizotypal personality disorder?

What is the treatment compliance rate of people with paranoid personality disorder?

Research questions about substance use disorders

“Substance use disorders” is a blanket term for treatable behaviors and patterns within a person’s brain that lead them to become dependent on illicit drugs, alcohol, or prescription medications. It’s one of the most stigmatized mental health categories.

The severity of a person’s symptoms and how they impact their ability to participate in their regular daily life can vary significantly from person to person. But, even in less severe cases, people with a substance use disorder display some level of loss of control due to their need to use the substance they are dependent on.

This is an ever-evolving topic where research is in hot demand. Here are some example research questions:

To what extent do meditation practices help with craving management?

How effective are detox centers in treating acute substance use disorder?

Are there genetic factors that increase a person’s chances of developing a substance use disorder?

How prevalent are substance use disorders in immigrant populations?

To what extent do prescription medications play a role in developing substance use disorders?

Research questions about mental health treatments

Treatments for mental health, pharmaceutical therapies in particular, are a common topic for research and exploration in this space.

Besides the clinical trials required for a drug to receive FDA approval, studies into the efficacy, risks, and patient experiences are essential to better understand mental health therapies.

These types of studies can easily become large in scope, but it’s possible to conduct small cohort research on mental health therapies that can provide helpful insights into the actual experiences of the people receiving these treatments.

Here are some questions you might consider:

What are the long-term effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for patients with severe depression?

How common is insomnia as a side effect of oral mental health medications?

What are the most common causes of non-compliance for mental health treatments?

How long does it take for patients to report noticeable changes in symptom severity after starting injectable mental health medications?

What issues are most common when weaning a patient off of an anxiety medication?

Controversial mental health research questions

If you’re interested in exploring more cutting-edge research topics, you might consider one that’s “controversial.”

Depending on your own personal values, you might not think many of these topics are controversial. In the context of the research environment, this depends on the perspectives of your project lead and the desires of your sponsors. These topics may not align with the preferred subject matter.

That being said, that doesn’t make them any less worth exploring. In many cases, it makes them more worthwhile, as they encourage people to ask questions and think critically.

Here are just a few examples of “controversial” mental health research questions:

To what extent do financial crises impact mental health in young adults?

How have climate concerns impacted anxiety levels in young adults?

To what extent do psychotropic drugs help patients struggling with anxiety and depression?

To what extent does political reform impact the mental health of LGBTQ+ people?

What mental health supports should be available for the families of people who opt for medically assisted dying?

Research questions about socioeconomic factors & mental health

Socioeconomic factors—like where a person grew up, their annual income, the communities they are exposed to, and the amount, type, and quality of mental health resources they have access to—significantly impact overall health.

This is a complex and multifaceted issue. Choosing a research question that addresses these topics can help researchers, experts, and policymakers provide more equitable and accessible care over time.

Examples of questions that tackle socioeconomic factors and mental health include the following:

How does sliding scale pricing for therapy increase retention rates?

What is the average cost to access acute mental health crisis care in [a specific region]?

To what extent does a person’s environment impact their risk of developing a mental health condition?

How does mental health stigma impact early detection of mental health conditions?

To what extent does discrimination affect the mental health of LGBTQ+ people?

Research questions about the benefits of therapy

Therapy, whether that’s in groups or one-to-one sessions, is one of the most commonly utilized resources for managing mental health conditions. It can help support long-term healing and the development of coping mechanisms.

Yet, despite its popularity, more research is needed to properly understand its benefits and limitations.

Here are some therapy-based questions you could consider to inspire your own research:

In what instances does group therapy benefit people more than solo sessions?

How effective is cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with severe anxiety?

After how many therapy sessions do people report feeling a better sense of self?

Does including meditation reminders during therapy improve patient outcomes?

To what extent has virtual therapy improved access to mental health resources in rural areas?

Research questions about mental health trends in teens

Adolescents are a particularly interesting group for mental health research due to the prevalence of early-onset mental health symptoms in this age group.

As a time of self-discovery and change, puberty brings plenty of stress, anxiety, and hardships, all of which can contribute to worsening mental health symptoms.

If you’re looking to learn more about how to support this age group with mental health, here are some examples of questions you could explore:

Does parenting style impact anxiety rates in teens?

How early should teenagers receive mental health treatment?

To what extent does cyberbullying impact adolescent mental health?

What are the most common harmful coping mechanisms explored by teens?

How have smartphones affected teenagers’ self-worth and sense of self?

Research questions about social media and mental health

Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) have significantly impacted day-to-day communication. However, despite their numerous benefits and uses, they have also become a significant source of stress, anxiety, and self-worth issues for those who use them.

These platforms have been around for a while now, but research on their impact is still in its infancy. Are you interested in building knowledge about this ever-changing topic? Here are some examples of social media research questions you could consider:

To what extent does TikTok’s mental health content impact people’s perception of their health?

How much non-professional mental health content is created on social media platforms?

How has social media content increased the likelihood of a teen self-identifying themselves with ADHD or autism?

To what extent do social media photoshopped images impact body image and self-worth?

Has social media access increased feelings of anxiety and dread in young adults?

Mental health research is incredibly important

As you have seen, there are so many unique mental health research questions worth exploring. Which options are piquing your interest?

Whether you are a university student considering your next paper topic or a professional looking to explore a new area of study, mental health is an exciting and ever-changing area of research to get involved with.

Your research will be valuable, no matter how big or small. As a niche area of healthcare still shrouded in stigma, any insights you gain into new ways to support, treat, or identify mental health triggers and trends are a net positive for millions of people worldwide.

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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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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.

Need Help With Your Thesis?

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As the evidence base for the study of mental health problems develops, there is a need for increasingly rigorous and systematic research methodologies. Complex questions require complex methodological approaches. Recognising this, the MRC guidelines for developing and testing complex interventions place qualitative methods as integral to each stage of intervention development and implementation. However, mental health research has lagged behind many other healthcare specialities in using qualitative methods within its evidence base. Rigour in qualitative research raises many similar issues to quantitative research and also some additional challenges. This article examines the role of qualitative methods within mental heath research, describes key methodological and analytical approaches and offers guidance on how to differentiate between poor and good quality qualitative research.

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmh.13.2.35

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The trajectory of qualitative methods in mental health research

Qualitative methodologies have a clear home within the study of mental health research. Early and, arguably, seminal work into the study of mental illnesses and their management was based on detailed observation, moving towards theory using inductive reasoning. Case studies have been long established in psychiatry to present detailed analysis of unusual cases or novel treatments. Participant observation was the principle method used in Goffman's seminal study of psychiatric patients in asylums that informed his ideas about the institutionalising and medicalising of mental illness by medical practice. 1 However, the 20th century saw the ‘behaviourist revolution’, a movement where quantification and experimentation dominated. Researchers sought to identify cause and effects, and reasoning became more deductive – seeking to use data to confirm theory. The study of health and illness was determined by contemporary thinking about disease, taking a biomedical stance. Psychologists and clinical health researchers exploited natural science methodologies, attempting to measure phenomenon in their smallest entities and do so as objectively as possible. This reductionist and positivist philosophy shaped advances in research methods and meant that qualitative exploration failed to develop as a credible scientific approach. Indeed, ‘objectivity’ and the ‘discovery of truth’ have become synonymous with ‘scientific enquiry’ and qualitative methods are easily dismissed as ‘anecdotal’. The underlying epistemology of this approach chimes well with medical practice for which training is predominately in laboratory and basic sciences (such as physics and chemistry) within which the discourse of natural laws dominate. To this end, research in psychiatry still remains overwhelmingly quantitative. 2

Underlying all research paradigms are assumptions. However, most traditional researchers remain unaware of these until they start to use alternative paradigms. Key assumptions of quantitative research are that facts exist that can be quantified and measured and that these should be examined, as far as possible, objectively, partialling out or controlling for the context within which they exist. There are research questions within mental health where this approach can hold: where phenomenon of interest can be reliably and meaningfully quantified and measured, it is feasible to use data to test predictions and examine change. However, for many questions these assumptions prove unsatisfying. It is often not possible or desirable to try and create laboratory conditions for the research; indeed it would be ecologically invalid to do so. For example, to understand the experience of an individual who has been newly diagnosed with schizophrenia, it is clearly important to consider the context within which they live, their family, social grouping and media messages they are exposed to. Table 1 depicts the key differences between the two methodological approaches and core underlying assumptions for each.

View inline

Comparison of underlying assumptions of quantitative and qualitative research approaches

It should be cautioned that it is easy to fall into the trap of categorising studies as either quantitative or qualitative. The two traditions are often positioned within the literature as opposing and in conflict. This division is unhelpful and likely to impede methodological advancement. Though, undeniably, there are differences in the two approaches to research, there are also many exceptions that expose this dichotomy to be simplistic: some qualitative studies seek to test a priori hypotheses, and some quantitative studies are atheoretical and exploratory. 3 Hence it is more useful to consider research methodologies as lying along a spectrum and that researchers should be familiar with the full range of methodologies, so that a method is chosen according to the research question rather than the researcher's ability.

Rationale for qualitative methods in current mental health research

There are a number of scientific, practical and ethical reasons why mental health is an area that can particularly benefit from qualitative enquiry. Mental health research is complex. Health problems are multifactorial in their aetiology and the consequences they have on the individual, families and societies. Management can involve self-help, pharmacological, educative, social and psychotherapeutic approaches. Services involved are often multidisciplinary and require liaison between a number of individuals including professionals, service-users and relatives. Many problems are exacerbated by poor treatment compliance and lack of access to, or engagement with, appropriate services. 4

Engagement with mental health research can also be challenging. Topics may be highly sensitive or private. Individuals may have impaired capacity or be at high risk. During the research process there may be revelations of suicidal ideation or criminal activity. Hence mental health research can raise additional ethical issues. In other cases scepticism of services makes for reluctant research participants. However, if we accept the case that meaningful research can be based in subjective enquiry then qualitative methods provide a way of giving voice to participants. Qualitative methods offer an effective way of involving service-users in developing interventions for mental health problems 5 ensuring that the questions asked are meaningful to individuals. This may be particularly beneficial if participants are stakeholders, for example potential users of a new service.

Qualitative methods are valuable for individuals who have limited literacy skills who struggle with pencil and paper measures. For example qualitative research has proved fruitful in understanding children's concepts of mental illness and associated services. 6

How qualitative enquiry is used within mental health research

There are a range of types of research question where qualitative methods prove useful – from the development and testing of theory, to the piloting and establishing efficacy of treatment approaches, to understanding issues around translation and implementation into routine practice. Each is discussed in turn.

Development and testing of theory

Qualitative methods are important in exploratory work and in generating understanding of a phenomenon, stimulating new ideas or building new theory. For example, stigma is a concept that is recognised as a barrier to accessing services and also an added burden to mental health. A focus-group study sought to understand the meaning of stigma from the perspectives of individuals with schizophrenia, their relatives and health professionals. 7 From this they developed a four-dimensional theory which has subsequently informed interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination that target not only engagement with psychiatric services but also interactions with the public and work. 7

Development of tools and measures

Qualitative methods access personal accounts, capturing how individuals talk about a lived experience. This can be invaluable for designing new research tools. For example, Mavaddat and colleagues used focus groups with 56 patients with severe or common mental health problems to explore their experiences of primary care management. 8 Nine focus groups were conducted and analysis identified key themes. From these, items were generated to form a Patient Experience Questionnaire, of which the psychometric properties were subsequently examined quantitatively in a larger sample. Not only can dimensions be identified, the rich qualitative data provide terminology that is meaningful to service users that can then be incorporated into question items.

Development and testing of interventions

As we have seen, qualitative methods can inform the development of new interventions. The gold-standard methodology for investigating treatment effectiveness is the randomised controlled trial (RCT), with the principle output being an effect size or demonstration that the primary outcome was significantly improved for participants in the intervention arm compared with those in the control/comparison arm. Nevertheless, what will be familiar for researchers and clinicians involved in trials is that immense research and clinical learning arises from these substantial, often lengthy and expensive research endeavours. Qualitative methods provide a means to empirically capture these lessons, whether they are about recruitment, therapy training/supervision, treatment delivery or content. These data are essential to improve the feasibility and acceptability of further trials and developing the intervention. Conducting qualitative work prior to embarking on an RCT can inform the design, delivery and recruitment, as well as engage relevant stakeholders early in the process; all of these can prevent costly errors. Qualitative research can also be used during a trial to identify reasons for poor recruitment: in one RCT, implementing findings from this type of investigation led to an increased randomisation rate from 40% to 70%. 9

Nesting qualitative research within a trial can be viewed as taking out an insurance policy as data are generated which can later help explain negative or surprising findings. A recent trial of reattribution training for GPs to manage medically unexplained symptoms demonstrated substantial improvements in GP consultation behaviour. 10 However, effects on clinical outcomes were counterintuitive. A series of nested qualitative studies helped shed light as to why this was the case: patients' illness models were complex, and they resisted engaging with GPs (who they perceived as having more simplistic and dualistic understanding) because they were anxious it would lead to non-identification or misdiagnosis of any potential future disease 11 , an issue that can be addressed in future interventions. Even if the insights are unsurprising to those involved in the research, the data collected have been generated systematically and can be subjected to peer review and disseminated. For this reason, there is an increasing expectation from funding bodies that qualitative methodologies are integral to psychosocial intervention research.

Translation and implementation into clinical practice

Trials provide limited information about how treatments can be implemented into clinical practice or applied to another context. Psychological interventions are more effective when delivered within trial settings by experts involved in their development than when they are delivered within clinical settings. 12 Qualitative methods can help us understand how to implement research findings into routine practice. 13

Understanding what stakeholders value about a service and what barriers exist to its uptake is another evidence base to inform clinicians' practice. Relapse prevention is an effective psychoeducation approach that helps individuals with bipolar disorder extend time to relapse. Qualitative methodologies identified which aspects of the intervention service-users and care-coordinators value, and hence, are likely to utilise in routine care. 14 The intervention facilitated better understanding of bipolar disorder (by both parties), demonstrating, in turn, a rationale for medication. Patients discovered new, empowering and less socially isolated ways of managing their symptoms, which had important impacts on interactions with healthcare staff and family members. Furthermore, care-coordinators' reported how they used elements of the intervention when working with clients with other diagnoses. The research also provided insights as to where difficulties may occur when implementing a particular intervention into routine care. For example, for care-coordinators this proved a novel way of working with clients that was more emotionally demanding, thus highlighting the need for supervision and managerial support. 14

Beginners guide to qualitative approaches: one size doesn't fit all

Just as there is a range of quantitative research designs and statistical analyses to choose from, so there are many types of qualitative methods. Choosing a method can be daunting to an inexperienced or beginner-level qualitative researcher, for it requires engaging with new terms and ways of thinking about knowledge. The following summary sets out analytic and data-generation approaches that are used commonly in mental health research. It is not intended to be comprehensive and is provided only as a point of access/familiarisation to researchers less familiar with the literature.

Data generation

Qualitative data are generated in several ways. Most commonly, researchers seek a sample and conduct a series of individual in-depth interviews, seeking participants' views on topics of interest. Typically these last upwards of 45 min and are organised on the basis of a schedule of topics identified from the literature or pilot work. This does not act as a questionnaire, however; rather, it acts as a flexible framework for exploring areas of interest. The researcher combines open questions to elicit free responses, with focused questions for probing and prompting participants to provide effective responses. Usually interviews are audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for subsequent analysis.

As interviews are held in privately, and on one-to-one basis, they provide scope to develop a trusting relationship so that participants are comfortable disclosing socially undesirable views. For example, in a study of practice nurses views of chronic fatigue syndrome, some nurses described patients as lazy or illegitimate – a view that challenges the stereotype of a nursing professional as a sympathetic and caring person. 15 This gives important information about the education and supervision required to enable or train general nurses to ensure that they are capable of delivering psychological interventions for these types of problems.

Alternatively, groups of participants are brought together for a focus group, which usually lasts for 2 hours. Although it is tempting to consider focus groups as an efficient way of acquiring data from several participants simultaneously, there are disadvantages. They are difficult to organise for geographically dispersed or busy participants, and there are compromises to confidentiality, particularly within ‘captive’ populations (eg, within an organisation individuals may be unwilling to criticise). Group dynamics must be considered; the presence of a dominant or self-professed expert can inhibit the group and, therefore, prevent useful data generation. When the subject mater is sensitive, individuals may be unwilling to discuss experiences in a group, although it often promotes a shared experience that can be empowering. Most of these problems are avoided by careful planning of the group composition and ensuring the group is conducted by a highly skilled facilitator. Lester and colleagues 16 used focus-group sessions with patients and health professionals to understand the experience of dealing with serious mental illness. Though initially participants were observed via focus-group sessions that used patient-only and health professional only groups, subsequently on combined focus groups were used that contained both patients and health professionals. 16 The primary advantage of focus groups is that they enable generation of data about how individuals discuss and interact about a phenomenon; thus, a well-conducted focus group can be an extremely rich source of data.

A different type of data are naturally occurring dialogue and behaviours. These may be recorded through observation and detailed field notes (see ethnography in Table 2 ) or analysed from audio/ video-recordings. Other data sources include texts, for example, diaries, clinical notes, Internet blogs and so on. Qualitative data can even be generated through postal surveys. We thematically analysed responses to an open-ended question set within a survey about medical educators' views of behavioural and social sciences (BSS). 17 From this, key barriers to integrating BSS within medical training were identified, which included an entrenched biomedical mindset. The themes were analysed in relation to existing literature and revealed that despite radical changes in medical training, the power of the hidden curriculum persists. 17

Key features of a range of analytical approaches used within mental health research

Analysing qualitative data

Researchers bring a wide range of analytical approaches to the data. A comprehensive and detailed discussion of the philosophy underlying different methods is beyond the scope of this paper; however, a summary of the key analytical approaches used in mental health research are provided in Table 2 . An illustrative example is provided for each approach to offer some insight into the commonalities and differences between methodologies. The procedure for analysis for all methods involves successive stages of data familiarisation/immersion, followed by seeking and reviewing patterns within the data, which may then be defined and categorized as specific themes. Researchers move back and forth between data generation and analysis, confirming or disconfirming emerging ideas. The relationship of the analysis to theory-testing or theory-building depends on the methodology used.

Some approaches are more common in healthcare than others. Interpretative phenomenological (lPA) analysis and thematic analysis have proved particularly popular. In contrast, ethnographic research requires a high level of researcher investment and reflexivity and can prove challenging for NHS ethic committees. Consequently, it remains under used in healthcare research.

Recruitment and sampling

Quantitative research is interested in identifying the typical, or average. By contrast, qualitative research aims to discover and examine the breadth of views held within a community. This includes extreme or deviant views and views that are absent. Consequently, qualitative researchers do not necessarily (though in some circumstances they may) seek to identify a representative sample. Instead, the aim may be to sample across the range of views. Hence, qualitative research can comment on what views exist and what this means, but it is not possible to infer the proportions of people from the wider population that hold a particular view.

However, sampling for a qualitative study is not any less systematic or considered. In a quantitative study one would take a statistical approach to sampling, for example, selecting a random sample or recruiting consecutive referrals, or every 10th out-patient attendee. Qualitative studies, instead, often elect to use theoretical means to identify a sample. This is often purposive; that is, the researcher uses theoretical principles to choose the attributes of included participants. Healey and colleagues conducted a study to understand the reasons for individuals with bipolar disorder misusing substances. 18 They sought to include participants who were current users of each substance group, and the recruitment strategy evolved to actively target specific cases.

Qualitative studies typically use far smaller samples than quantitative studies. The number varies depending on the richness of the data yielded and the type of analytic approach that can range from a single case to more than 100 participants. As with all research, it is unethical to recruit more participants than needed to address the question at hand; a qualitative sample should be sufficient for thematic saturation to be achieved from the data.

Ensuring that findings are valid and generalisable

A common question from individuals new to qualitative research is how can findings from a study of few participants be generalised to the wider population? In some circumstances, findings from an individual study (quantitative or qualitative) may have limited generalisability; therefore, more studies may need to be conducted, in order to build local knowledge that can then be tested or explored across similar groups. 4 However, all qualitative studies should create new insights that have theoretical or clinical relevance which enables the study to extend understanding beyond the individual participants and to the wider population. In some cases, this can lead to generation of new theory (see grounded theory in Table 2 ).

Reliability and validity are two important ways of ascertaining rigor in quantitative research. Qualitative research seeks to understand individual construction and, by definition, is subjective. It is unlikely, therefore, that a study could ever be repeated with exactly the same circumstances. Instead, qualitative research is concerned with the question of whether the findings are trustworthy; that is, if the same circumstances were to prevail, would the same conclusions would be drawn?

There are a number of ways to maximise trustworthiness. One is triangulation, of which there are three subtypes. Data triangulation involves using data from several sources (eg, interviews, documentation, observation). A research team may include members from different backgrounds (eg, psychology, psychiatry, sociology), enabling a range of perspectives to be used within the discussion and interpretation of the data. This is termed researcher triangulation . The final subtype, theoretical triangulation, requires using more than one theory to examine the research question. Another technique to establish the trustworthiness of the findings is to use respondent validation. Here, the final or interim analysis is presented to members of the population of interest to ascertain whether interpretations made are valid.

An important aspect of all qualitative studies is researcher reflexivity. Here researchers consider their role and how their experience and knowledge might influence the generation, analysis and interpretation of the data. As with all well-conducted research, a clear record of progress should be kept – to enable scrutiny of recruitment, data generation and development of analysis. However, transparency is particularly important in qualitative research as the concepts and views evolve and are refined during the process.

Judging quality in qualitative research

Within all fields of research there are better and worse ways of conducting a study, and range of quality in mental health qualitative research is variable. Many of the principles for judging quality in qualitative research are the same for judging quality in any other type of research. However, several guidelines have been developed to help readers, reviewers and editors who lack methodological expertise to feel more confident in appraising qualitative studies. Guidelines are a prerequisite for the relatively recent advance of methodologies for systematic reviewing of qualitative literature (see meta-synthesis in Table 2 ). Box 1 provides some key questions that should be considered while studying a qualitative report.

Box 1 Guidelines for authors and reviewers of qualitative research (adapted from Malterud 35 )

▶ Is the research question relevant and clearly stated?

Reflexivity

▶ Are the researcher's motives and background presented?

Method, sampling and data collection

▶ Is a qualitative method appropriate and justified?

▶ Is the sampling strategy clearly described and justified?

▶ Is the method for data generation fully described

▶ Are the characteristics of the sample sufficiently described?

Theoretical framework

▶ Was a theoretical framework used and stated?

▶ Are the principles and procedures for data organisation and analysis described and justified?

▶ Are strategies used to test the trustworthiness of the findings?

▶ Are the findings relevant to the aim of the study?

▶ Are data (e.g. quotes) used to support and enrich the findings?

▶ Are the conclusions directly linked to the study? Are you convinced?

▶ Do the findings have clinical or theoretical value?

▶ Are findings compared to appropriate theoretical and empirical literature?

▶ Are questions about the internal and external validity and reflexivity discussed?

▶ Are shortcomings of the design, and the implications these have on findings, examined?

▶ Are clinical/theoretical implications of the findings made?

Presentation

▶ Is the report understandable and clearly contextualised?

▶ Is it possible to distinguish between the voices of informants and researchers?

▶ Are sources from the field used and appropriately referenced?

Conclusions and future directions

Qualitative research has enormous potential within the field of mental health research, yet researchers are only beginning to exploit the range of methods they use at each stage of enquiry. Strengths of qualitative research primarily lie in developing theory and increasing understanding about effective implementation of treatments and how best to support clinicians and service users in managing mental health problems. An important development in the field is how to integrate methodological approaches to address questions. This raises a number of challenges, such as how to integrate textual and numerical data and how to reconcile different epistemologies. A distinction can be made between mixed- method design (eg, quantitative and qualitative data are gathered and findings combined within a single or series of studies) and mixed- model study, a pragmatist approach, whereby aspects of qualitative and quantitative research are combined at different stages during a research process. 19 Qualitative research is still often viewed as only a support function or as secondary to quantitative research; however, this situation is likely to evolve as more researchers gain a broader skill set.

Though it is undeniable that there has been a marked increase in the volume and quality of qualitative research published within the past two decades, mental health research has been surprisingly slow to develop, compared to other disciplines e.g. general practice and nursing, with relatively fewer qualitative research findings reaching mainstream psychiatric journals. 2 This does not appear to reflect overall editorial policy; however, it may be partly due to the lack of confidence on the part of editors and reviewers while identifying rigorous qualitative research data for further publication. 20 However, the skilled researcher should no longer find him or herself forced into a position of defending a single-methodology camp (quantitative vs qualitative), but should be equipped with the necessary methodological and analytical skills to study and interpret data and to appraise and interpret others' findings from a full range of methodological techniques.

Crawford MJ ,
Cordingley L
Dowrick C ,
Edwards S ,
↵ MRC Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions 2008
Nelson ML ,
Quintana SM
Schulze B ,
Angermeyer MC
Mavaddat N ,
Lester HE ,
Donovan J ,
Morriss R ,
Barkham M ,
Stiles WB ,
Connell J ,
Chew-Graham C ,
England E ,
Kinderman P ,
Tashakkoria A ,
Ritchie J ,
Ssebunnya J ,
Chilvers R ,
Glasman D ,
Finlay WM ,
Strauss A ,
Hodges BD ,
Dobransky K
Dixon-Woods M ,
Fitzpatrick R ,
Espíndola CR ,

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Open access
Published: 18 November 2015

Global research challenges and opportunities for mental health and substance-use disorders

Florence Baingana 1 ,
Mustafa al'Absi 2 ,
Anne E. Becker 3 &
Beverly Pringle 4

Nature volume 527 , pages S172–S177 ( 2015 ) Cite this article

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The research agenda for global mental health and substance-use disorders has been largely driven by the exigencies of high health burdens and associated unmet needs in low- and middle-income countries. Implementation research focused on context-driven adaptation and innovation in service delivery has begun to yield promising results that are improving the quality of, and access to, care in low-resource settings. Importantly, these efforts have also resulted in the development and augmentation of local, in-country research capacities. Given the complex interplay between mental health and substance-use disorders, medical conditions, and biological and social vulnerabilities, a revitalized research agenda must encompass both local variation and global commonalities in the impact of adversities, multi-morbidities and their consequences across the life course. We recommend priorities for research — as well as guiding principles for context-driven, intersectoral, integrative approaches — that will advance knowledge and answer the most pressing local and global mental health questions and needs, while also promoting a health equity agenda and extending the quality, reach and impact of scientific enquiry.

This article has not been written or reviewed by Nature editors. Nature accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.

The global mental health landscape has transformed over the past 25 years because of the higher visibility of the burden of mental health and substance-use disorders 1 . These disorders comprise 7.4% of global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 22.7% of global years lived with disability (YLDs) 2 (Supplementary Information) 3 . The main contributors worldwide are depression and dysthymia (9.6% of all YLDs); anxiety (3.5% of all YLDs); and schizophrenia, substance-use disorders and bipolar disorder (just over 2% of all YLDs). Alcohol and substance-use disorders come in second for most of the developing world, more so for southern Africa (drug use) and Eastern Europe (alcohol) 2 . The burden of mental health and substance-use disorders is predicted to increase worldwide in coming decades, and the steepest rise can be expected in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as a result of rising life expectancy, population growth and under-resourced health care 4 . For example, simulation models predict a 130% increase in associated health burden of alcohol and substance misuse in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050 as a result of population growth and ageing 5 . As substantial as they are, conventional health metrics do not capture additional social burdens attached to living with mental illness. Untreated mental health disorders are associated with a high economic burden 6 . Furthermore, pervasive stigma and human rights violations compound the suffering associated with these disorders and exacerbate social vulnerabilities 7 , 8 , 9 .

As the health, social, economic and human costs of mental and substance-use disorders become increasingly better documented, political will and multilateral commitments to scale up mental health care in LMICs have grown. The World Health Organization has introduced a series of policy initiatives that articulate both high-level aspirations and pragmatic guidance for mental health and substance-use services delivery in LMICs. The most recent, the Global Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020, challenges member states, partners and the Secretariat to collectively meet ambitious goals by the year 2020, including increasing mental health care coverage by 20% for severe mental health illness and reducing national suicide rates by 10% (ref. 10 ). A consideration of the timeline of these landmark events — including the roll out of a number of key funding and policy initiatives that target the persisting resource gaps — illustrates the substantial momentum in integrating mental health into the broader global health agenda that has occured over the past few decades (See Supplementary Information).

An interactive map, depicting the broad geographical distribution of current, promising initiatives in global mental health is available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/gmh/global-research-on-mental-health-and-substance-abuse.shtml . Policy and programmatic initiatives have laid a foundation for strengthened global mental health services by developing an initial consensus scientific agenda that focuses energies and funding on the most crucial research for building an empirical base. Key funding initiatives have supported research to leverage scarce resources and improve access through task sharing, integration of mental health care into existing primary health-care infrastructure and enhancement of diagnostic assessment. Increasingly, resources have been allocated to build in-country research capacities and strengthen collaboration through institutional partnerships 11 . Complementary graduate-level training programmes in global mental health have also emerged, although mental health specialty training, as a track, remains relatively under-represented among other global health domains 12 , 13 .

Key research gaps and challenges

The global health burden of mental health disorders is exacerbated by the growing concurrent problems associated with substance misuse. Substance use and exposure to addictive drugs have chronic and profound effects on neurobehavioural and neurodevelopmental functions. In LMICs, the socioecology of poverty, malnutrition, political conflicts and poor health systems influence the epidemiology, as well as the adverse outcomes, that result from substance misuse. Additional challenges associated with co-morbidity stem from its augmentation of clinical burden, through increased risk for relapse, other infectious and medical complications, and economic hardship and homelessness. In this context, co-morbid substance use and mental illnesses in particular may contribute to increasing health burden. The prevalence of substance-use disorders has escalated in recent decades, reaching 5.4% of the total disease burden and 9.1% when tobacco use is included 14 .

Individuals with substance-use disorders are also likely to have other mental health problems, including depression and schizophrenia 4 , 15 . Similarly, a large proportion of people with mental illnesses also have substance-use disorders 16 , 17 . Research that investigates the relationship between mental illness and substance-use disorder has yielded mixed findings, with some support for causal relationships in both directions as well as for shared genetic, environmental, social and cultural risk factors. For example, cannabis use is linked to a risk of developing psychotic illness 18 . Conversely, mental illness may increase the risk of substance misuse; individuals may 'self-medicate' with alcohol, tobacco or amphetamines as a means of coping with distress and negative affects 19 , 20 . Some factors, including genetic vulnerabilities, traumatic exposures and stress, may confer risk for both conditions 21 , 22 . Diagnosis and treatment of co-morbid substance misuse and mental health illness remains a significant challenge, particularly in LMICs. The burden of this co-morbidity is further exacerbated by the increased clinical complexity that stems from resistance to treatment, risk of relapse, vulnerability to other infectious and medical complications, and increased economic hardship and homelessness.

The burden and configuration of risk associated with substance-use disorders and co-morbid mental illness seem to vary across the world ( Fig. 1 ) 14 . Although alcohol and opioid problems are escalating in Europe, Africa and Asia, problems associated with amphetamines and cannabis are more prevalent in Asia, North America and Europe. Cocaine use is prevalent in North America and Europe, whereas misuse of indigenous psychoactive substances is prevalent in other regions, such as the use of khat in parts of Africa and the Middle East and that of coca leaves in South America 23 . Notably, existing knowledge gaps may underestimate the impact of substance-use disorders 24 . The full extent of adverse mental health and social impacts of substance-use disorders such as alcohol use during pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders 25 remain incompletely understood.

Reprinted with permission from ref. 4 .

Mental health and substance-use disorders also frequently co-occur with other diseases, increasing associated morbidity and mortality risk 26 , 27 . It is not uncommon for individuals with HIV/AIDS or non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease to also have symptoms of depression or anxiety and to use alcohol or other drugs to excess. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been associated with risky sexual behaviours that can result in transmission of HIV/AIDS. These interdependent illnesses stem from common risk factors, such as childhood adversity; and bidirectional influences, such as poor treatment adherence 28 and increased engagement in risky behaviour 29 , 30 , 31 . Growing awareness of the complex interplay between mental illness and the increasing burden of chronic disease globally has prompted research that examines the effects of depression on adherence to medical treatments and the effects of integrated care — co-treatment of high blood pressure and depression, for example — on the outcomes of both of the co-occurring illnesses (see for example refs 32 , 33 , 34 ). A life-course approach to risk reduction that takes into account risks that occur in childhood and early adulthood, and that promotes a healthy lifestyle, and early recognition and treatment of mental and substance-use disorders is essential to curtail the long-term negative impacts of many preventable health risks.

Treatment gap

The proportion of people who need, but do not receive care is especially high in LMICs 35 , 36 . The inadequate resourcing of mental health care in LMICs has been widely documented and critiqued. For example, on average less than 3% of public health resources are allocated to specific mental health care in LMICs, with even less (around 1%) in Africa and Asia 37 . Most LMICs have far fewer health-care professionals than they need to deliver mental health and substance-use interventions to everyone who needs them 38 , 39 . Scaling up services will require more than training additional psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses, however, strategic leveraging of scarce resources will also be necessary. In particular, task shifting — delegating health-care tasks from specialists to various non-specialist health professionals and other health workers — has shown promise for certain mental health and substance-use interventions 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 . In addition, the integration of mental health services into primary health-care delivery settings through community-based and task-sharing approaches can both help to reduce burden on carers and improve access and the coordination of care. Mental health services and health-system strengthening, and in particular, task shifting, as well as organization and ways of delivering community-based mental health services in LMICs should be prioritized for research.

There is also a substantial gap in scientific knowledge for preventing and treating mental health and substance-use disorders. In addition, what is currently known is often not applicable to low-resource regions. Intervention strategies to address substance-use disorders have improved over recent decades, but have had limited success in achieving total recovery and have limited coverage in LMICs 15 . Moreover, resources for providing these interventions are constrained or lacking in most LMICs 15 , 24 . Models for improving availability and access to effective mental health care emphasize the integration of both prevention and treatment services within primary care systems. This has been a core approach taken by the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) 44 , 45 .

Most published clinical trial data on therapeutics for mental health disorders are based on research conducted in high-income countries 46 , 47 , 48 . In the absence of region-specific empirical data, deployment of these therapeutic strategies in LMICs is a reasonable pragmatic compromise in the short term when informed by local knowledge, and pending rigorous and systematic evaluation. Local research on clinical effectiveness of these treatments and implementation research on how to deliver these therapies and scale them up are urgently needed.

Priorities for advancing the global mental health agenda

Our recommendations build on the strong base of empirical evidence and previous consensus statements and reports that have articulated principles, needs and priorities that should inform a robust research agenda ( Table 1 ). The predominant focus of global mental health research is currently on health services and implementation research, areas that align well with efforts to close treatment gaps and that must continue to be strengthened. Whereas we regard these contributions as formative and arguably the most pragmatic and exigent in the short term, they should not pre-empt a more ambitious scope of scientific inquiry that ranges from basic sciences to health policy. Innovation should encompass much more than strategies to leverage scarce resources lest the scope of progress in the field be consigned to improving the efficiency of old models of care delivery. Instead, complementary and parallel lines of context-driven research should also aim to advance the scientific understanding of aetiology, population-specific phenotypic variation in presentation and course, and differential response to therapeutics through promising avenues in neuroscience, biomarkers, genetics and epigenomics.

Epidemiology

Epidemiological research is crucial to better understand the differential risk factors and burden of mental health and substance-use disorders across diverse geographical regions and social contexts. Refinement of approaches to diagnostic assessment that are both locally valid and relatable to global classification is essential to more effective and efficient case identification, particularly in the hands of non-specialists. Such advances will generate more accurate estimates of health burdens and salient risk factors on which local health policymakers can draw. In addition, research is needed to better define the health and social impacts of syndemic mental health disorders, substance-use disorders and medical diseases, as well as to understand how social adversities moderate and mediate risk of onset, severity and course. Such research will inform optimal strategies for prevention, treatment and follow-up care for individuals with these co-morbidities.

Basic science research

The research agenda to address the global burden of mental health and substance-use disorders should build on recent advances in the field of basic neuroscience, biomarkers, proteomics, and genetics and epigenetics. For example, research in the past decade has identified molecular and structural markers connected with mental health and substance-use disorders 49 . These include protein alterations in the form of upregulation of a 40-amino acid VGF-derived peptide and the downregulation of apoA1 protein in schizophrenia 50 . Hormonal and physiological alterations in stress- and appetite-related neuropeptides have also been pursued in the context of addiction and treatment outcome 51 , 52 , 53 . There has also been significant interest in epigenomics and how it could advance our understanding and use of biomarkers. Epigenomic modifications affect gene expression, and involve multiple molecular steps, including DNA methylation 54 . In light of evidence that indicates a role for epigenetic mechanisms in modifying genes that increase propensity for drug use and mental illness, it is important to develop a means by which this approach could be harnessed to improve the validity and reliability of diagnostic measures as well as to help to tailor interventions to the individual. Research that considers the diversity of environmental exposures and gene–environment interactions across different settings can advance the utility of these markers to confirm diagnosis and to predict treatment outcome. Furthermore, such markers may be useful in identifying those at high risk so that measures can be applied to prevent initial risk or onset, or slow down or prevent progression towards psychopathology. The use of such approaches should also parallel the development of conceptual models to guide understanding of the complex, multidimensional aetiology of mental health and substance-use disorders. To that end, global research that focuses on mental health and substance-use disorders should take into account how genetics and exposure to environmental toxins interact with social, cultural and environmental conditions to moderate the risk of these disorders.

Health delivery and implementation research

Four out of the top five research priorities identified in the grand challenges statement — developed by a consortium of researchers, advocates and clinicians with funding from the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases — fall in the domain of enhancing the quality of, and access to, mental health care 55 . This call to invest in health services and implementation research is in response to identified treatment gaps as well as their numerous antecedents, such as weak health systems, shortfalls in human and financial resources, and social structural barriers to care. There is ample evidence for science-based care and the integration of mental health services into primary health care. However, we still lack crucial knowledge on how best to disseminate and implement evidence-based mental health interventions in resource-poor contexts, including those characterized by the extreme social adversities associated with political conflict, displacement and destitution. Future research is therefore necessary to rigorously evaluate and optimize effectiveness of task sharing, integration of mental health into primary care, and deployment of the mhGAP algorithms at larger scale and across diverse social settings 41 , 56 .

Key strategies for expanding access to high-quality mental health care in LMICs come from models that are successful in leveraging scarce resources in other clinical domains. However, challenges unique to care delivery for mental health and substance-use disorders warrant special attention and innovation. These include how to improve diagnostic assessment and population health surveillance, given the heterogeneous and sometimes opaque presentations of signs and symptoms across diverse social and cultural contexts 57 , 58 ; how to address the social and cultural factors, especially stigma, that hinder access to care and may prevent patients with mental illnesses and substance-use problems from using the resources available for prevention and treatment; how to mitigate social vulnerabilities, such as poverty and gender-based violence that elevate risk of mental disorders, while building on sociocultural resources that promote coping and resilience; how to develop coordinated approaches to strategic preventive interventions, monitoring and targeted treatments over the life course and across disorders, given developmental trajectories of mental health and substance-use disorders, and their harmful symbiosis with other chronic conditions and vulnerabilities; and how to rapidly scale up effective interventions to close the treatment gap in resource constrained environments 59 , 60 , 61 . Priorities for global mental health research resonate with the global health agenda, with its focus on reducing health burdens 62 . In this respect, a globalizing framework aimed at developing approaches that are effective when scaled up and implemented across geographically and socially diverse settings and populations reflect pragmatic goals of responding to pressing needs. We emphasize, however, that closing the prevailing treatment gaps for mental health and substance-use disorders will also depend on fortifying scientific inquiry so that we can understand the, sometimes remarkable, local variation in manifestation and course of mental disorders 63 .

Translational and health-policy research

Ensuring that populations receive high-quality care that improves mental health is the purview of policymakers. Shaping sound public policies that are based on up-to-date research can be challenging, but promising examples exist. An experimental housing policy called Moving to Opportunity found that moving from a high-poverty to a lower-poverty neighbourhood improved adult physical and mental health and subjective wellbeing over 10–15 years, despite no change in average economic status 64 . Moving to Opportunity was able to capitalize on the fact that public policy decisions are interconnected — it is not just health policies that influence mental health, substance use and other public health outcomes, but also economic, housing and criminal justice policies, among others 65 . Rapid growth in mental health and substance-use research over the past decade, as well as appeals from researchers and advocates to apply the findings in policy and practice have not yet bridged the divide between what is known and what is done 66 , 67 . The intricacies of ensuring evidence-based health policy are not entirely understood 68 , but a few effective practices are being used. Advocacy organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness have become trusted sources of digestible research findings 69 . Carefully planned links between researchers and decision makers — an approach increasingly encouraged by funders of mental health and substance-use research — can also be effective 69 . Such links often involve collaboration among researchers, government agencies, advocates and provider institutions to synchronize research activities with policies, health-care demands and community priorities, and to engage key stakeholders in the identification of pressing research questions and the use of study findings. In this way, policymakers have become partners in the research enterprise, helping researchers to understand what information is needed for developing or updating policies, making investment decisions, expanding access to care, improving care quality and monitoring system-level change over time. The long-term goal is that these partnerships will mobilize political will, inform policy development, and shed light on the essentials of shaping science-informed mental health and substance-use policies.

Inclusion of mental health as an explicit priority in the post-2015 development agenda (such as that included in the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, 2015; https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/7891TRANSFORMING%20OUR%20WORLD.pdf ) provides an opportunity to mobilize the requisite political will and resources at several levels so that this ambitious agenda for research and capacity building can be realized. Lessons learned from the positive health impact as a result of Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6 illuminate how multisector and multilevel cohesion of effort and commitments are powerful levers for advancing health in low-resource settings, and an opportunity for the broad community of stakeholders and advocates to improve care for individuals living with mental health and substance-use disorders.

Collaborative capacity building

New commitments and additional resources will be needed to rapidly cultivate the in-country research capacity needed to respond to the global disease burden of mental health and substance-use disorders 70 . The most culturally sensitive, scientifically and ethically sound, and locally relevant research requires investigators who best understand and live among the populations that they study. Funding initiatives such as the Fogarty International Center's Global Brain and Nervous System Disorders Across the Lifespan programme ( http://www.fic.nih.gov/Programs/Pages/Brain-Disorders.aspx ), the NIMH's Collaborative Hubs for International Research in Mental Health ( http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/gmh/globalhubs/index.shtml ) as well as Grand Challenges Canada's Global Mental Health granting programme ( http://www.grandchallenges.ca/grand-challenges/global-mental-health/ ) that explicitly structure research capacity building into grant requirements, provide exemplary platforms to test and ultimately to systematize innovative strategies for training, mentorship and building a research culture and other infrastructural support for research in LMICs.

In addition, collaborative capacities to advance the mental health and substance-use research agenda must be developed. Capacity building in knowledge management is also integral to packaging accrued evidence so that it is accessible to policymakers and mental health technology specialists in LMICs. Platforms for knowledge sharing (for example, the Mental Health Innovation Network, http://mhinnovation.net/ ; and GHD Online, http://www.ghdonline.org/ ) can promote scientific discovery and help to harmonize the mental health and substance-use disorder research goals, processes and tools, and to catalyse the translational potential of research to policy and programmes 71 . Moreover, these platforms are needed to build and consolidate the community of advocates, consumers, investigators, clinicians and policymakers united in their commitment to mitigate the suffering associated with mental health and substance-use disorders, eliminate their attendant stigma, diminish their social and economic burdens, and erase the social and health disparities perpetuated by poor access to high-quality mental health care.

Conclusions

The formidable and rising health, economic and social burdens associated with mental health and substance-use disorders call for the prioritization of research that can inform a global response — through the development and enhancement of preventive and therapeutic strategies, health-system strengthening and policymaking — to alleviate suffering and stem the associated economic and social consequences of unmet needs. Indeed, the potential synergies among breakthroughs in basic neuroscience, epidemiological methods and implementation science, as well as the mobilization of resources and political will have generated optimism and catalysed a commitment to act among policymakers, advocates and the scientific community. Although the increase in mental health research initiatives over the past two decades are encouraging for the future challenges remain and patterns of progress have been inconsistent. We find, for example, that although response to the growing burden of depression in LMICs has led to an increase in the number of studies on effectiveness of treatments, delivery methods and task shifting to provide access to care for all populations, we do not see this same trajectory of efforts to address substance-use disorders. This occurs with the background of growing substance-use problems globally. Approaches to address substance-use disorders in LMICs are still limited, fragmented and not well vetted scientifically or culturally. On an optimistic note, the draft Social Development Goals to be passed by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 recognise mental health as integral to health and mental health is explicitly included within universal health coverage; in addition, the UN General Assembly will hold a special session on drugs in 2016. These developments have symbolic and substantive importance, and auger well for mental health within the Global Health agenda in the coming years.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Dewit, A. Garton, Y. Bodenstein and J. Nguyen at the National Institute of Mental Health for construction of the interactive map. M. A. was supported in part by the following grants: R01DA016351 and R01DA027232, and a BRAIN R21 grant (R21DA024626). F. B. was supported in part by Grand Challenges Canada Grant GMH 0094-04. We are grateful to B. Good for his insightful review and suggestions.

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Florence Baingana

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Mustafa al'Absi

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Anne E. Becker

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Baingana, F., al'Absi, M., Becker, A. et al. Global research challenges and opportunities for mental health and substance-use disorders. Nature 527 , S172–S177 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16032

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Mental health and the pandemic: what u.s. surveys have found.

The coronavirus pandemic has been associated with worsening mental health among people in the United States and around the world . In the U.S, the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 caused widespread lockdowns and disruptions in daily life while triggering a short but severe economic recession that resulted in widespread unemployment. Three years later, Americans have largely returned to normal activities, but challenges with mental health remain.

Here’s a look at what surveys by Pew Research Center and other organizations have found about Americans’ mental health during the pandemic. These findings reflect a snapshot in time, and it’s possible that attitudes and experiences may have changed since these surveys were fielded. It’s also important to note that concerns about mental health were common in the U.S. long before the arrival of COVID-19 .

Three years into the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States , Pew Research Center published this collection of survey findings about Americans’ challenges with mental health during the pandemic. All findings are previously published. Methodological information about each survey cited here, including the sample sizes and field dates, can be found by following the links in the text.

The research behind the first item in this analysis, examining Americans’ experiences with psychological distress, benefited from the advice and counsel of the COVID-19 and mental health measurement group at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

At least four-in-ten U.S. adults (41%) have experienced high levels of psychological distress at some point during the pandemic, according to four Pew Research Center surveys conducted between March 2020 and September 2022.

A bar chart showing that young adults are especially likely to have experienced high psychological distress since March 2020

Young adults are especially likely to have faced high levels of psychological distress since the COVID-19 outbreak began: 58% of Americans ages 18 to 29 fall into this category, based on their answers in at least one of these four surveys.

Women are much more likely than men to have experienced high psychological distress (48% vs. 32%), as are people in lower-income households (53%) when compared with those in middle-income (38%) or upper-income (30%) households.

In addition, roughly two-thirds (66%) of adults who have a disability or health condition that prevents them from participating fully in work, school, housework or other activities have experienced a high level of distress during the pandemic.

The Center measured Americans’ psychological distress by asking them a series of five questions on subjects including loneliness, anxiety and trouble sleeping in the past week. The questions are not a clinical measure, nor a diagnostic tool. Instead, they describe people’s emotional experiences during the week before being surveyed.

While these questions did not ask specifically about the pandemic, a sixth question did, inquiring whether respondents had “had physical reactions, such as sweating, trouble breathing, nausea, or a pounding heart” when thinking about their experience with the coronavirus outbreak. In September 2022, the most recent time this question was asked, 14% of Americans said they’d experienced this at least some or a little of the time in the past seven days.

More than a third of high school students have reported mental health challenges during the pandemic. In a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from January to June 2021, 37% of students at public and private high schools said their mental health was not good most or all of the time during the pandemic. That included roughly half of girls (49%) and about a quarter of boys (24%).

In the same survey, an even larger share of high school students (44%) said that at some point during the previous 12 months, they had felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row – to the point where they had stopped doing some usual activities. Roughly six-in-ten high school girls (57%) said this, as did 31% of boys.

A bar chart showing that Among U.S. high schoolers in 2021, girls and LGB students were most likely to report feeling sad or hopeless in the past year

On both questions, high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, other or questioning were far more likely than heterosexual students to report negative experiences related to their mental health.

A bar chart showing that Mental health tops the list of parental concerns, including kids being bullied, kidnapped or abducted, attacked and more

Mental health tops the list of worries that U.S. parents express about their kids’ well-being, according to a fall 2022 Pew Research Center survey of parents with children younger than 18. In that survey, four-in-ten U.S. parents said they’re extremely or very worried about their children struggling with anxiety or depression. That was greater than the share of parents who expressed high levels of concern over seven other dangers asked about.

While the fall 2022 survey was fielded amid the coronavirus outbreak, it did not ask about parental worries in the specific context of the pandemic. It’s also important to note that parental concerns about their kids struggling with anxiety and depression were common long before the pandemic, too . (Due to changes in question wording, the results from the fall 2022 survey of parents are not directly comparable with those from an earlier Center survey of parents, conducted in 2015.)

Among parents of teenagers, roughly three-in-ten (28%) are extremely or very worried that their teen’s use of social media could lead to problems with anxiety or depression, according to a spring 2022 survey of parents with children ages 13 to 17 . Parents of teen girls were more likely than parents of teen boys to be extremely or very worried on this front (32% vs. 24%). And Hispanic parents (37%) were more likely than those who are Black or White (26% each) to express a great deal of concern about this. (There were not enough Asian American parents in the sample to analyze separately. This survey also did not ask about parental concerns specifically in the context of the pandemic.)

A bar chart showing that on balance, K-12 parents say the first year of COVID had a negative impact on their kids’ education, emotional well-being

Looking back, many K-12 parents say the first year of the coronavirus pandemic had a negative effect on their children’s emotional health. In a fall 2022 survey of parents with K-12 children , 48% said the first year of the pandemic had a very or somewhat negative impact on their children’s emotional well-being, while 39% said it had neither a positive nor negative effect. A small share of parents (7%) said the first year of the pandemic had a very or somewhat positive effect in this regard.

White parents and those from upper-income households were especially likely to say the first year of the pandemic had a negative emotional impact on their K-12 children.

While around half of K-12 parents said the first year of the pandemic had a negative emotional impact on their kids, a larger share (61%) said it had a negative effect on their children’s education.

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Most americans who go to religious services say they would trust their clergy’s advice on covid-19 vaccines, what we know about online learning and the homework gap amid the pandemic, unvaccinated americans are at higher risk from covid-19 but express less concern than vaccinated adults, americans who relied most on trump for covid-19 news among least likely to be vaccinated, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on public health around the globe in terms of both physical and mental health, and the mental health implications of the pandemic may continue long after the physical health consequences have resolved. This research area aims to contribute to our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemics implications for mental health, building on a robust literature on how environmental crises, such as SARS or natural disasters, can lead to mental health challenges, including loneliness, acute stress, anxiety, and depression. The social distancing aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have particularly significant effects on mental health. Understanding how mental health evolves as a result of this serious global pandemic will inform prevention and treatment strategies moving forward, including allocation of resources to those most in need. Critically, these data can also serve as evidence-based information for public health organizations and the public as a whole.

Understanding the Mental Health Implications of a Pandemic

Introduction

The world is entering into a new phase with COVID-19 spreading rapidly. People will be studying various consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental and behavioral health should be a core part of that effort. There is a robust literature on how environmental crises, such as SARS or natural disasters, can lead to mental health challenges, including loneliness, acute stress, anxiety, and depression. The social distancing aspects of the current pandemic may have particularly significant effects on mental health. Understanding how mental health evolves as a result of this serious global outbreak will inform prevention and treatment strategies moving forward, including allocation of resources to those most in need. Critically, these data can also serve as evidence-based information for public health organizations and the public as a whole.

The data will be leveraged to address many questions, such as:

Which individuals are at greatest risk for high levels of mental health distress during a pandemic?
As individuals spend more time inside and isolated, how does their mental health distress evolve?
How do different behaviors (such as media consumption) relate to mental health?

Read more about how our experts are measuring mental distress amid a pandemic.

We have been working to ensure that measurement of mental health measures is a key part of large-scale national and international data collections relative to COVID-19.

Read more about conducting research studies on mental health during the pandemic.

Mental Health Resources

See our resources guide here.

Members of the COVID-19 Mental Health Measurement Working Group

M. Daniele Fallin, JHSPH
Calliope Holingue, Kennedy Krieger Institute, JHSPH
Renee M. Johnson, JHSPH
Luke Kalb, Kennedy Krieger Institute, JHSPH
Frauke Kreuter, University of Maryland, University of Mannheim
Courtney Nordeck, JHSPH
Kira Riehm, JHSPH
Emily J. Smail, JHSPH
Elizabeth Stuart, JHSPH
Johannes Thrul, JHSPH
Cindy Veldhuis, Columbia University School of Nursing

The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Mental Health Measurement Working Group developed key questions to add to existing large domestic and international surveys to measure the mental health impact of the pandemic.

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The Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL): development and first psychometric evaluation of a new measure to assess quality of life in people with mental health problems

F. c. w. van krugten.

1 Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 Rotterdam, The Netherlands

J. J. V. Busschbach

2 Department of Psychiatry, Section Medical Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

M. M. Versteegh

3 Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

L. Hakkaart-van Roijen

W. b. f. brouwer, associated data.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (FK) upon reasonable request.

The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new quality of life measure for use in people with mental health problems—the Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL).

The MHQoL dimensions were based on prior research by Connell and colleagues, highlighting the seven most important quality of life dimensions in the context of mental health. Items were generated following a systematic review we performed and through inviting expert opinion. A focus group and an online qualitative study ( N = 120) were carried out to assess the face and content validity of the MHQoL. The MHQoL was further tested for its internal consistency, convergent validity, known-group validity and test–retest reliability among mental healthcare service users (N = 479) and members of the general population ( N = 110).

The MHQoL consists of a descriptive system (MHQoL-7D), including s items covering seven dimensions (self-image, independence, mood, relationships, daily activities, physical health, future) and a visual analogue scale of general psychological well-being (MHQoL-VAS). Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's ∝ = 0.85) and correlations between MHQoL-7D scores and related measures (EQ-5D-5L, MANSA, ICECAP-A, and BSI) supported convergent validity. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the MHQoL-7D sum score for test–retest reliability was 0.85. Known-group validity was supported by the ability to detect significant differences in MHQoL-7D levels between service users and the general population, and between groups with different levels of psychological distress.

The MHQoL demonstrated favourable psychometric properties and showed promise as a simple and effective measure to assess quality of life in people with mental health problems.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02935-w.

Introduction

The concept of quality of life is widely and increasingly used as an important outcome measure in the evaluation of healthcare interventions [ 1 ]. Also in the mental health field, it is recognized that while symptom reduction is a desirable treatment outcome, it is also important to assess how recovery translates to the daily life of an individual and their quality of life [ 2 ]. Although a consensual definition is lacking, there is general agreement that quality of life is a subjective and multidimensional construct that captures an individual's life satisfaction and overall well-being [ 3 ]. In order to accommodate the growing interest in measuring and monitoring the impact of mental health(care) on peoples’ lives, mental healthcare providers in, for example, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, increasingly include quality of life measures in their routine outcome measurement alongside more clinically oriented measures [ 4 , 5 ].

Despite the growing interest in assessing quality of life in mental healthcare, it has been questioned whether frequently used quality of life measures, such as the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire [ 6 ] and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) [ 7 ], adequately capture and value the benefits of mental healthcare interventions. Previous studies have indicated that frequently used quality of life measures are, in certain situations, not sufficiently sensitive to the effects of mental health problems on quality of life [ 8 – 11 ]. It has been argued that this may be due to the large focus on physical health of these commonly used quality of life measures, which limits the coverage of the dimensions of quality of life that are valued highly by people with mental health problems [ 8 ].

A recent systematic review [ 12 ] indicated that the inability of available quality of life measures to adequately capture and value the benefits of mental healthcare interventions might be related to the content validity of those measures. More specifically, it was found that none of the generic (e.g. SF-36 [ 7 ]), domain-specific (e.g. Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life [ 13 ]) or disease-specific (e.g. Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale [ 14 ]) quality of life measures used in people with mental health problems fully cover the dimensions that were found to be important to the quality of life of people with mental health problems [ 15 , 16 ]. Those findings underline the need for a measure that covers the dimensions considered to be important by people with mental health problems, providing both a descriptive profile and an overall index.

The present paper reports on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL), designed to comprehensively provide information about the quality of life dimensions known to be relevant across and valued highly by people with mental health problems. The conceptual framework was established based on previous work carried out by Connell and colleagues [ 15 , 16 ]. This work aimed to identify the dimensions of quality of life important to people with mental health problems and has been shown to be an attractive theoretical foundation for the development of quality of life measures for use in the mental health field. Indeed, in the same period in which the MHQoL was developed, Keetharuth and colleagues developed the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) measures [ 17 ], which were also based on this framework. In the discussion section of this paper, we will reflect on the differences between the MHQoL and the ReQoL measures.

The study consisted of two major phases: (1) development and (2) psychometric evaluation of the Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL). The study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands (MEC-2018-142) and digital informed consent was obtained from all participants in the study.

MHQoL development

The first phase of the study, in which the MHQoL was developed, consisted of four stages: (I) construction of a conceptual framework to guide measurement development; (II) development of an item bank to guide item generation; (III) scale generation; and (IV) evaluation of face and content validity. See Fig. 1 for a summary of the phases. The development process was led by a group of researchers ( n = 6, 5 of whom are co-authors) with relevant expertise in the field of scale development, mental healthcare, or in both.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is 11136_2021_2935_Fig1_HTML.jpg

Development stages of the MHQoL.

QoL Quality of Life, MH Mental Health, MHQoL Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire

As a first stage in the development process, a conceptual framework was constructed to serve as a theoretical basis for the resultant measure. The conceptual framework was established based on previous work carried out by Connell et al. [ 15 , 16 ], highlighting seven dimensions of quality of life most important to people with mental health problems (well-being and ill-being; physical health; autonomy; self-perception; relationships and belonging; activity; hope and hopelessness). The work by Connell and colleagues [ 15 , 16 ] was selected as the basis for the conceptual framework, given that it specifically aimed to identify the dimensions of quality of life important to people with mental health problems by using a rigorous mixed-methods approach combining a systematic review of qualitative research [ 15 ] with complementary interviews [ 16 ]. A visual representation of the dimensions of the conceptual framework can be found in the work of Keetharuth et al. [ 18 ]. In the second stage of the development process, a bank of candidate items was developed to inform the generation of MHQoL items. The item bank was developed on the basis of a recent systematic review we performed that aimed to identify existing quality of life measures used in people with mental health problems [ 12 ]. Through examination of the content of the identified measures ( n = 35), a total of 272 candidate items were extracted and categorized per dimension of the conceptual framework. In three expert meetings, the item bank was reduced by only retaining the items that best covered the underlying themes of the dimensions of the evaluation framework (see Connell et al. [ 15 ] for the underlying themes of the dimensions).

Informed by the reduced bank of candidate items, preliminary scale items were generated for each of the seven dimensions of the conceptual framework in the third stage of the development process. Main requirements in the generation of items were that the resultant measure should be trans-diagnostic in nature and short and easy to complete by the respondent. These principles led to the operationalization of the seven dimensions into seven items (one item per dimension), each with four response options. 1 In line with measures like the EQ-5D and in order to avoid subjective weighting of health states experienced over longer periods of time, the recall period was set to "today". In 12 expert meetings the generated items were extensively discussed to ensure that all items sufficiently reflected the intended meaning of each of the dimensions. As a result of the discussions, some changes were made to the wording and labels of the items, resulting in the first draft version of the MHQoL.

In the fourth and final stage of the development process, the face and content validity of the draft version of the MHQoL were evaluated in two steps. The first step consisted of a focus group in which six mental healthcare service users were asked to complete the MHQoL, followed by a de-briefing exercise in which they examined the meaning of the individual items, the extent to which the items seem to cover the things that matter in their lives, and the adequacy of the response options. Based on this focus group, minor changes were made to the wording and sequence of the items. In the second stage, a web-based survey was carried out among 120 adult (18 years and older) mental healthcare service users. Participants were randomly drawn from an online panel through the market research company Dynata. Inclusion criteria were: aged 18 years or older and visited any health professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, general practitioner, social worker) for mental health problems in the past 12 months. Participants were asked to fill out the MHQoL, indicate whether the items cover the things that matter in their lives, and comment on the clarity of the individual items and the measure as a whole. Analysis of the provided comments confirmed the completeness and clarity of the MHQoL; no changes to the wording and sequence of items were deemed necessary.

The Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL)

The development process resulted in the Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL). The MHQoL is a standardized, self-administered measure of quality of life that has been developed for use in people with subclinical and clinical mental health problems and across all types of mental health services. The MHQoL consists of two parts: a descriptive system, the MHQoL-7D and a visual analogue scale, the MHQoL-VAS. The MHQoL-7D comprises seven questions, covering seven dimensions (self-image, independence, mood, relationships, daily activities, physical health, future), each with four response levels (e.g. ranging from very satisfied (score = 3) to very dissatisfied (score = 0)). The MHQoL-7D sum score can vary from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating better quality of life. The MHQoL-VAS records the self-esteemed general psychological well-being of the respondent on a horizontal scale ranging from zero ("worst imaginable psychological well-being") to ten ("best imaginable psychological well-being"). The MHQoL was developed in Dutch. The English version of the MHQoL is included in the supplemental material.

Evaluation of psychometric properties

Study design and population.

In order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MHQoL, a web-based study was carried out. The study population consisted of 479 adult (18 years and older) mental healthcare service users and 110 adult members of the general population. During September 2018, participants were drawn from a consumer panel through a market research company (Dynata). The subsample of mental healthcare service users (aged 18 years or older) was selected from the larger panel based on the fact that respondents themselves indicated that they visited any health professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, general practitioner, social worker) for mental health problems in the past 12 months. The general population subsample was selected to represent the Dutch population in 2018 in terms of the distribution of age, sex, and education as recorded by Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek). Participants received a financial incentive of €1.50 for their participation in the study.

In addition to the MHQoL, participants completed the self-report measures listed below.

The five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) [ 19 ] is a five-item generic, preference-based self-report measure to describe and value health related quality of life (HRQoL). The EQ-5D-5L includes five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and a visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) for overall health. Each dimension is divided into five response options describing the state per dimension (no problems, some problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems/unable to). An index summary score can be generated by applying societal preference weights to the health state classification (scoring on the five dimensions) as completed by the respondent. Based on the Dutch tariff, total scores can range from − 0.446 to 1 [ 20 ], with higher values indicating better HrQoL as perceived by the general population. The EQ-VAS is a vertical scale ranging from zero ("worst imaginable health state") to 100 ("best imaginable health state") on which the respondents are asked to rate their overall health.

The Manchester Short Assessment of quality of life (MANSA) [ 13 ] is a 16-item self-report measure to assess quality of life in people with mental health problems. The MANSA is a shortened version of the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQLP) [ 21 ] and consists of four dichotomous (yes/no) items covering objective quality of life aspects and 12 items assessing the satisfaction with life as a whole, job, financial situation, friendships, leisure activities, accommodation, personal safety, people that the person lives with, family and health. Each of the 12 satisfaction items is rated on a seven-point scale ranging from one (“couldn’t be worse”) to seven (“couldn’t be better)”. Summary scores can range from 12 to 84, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.

The ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults (ICECAP-A) [ 22 ] is a five-item generic, preference-based self-report measure of capability well-being for use in the adult population. The items cover five dimensions (stability, attachment, autonomy, achievement, and enjoyment), and each item has four response levels (e.g. none, a little, a lot and all). Index summary scores can range from 0 (representing the absence of capability) to 1 (representing full capability) [ 23 ].

The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) [ 24 ] is a 53-item self-report measure of psychopathology. The BSI is a shortened version of the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) [ 25 ] and covers nine dimensions (somatization, obsessive–compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism). Each item is rated on a five-point scale ranging from zero (“not at all”) to four (“extremely”). The summary scale index of the BSI, the "Global Severity Index" (GSI), can range from 0 to 212, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress.

After providing digital informed consent, participants were asked to complete a web-based survey containing the MHQoL and questions about their socio-demographics (gender, date of birth, level of education, employment/activity) and mental health status (mental health problem, severity of mental health problem, duration of mental health problem). In addition, participants completed the EQ-5D-5L, MANSA, ICECAP-A, and BSI in order to evaluate convergent validity. After one week, the MHQoL was readministered to a randomly selected subset of 33% of participants reporting no change in their mental health related quality of life status after one week to assess test–retest reliability.

Statistical analysis

Data on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the study sample were analysed using descriptive statistics. Internal consistency was assessed by item-total correlations and Cronbach's alpha coefficient in the total sample and subsample of mental healthcare service users. Cronbach's alpha values of 0.70–0.79 were considered acceptable, 0.80–0.89 good, and ≥ 0.90 excellent [ 26 ]. Test–retest reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) using the two-way mixed effects, absolute agreement, single measurement model. Intraclass correlation coefficients of < 0.49, 0.5–0.74, 0.75–0.89, > 0.90 were considered poor, moderate, good, and excellent, respectively [ 27 ]. In order to assess convergent validity, Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between total MHQoL-7D scores and EQ-5D-5L sum score, EQ-5D-5L index, EQ-VAS, MANSA, ICECAP-A sum score, ICECAP-A index and BSI scores. Spearman's rank correlations of 0.10–0.29 were considered weak, 0.30–0.49 moderate, and ≥ 0.50 strong [ 28 ]. MHQoL-7D scores were expected to have a strong positive correlation with quality of life (EQ-5D, MANSA) and well-being (ICECAP-A) scores. Since quality of was demonstrated to be sensitive to variations in psychopathology (e.g. [ 29 , 30 ]), the MHQoL was hypothesized to have a moderate negative correlation with the BSI. Within the subsample of mental healthcare service users, known group validity was assessed by evaluating the ability of the MHQoL-7D to detect significant group differences between participants by clinical status (clinical, BSI score ≥ 0.67 vs. non-clinical, BSI score < 0.67 [ 31 ]) and self-reported severity of mental health problems (severe vs. mild/moderate). The four original severity categories of mental health problems (mild, moderate, severe, very severe) were collapsed into two categories of (mild/moderate and severe). In addition, known-group validity was assessed in the total sample by testing whether the MHQoL-7D was able to discriminate between mental healthcare users and members from the general population. Group differences were examined using the Mann–Whitney U test. Mean MHQoL-7D group scores were expected to be significantly higher (i.e. better) in the group with non-clinical psychopathology, in the group with mild/moderate mental health problems, and in the group of members from the general population. All analyses were carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 (SPSS Inc., IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA). Significance levels were set at P < 0.05 (two-tailed).

Participant’s characteristics

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study sample are presented in Table Table1. 1 . The study sample comprised 479 mental healthcare service users and 110 members of the general population. The mean age of the total sample was 46.5 years (SD = 15.8), 341 (57.9%) were female, and most of the participants attained middle education (45.8%). In the subsample of mental healthcare service users, the most commonly reported mental health problems were depression (64.5%), dysthymia (41.8%), and anxiety disorder (42.0%). In the subsample of mental healthcare service users, the mental health problems were, as classified by the own perception of participants, in most cases of moderate severity (48.4%). The mean total MHQoL-7D and MHQoL-VAS scores were lower in the subsample of mental healthcare service users (11.5 (4.0) and 5.7 (2.0), respectively) than in the subsample of members of the general population (15.5 (2.9) and 7.5 (1.5), respectively).

Demographic and clinical characteristics of study sample

ADHD Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, MHQoL Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire, SD Standard Deviation, VAS Visual Analogue Scale

a Part of total sample

b Lower, middle, and higher education refers to ISCED [ 32 ] 2011 levels 0–2 (early childhood education, primary education, lower secondary education), 3–4 (upper secondary education, post-secondary non-tertiary education), and 5–8 (short-cycle tertiary education, bachelor or equivalent, master or equivalent, doctoral or equivalent), respectively.

c Some participants indicated that they visited more than one health professional for their mental health problems in the past 12 months.

d For example community psychiatric nurse, hypnotherapist, vitality coach.

e Some participants indicated to have > 1 mental health problem (mean number of mental health problems in total population was 2.4 (SD = 1.4)).

f Severity was classified based on the own perception of participants

Reliability

Table Table2 2 presents the internal consistency reliability and test–retest reliability coefficients for the individual MHQoL-7D items. In the total sample, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the total MHQoL-7D was 0.85 and item-total correlations ranged from 0.48 to 0.71. None of the items could be deleted without a decrease of Cronbach's alpha. Test–retest reliability, as assessed by ICC, was 0.85 for the total MHQoL-7D. ICCs for individual items ranged from 0.51 to 0.77.

Item-total correlations, alpha if item deleted and intraclass correlation coefficients for individual MHQoL-7D items

ICC Intraclass Correlation Coefficient

a Time point = baseline

b All significant at P < 0.001 (2-tailed)

Convergent validity

Spearman's rank-order correlations between MHQoL-7D scores and total scores of convergent measures are presented in Table Table3. 3 . As hypothesised, the MHQoL showed strong positive correlations with the EQ-5D-5L, MANSA, and ICECAP-A scores. Moreover, there was a strong negative correlation between increasing MHQoL-7D scores and psychopathology scores as measured by the BSI.

Spearman's rank-order correlations between MHQoL-7D scores and total scores of convergent measures a,b

BSI Brief Symptom Inventory, EQ-5D-5L five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire, ICECAP-A ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults, MANSA Manchester Short Assessment of quality of life, VAS Visual Analogue Scale

Known-group validity

A Mann–Whitney U test indicated that MHQoL-7D scores were significantly higher in participants with non-clinical psychopathology (Mdn = 15) than in participants with clinical psychopathology (Mdn = 11) ( U = 11,256; P < 0.001; r = 0.39). In addition, MHQoL-7D scores were significantly higher in participants with mild/moderate mental health problems (Mdn = 13) than in participants with severe mental health problems (Mdn = 9) ( U = 12,300; P < 0.001; r = 0.42), and in members from the general population (Mdn = 16) than in mental healthcare users (Mdn = 12) ( U = 7.698; P < 0.001; r = 0.47).

This paper reports on the development and psychometric evaluation of new quality of life measure for use in people with mental health problems—the Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL). The MHQoL was designed to comprehensively provide information about the quality of life dimensions known to be relevant across and valued highly by people with mental health problems. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that the Dutch version of the MHQoL is a psychometrically sound measure of quality of life in Dutch people with mental health problems.

The face and content validity of the Dutch version of the MHQoL in Dutch people with mental health problems are supported by a multi-source, service user-oriented development process. Evaluation of the face and content validity by a focus group and online qualitative study confirmed the completeness and clarity of the MHQoL in this context. In addition, in the current study, the MHQoL demonstrated good internal consistency and good test–retest reliability over a 1-week interval. Moreover, correlations between the Dutch version of the MHQoL and related measures supported convergent validity. As expected, higher scores on the MHQoL were strongly associated with higher scores on the ICECAP-A, EQ-5D-5L and MANSA. The MHQoL was more strongly associated with the ICECAP-A and MANSA than with the EQ-5D-5L. This is expected since the ICECAP-A and MANSA cover more dimensions included in the MHQoL compared to the EQ-5D-5L. In addition, there was a strong negative correlation between MHQoL scores and severity of mental health problems as measured by the BSI. Although quality of life has been found to be sensitive to variations in psychopathology (e.g. [ 29 , 30 ]), it is remarkable that the strength of the correlation between the MHQoL and BSI is comparable to the correlations between the MHQoL and other quality of life (EQ-5D-5L, MANSA) and well-being (ICECAP-A) measures. This finding raises the question what the differences between and interrelationships among quality of life, well-being and psychopathology are, also in terms of the underlying constructs. This is an interesting and important question, but one that falls beyond the scope of the current study and requires attention in future research. Known-group validity was supported by the ability of the MHQoL to detect significant differences in overall MHQoL levels between service users and the general population, between those reporting severe mental health problems and mild/moderate mental health problems, and between those with clinical psychopathology and with non-clinical psychopathology.

The MHQoL offers several important advantages over most existing quality of life measures. The MHQoL was designed based on a comprehensive overview of the quality of life dimensions most relevant to people with mental health problems [ 15 , 16 ]. Hence, the MHQoL is likely to be more sensitive to the benefits of mental healthcare interventions than generic quality of life measures. At the same time, it needs noting that this likely increase in sensitivity within the mental health domain may compromise the comparability of outcomes across sectors. However, in contrast to existing disease-specific quality of life measures, the MHQoL does still allow comparisons to be made across conditions within the mental health field. In addition, the MHQoL is relatively short and easy to complete by respondents in comparison to available quality of life measures used in people with mental health problems (average number of items = 35 [ 12 ]). The favourable ease of use of the MHQoL may support the use of the MHQoL in clinical and research settings alongside more clinically oriented measures, and would thereby accommodate the growing interest in measuring and monitoring the impact of mental health(care) on peoples’ lives [ 2 ]. Although collecting ‘traditional’ outcomes, such as data on symptom remission, will remain essential, complementing it with outcome data on quality of life will offer a more complete understanding of the effectiveness of mental healthcare services, also from the perspective of those suffering from mental health problems. Moreover, the MHQoL can facilitate economic evaluations of mental health services, as further highlighted below.

The growing interest in comprehensive and sensitive outcome measures that can be used broadly in the mental health domain, may be underscored by the fact that recently more measures than only the MHQoL have been developed and introduced. To our knowledge, the only published examples of recently developed quality of life measures that cover all dimensions valued highly by people with mental health problems are the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) measures [ 18 ]. Although the MHQoL and the ReQoL measures share the same goal, target population and theoretical basis (i.e. dimensions), they differ in a number of important ways, including the operationalization of their dimensions, the number of items (7 (MHQoL) vs. 10 (ReQoL-10) and 20 (ReQoL-20)), the recall period (“Today” (MHQoL) vs. “Last week” (ReQoL)), and the integration of the physical dimension in the measure (integrated (MHQoL) vs. supplemental (ReQoL)). The psychometric properties in terms of feasibility, reliability, validity and responsiveness of both ReQoL measures were reported to be satisfactory [ 17 ]. A direct comparison of the psychometric performance of the MHQoL and de ReQoL measures based on the published findings could not be performed because of differences in sampling and measurement methods between the studies. Hence, we encourage future research to explore how the measures relate to one another and, for instance, which measure is preferred to be used in which context.

Several limitations to this study need to be acknowledged. First, as the presented study is a first psychometric evaluation of the MHQoL, future studies are needed to replicate and extend the findings from this initial evaluation. As the MHQoL was designed to adequately capture mental health-related quality of life and through that the benefits of mental healthcare interventions, in future studies special attention should be given to the evaluation of the sensitivity to change. In addition, future research is required to compare the sensitivity of the MHQoL to other (generic) quality of life measures and establish the effect of the use of a weighted sum score on the psychometric properties of the MHQoL. Second, the findings of the present study might have been subject to selection bias as participants were recruited by a market research company. Although people who voluntarily take part in online studies might differ from the general (patient) population, the sampling methodology resulted in a heterogeneous sample in terms of age, sex and education. Other consequences of the sampling procedure are that the rate of non-participation could not be determined, a relatively limited number of people with severe mental health problems participated, and a comprehensive psychiatric assessment by a mental health professional could not be performed, and hence, clinical and research diagnoses are missing. Future studies are needed to evaluate the psychometric properties in a clinically heterogeneous sample of mental healthcare service users. Third, in order to avoid subjective weighting of health states experienced over longer periods of time, and in line with other generic quality of life measures such as the EQ-5D, the recall period was set to "today". Recent research on issues related to different recall-periods and fluctuating health states indicates [ 33 ] that this choice may be influential and needs consideration also in the practical application of a measure. A main limitation of the here chosen recall period may be that fluctuations in quality of life may be missed and that obtained observations could be biased. This potential bias could, however, be reduced by administrating measures with a shorter recall period on a specific date, on a day with problems as well as on day without problems or by a more frequent administration of such measures [ 22 ]. In addition, this form of bias could be reduced by complementing the administration of the measure by diary completion in order to be able to assess whether the measure was administered on a day with or without problems. Fourth, in the present study, only the original Dutch version of the MHQoL was evaluated. English and German translations have been produced but are not yet tested for their psychometric properties. Broader validations of translated versions of the MHQoL in other countries are encouraged, in which cultural differences in relation to mental health should also be considered. Fifth, as we tested the MHQoL in a sample of people aged 18 years and older, the MHQoL cannot be recommended for use in people younger than 18 without further psychometric evaluation, although, given the phrasing and domains, it may be considered potentially suitable for adolescents as well. Recommendations for future research include further psychometric testing, also in an international context, the development of a preference-based scoring algorithm to make the MHQoL suitable for use in cost-utility studies, and the direct comparison of the MHQoL with other recently developed quality of life measures for use in the mental health field such as the ReQoL measures. In addition, in order to increase the clinical relevance of the MHQoL, norm scores should be established to aid the interpretation of the MHQoL.

Notwithstanding these limitations, this study indicates that the MHQoL is a psychometrically sound measure in the Dutch context and, therefore, holds a promising capability as a simple, short and effective measure to assess quality of life in people with mental health problems. In order to make the MHQoL suitable for use in cost-utility analyses of mental healthcare interventions, preference weights will be estimated by use of a discrete choice experiment [ 34 ] in due course. By doing so, the MHQoL may facilitate sound economic evaluations of mental health interventions.

Availability of the MHQoL

The MHQoL, its scoring manual and user conditions can be found at https://www.imta.nl/mhqol/ . Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is the copyright holder of the Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL).

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by F.C.W. van Krugten. The first draft of the manuscript was written by F.C.W. van Krugten and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Data availability

Declarations.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

The study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of the Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands (MEC-2018–142).

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

All individual participants provided informed consent regarding publishing their data.

1 The item labels of the MHQoL correspond as follows to the labels of the dimensions of the conceptual framework (item label MHQoL = dimension label): self-image = self-perception; independence = autonomy; mood = well-being and ill-being; relationships = relationships and belonging; daily activities = activity; physical health = physical health; future = hope and hopelessness.

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Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.

How can I take care of my mental health?

Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.

Here are some self-care tips:

Get regular exercise. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can boost your mood and improve your health. Small amounts of exercise add up, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t do 30 minutes at one time.
Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated. A balanced diet and plenty of water can improve your energy and focus throughout the day. Pay attention to your intake of caffeine and alcohol and how they affect your mood and well-being—for some, decreasing caffeine and alcohol consumption can be helpful.
Make sleep a priority . Stick to a schedule, and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Blue light from devices and screens can make it harder to fall asleep, so reduce blue light exposure from your phone or computer before bedtime.
Try a relaxing activity. Explore relaxation or wellness programs or apps, which may incorporate meditation, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises. Schedule regular times for these and other healthy activities you enjoy, such as listening to music, reading, spending time in nature, and engaging in low-stress hobbies.
Set goals and priorities. Decide what must get done now and what can wait. Learn to say “no” to new tasks if you start to feel like you’re taking on too much. Try to appreciate what you have accomplished at the end of the day.
Practice gratitude. Remind yourself daily of things you are grateful for. Be specific. Write them down or replay them in your mind.
Focus on positivity . Identify and challenge your negative and unhelpful thoughts.
Stay connected. Reach out to friends or family members who can provide emotional support and practical help.

Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy. It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you.

Learn more about healthy practices for your mind and body .

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Seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more, such as:

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You can learn more about getting help on the NIMH website. You can also learn about finding support and locating mental health services in your area on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org . This service is confidential, free, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In life-threatening situations, call 911.

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Guidance on Conducting Research Involving Mental Health Topics

In human subjects research, many studies utilize questionnaires and assessments that address mental health, behavior or quality of life. These may include questions and assessments of the subject’s intent to harm him/herself or others. As part of its responsibility to protect research subjects, COUHES evaluates the risks and benefits of asking study participants about these topics.

This guidance document is intended to help researchers determine the appropriateness of including mental health topics in their research and considerations in developing acceptable plans for mitigating any potential risk.

Identifying Risk of Harm

Intentional identification.

Studies may be designed to gauge intent to harm self or others. This may be done through assessments such as behavioral evaluations, interviews, surveys or other measures for depression and suicidality.

When using such clinical diagnostic measures, researchers should consider if the study setting and population are appropriate with regards to the safety, risk-benefit ratio, and knowledge to be gained. If these measures identify study participants as clinically at-risk, or the study targets populations at high risk for injury to self or others, the COUHES application must include a a safety plan that describes what actions will be taken to ensure the safety of at-risk participants.

Unintentional Identification

For studies that include quality-of-life assessments or questionnaires that ask about sadness, anxiousness, or stress, the identification of a participant at-risk for harm to self or others may be unintentional. This is because these assessments are not typically designed for diagnostic purposes.

COUHES evaluates if a safety plan is needed for such studies on a case-by-case basis. A plan may be required if responses reveal acute risk (e.g. imminent danger to self or severe low mood) or if the study population is at elevated risk (e.g. receiving mental health treatment for depression, mood, or anxiety disorders).

In-Person vs. Remote Identification

When conducting research related to mental health, researchers should consider the physical environment where the study procedures will take place, and how participants will be adequately protected in that environment. Safety and ethical considerations can differ depending on whether the participants complete the intervention remotely or in-person, and whether the researchers know the identity of the participant or study participation is anonymous.

Creating a Participant Safety Plan

For studies that may identify a participant is at immediate or emerging risk for harming self or others, researchers must develop a safety plan.

The key to a safety plan is an assessment of how imminent is the risk. How this assessment is made can vary depending on: whether study procedures are carried out remotely or in-person; in a clinical, laboratory, or other setting; or whether the information is collected anonymously or not tied to an individual.

The COUHES application must explain:

How the risk will be assessed;
When investigators will review a subject’s response to questionnaires and assessments, and the frequency at which this review will occur; and
By whom the level and immediacy of risk will be assessed.

If participants’ responses will not be individually assessed, the COUHES application should explain why the investigators believe an individually identifiable assessment will not be included.

Any researchers administering the clinical measures and assessments, or reviewing a subject’s responses, should be appropriately qualified to assess the measures and assessments, and be familiar with the safety plan. In particular, individuals that are assessing participants’ risk of harm to self or others must have appropriate training in the assessment and implementation of the safety plan.

Intervention

Safety plans described in a COUHES application may include the follow, as appropriate:

If participants will be provided mental health or other resources, a copy of the resource referral document, and an explanation of how/when the resources will be made accessible to participants.
For assessments that determine imminent risk, procedures on transferring the participant to appropriate crisis intervention or de-escalation resources.
For assessments that determine less than imminent risk, referral or intervention procedures and how this information is communicated to participants.
For research that gathers anonymous information or where responses are not tied to an individual the plan should provide for a resource referral document to be given to participants that includes mental health resources, crisis intervention services, or hotline information depending on the type of risk.
Qualifications of researchers and/or clinicians involved in participant interactions, assessments, and safety interventions.
Confirmation that research staff directly interacting with participants will be adequately trained on the safety plan.
If participants and parents/legal guardians, as applicable, will be notified of findings.
If information is reportable under state or federal law, plans for notifying the relevant authorities and/or agencies under mandated reporting requirements.

Consent Process

As part of the consent process, consent forms should:

Clearly explain to potential participants the sensitive nature of any interviews or questionnaires;
Describe what will happen if participants acknowledge/disclose harm to self or others;
Have information on the risks and benefits of participating in this type of research. For example, for research with populations at elevated risk, include that the involvement in the research does not provide participants with “protection” against future harmful behavior, and how potential risk is mitigated; and
Include any limitations on data confidentiality in the Privacy and Confidentiality section. If information collected during research must be disclosed under mandated reporting requirements, this must be included. Language regarding mandated reporting may be reviewed by MIT Office of General Counsel.

Appendix: Suggested Consent Language

For research that gathers anonymous information and researchers plan only to provide resources, the consent process should not lead participants to think that the researchers will provide immediate assistance. Suggested language to add in the risk section is as follows:

There are no anticipated risks from your participation in this study. However, some people become anxious or upset when answering questions about (behaviors, well-being, mood, views). Your responses will not be individually identified, so we cannot provide you with personal feedback or intervention based on any of your answers. If you are worried about your mood, please refer to the attached resource referral information sheet.

If responses will be individually assessed and can be linked back to participants, the consent form should explain what options the participant will have if they become upset or uncomfortable during study activities. For example:

In the event that you tell the research team you are thinking about harming yourself or others, the research team will provide you resources and may ask you more questions about these thoughts. Based on your responses, the research team may provide you will additional resources or assistance to identify appropriate follow-up. This may include working with you to contact your doctor, contacting a trusted family member or therapist to discuss your thoughts, or working with you on a plan that may include getting you to a hospital for safety.

When using clinical diagnostic or symptom severity measures, participants scores above a pre-defined threshold of the measure should be reported back to the participant with an offer for referrals and/or counseling resources. The threshold for intervention needs to be defined in the COUHES application along with when and how the study findings will be shared with participants. Researchers should be prepared to offer appropriate counseling resources, assistance in making appointments, and/or offering a list of referrals. An example email message is below:

I am part of the team for a research study you recently completed. Based in your responses to some of the questions we asked, you seem to be experiencing (sadness, stress, blue moods, etc.). We provided you some information about mental health resources, but I wanted to follow-up and offer any other information you might want to get help.

To assist investigators with identifying counseling resources, COUHES provides the following:

Conducting Research on Mental Health Topics - Participant Counseling Resources [PDF]

The links below provide additional guidance for engaging participants on the topic of mental health.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Conducting Research with Participants at Elevated
Risk for Suicide: Considerations for Researchers
NIMH Clinical Research Toolbox
NIMH Guidance on Risk-Based Monitoring
FDA Guidance for Industry, Suicidal Ideation and Behavior: Prospective Assessment of Occurrence in Clinical Trials
FDA Guidance for Industry, Major Depressive Disorder: Developing Drugs for Treatment
Certificates of Confidentiality
NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring
PhenX Toolkit
Dates & Deadlines
Members & Staff
Engaged in Research: Scenarios
Continuing Review
Criteria for Acceptance of Studies
Financial Conflicts of Interest
Guidance on NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy
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Principal Investigator Status
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Research at Collaborating Institution
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Training of Research Personnel
Additional Review (China, Russia or Saudi Arabia)
Adult Subjects with Cognitive Impairment and Reduced Decision-Making Capacity
Audiotaping and Videotaping
COUHES Policy for Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk
Data Handling When a Subject Withdraws From a Study
Data Protection
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Electronic Consent
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Research Activities
Guidance on Use of Protected Health Information for Research Purposes
Guidelines for Single IRB
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Non-English Speakers
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Payment and Costs
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Private Data, Human Specimens and Cells
Research Involving Deception
Research Involving Mental Health Topics
Research Involving Non-MIT Collaborators
Research that May Affect Privacy of Health Information
Students as Subjects
Subjects with Limited Ability to Read, Hear, or See
Subjects with Limited Comprehension
Surveys, Questionnaires and Interviews
Additional Standard Language for Informed Consent
Basic Elements of Informed Consent
Waiver or Alteration of Informed Consent or Waiver of Documentation of Informed Consent
ClinicalTrials.gov Requirements
Data Safety Monitoring Plan (DSMP)
GCP Training
COUHES Connect FAQs
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This priority setting exercise involved current UK university students who were asked to submit three research questions relating to student mental health. Responses were aggregated into themes through content analysis and considered in the context of existing research. Students were involved throughout the project, including inception, design ...
230 Mental Health Research Topics For Academic Writing
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.
Research
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the Nation's leader in research on mental disorders, supporting research to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. Below you can learn more about NIMH funded research areas, policies, resources, initiatives, and research conducted by NIMH on the NIH campus.
Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health
As the evidence base for the study of mental health problems develops, there is a need for increasingly rigorous and systematic research methodologies. Complex questions require complex methodological approaches. Recognising this, the MRC guidelines for developing and testing complex interventions place qualitative methods as integral to each stage of intervention development and ...
Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic
Impact on mental health. Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [].There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [9,10].
Mental Health Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focuses and Trends
It is pertinent to summarize and study mental health research during the pandemic, because many psychological problems have arisen as a result, and there has been significant interest in research on such issues in the previous two years. ... Questions in the questionnaire are related to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms ...
Frontiers' most popular mental health Research Topics
On World Mental Health Day 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mental health a fundamental human right that should be accessible to everyone, reg Frontiers | Science News Top bar navigation
Understanding mental health in the research environment
This study aimed to establish what is known about the mental health of researchers based on the existing literature. The literature identified focuses mainly on stress in the academic workforce and contributory factors in the academic workplace. Keywords: Depression, Scientific Professions, Workforce Management, Workplace Wellness Programs.
Research articles
D2/D3 dopamine supports the precision of mental state inferences and self-relevance of joint social outcomes. In this article, the authors demonstrate that haloperidol D2/D3 dopamine antagonism ...
Research and Practice
Research Areas. The Department of Mental Health covers a wide array of topics related to mental health, mental illness, and substance abuse. We emphasize ongoing research that enriches and stimulates the teaching programs. All students and fellows are encouraged to participate in at least one research group. Faculty and students from multiple ...
Assessment of depression and anxiety in young and old with a question
Depression and anxiety disorders are global phenomena and create widespread and growing problems in healthcare 1.Untreated depression can be disabling 2,3,4,5 and have financial consequences 6.In ...
Priority setting for research on mental Health
The second major priority setting exercise was conducted in 2011, when the Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health initiative identified research priorities for the following 10 years. The main priority was given to research questions that: identify root causes, risks, and protective factors. advance prevention and implementation of early ...
Mental Health
NIMH launched a five-year research study called RECOUP-NY to promote the mental health of New Yorkers from communities hard-hit by COVID-19. The study will test the use of a new care model called Problem Management Plus (PM+) that can be used by non-specialists. A study funded by NIMH is examining the use of mobile apps to address mental health ...
Global research challenges and opportunities for mental health and
The research agenda for global mental health and substance-use disorders has been largely driven by the exigencies of high health burdens and associated unmet needs in low- and middle-income ...
Key ethical questions for research during the COVID-19 pandemic
In these times of rapid change, with high levels of uncertainty, anxiety, social isolation, and financial pressure, mental health worldwide is likely to be at risk. Researchers are rightly ensuring that mental health research is included in the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.1 Here, we reflect on ethical issues to consider when conducting research on self-harm ...
A Plan for Mental Health Research
These goals are: Goal 1: Define the Brain Mechanisms Underlying Complex Behaviors. Goal 2: Examine Mental Illness Trajectories Across the Lifespan. Goal 3: Strive for Prevention and Cures. Goal 4: Strengthen the Public Health Impact of NIMH-Supported Research. We will further these goals by supporting investigator-initiated research and through ...
Researchable questions to support evidence-based mental health policy
The two purposes of this paper are (i) to identify important gaps in completed research, particularly in relation to the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health (Department of Health, 1999 a) and the NHS Plan (NHS Confederation, 2001); and (ii) to translate these gaps into researchable questions that can contribute to a debate about ...
Mental health and the pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found
On both questions, high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, other or questioning were far more likely than heterosexual students to report negative experiences related to their mental health. Mental health tops the list of worries that U.S. parents express about their kids' well-being, according to a fall 2022 Pew Research ...
Key questions: research priorities for student mental health
UK university students ( N = 385) submitted 991 questions, categorised into seven themes: epidemiology, causes and risk factors, academic factors and work-life balance, sense of belonging, intervention and services, mental health literacy and consequences. Across themes, respondents highlighted the importance of understanding the experience ...
Mental health
Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape ...
Health Topics
Health Topics. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders, offers basic information on mental disorders, a range of related topics, and the latest mental health research. It is not the intention of NIMH to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information ...
Qualitative Methods in Mental Health Services Research
There is a rich tradition of using qualitative methods in mental health services research, most notably represented in the ethnographies of populations with mental health problems (e.g., Estroff, 1981; Hopper, 1988), and the institutions that serve them (e.g., Caudill, 1958; Goffman, 1961; Rhodes, 1991).Nevertheless, as in other areas of scientific research (Kuhn, 1970; Patton, 2002 ...
Mental Health and COVID-19
In this section. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on public health around the globe in terms of both physical and mental health, and the mental health implications of the pandemic may continue long after the physical health consequences have resolved. This research area aims to contribute to our understanding of the COVID-19 ...
The Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL): development
Introduction. The concept of quality of life is widely and increasingly used as an important outcome measure in the evaluation of healthcare interventions [].Also in the mental health field, it is recognized that while symptom reduction is a desirable treatment outcome, it is also important to assess how recovery translates to the daily life of an individual and their quality of life [].
Caring for Your Mental Health
Here are some self-care tips: Get regular exercise. Just 30 minutes of walking every day can boost your mood and improve your health. Small amounts of exercise add up, so don't be discouraged if you can't do 30 minutes at one time. Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated.
Mental health
Mental health. Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It has intrinsic and instrumental value and is integral to our well-being. At any one time, a diverse set of individual, family, community and ...
Guidance on Conducting Research Involving Mental Health Topics
Research Involving Mental Health Topics Guidance on Conducting Research Involving Mental Health Topics. In human subjects research, many studies utilize questionnaires and assessments that address mental health, behavior or quality of life. These may include questions and assessments of the subject's intent to harm him/herself or others.
Psychology topics
Plain-language explanations of how our mental health and behavior play a role in everyday issues such as: aging, depression, eating disorders, emotional health, marriage and divorce, parenting, sexuality, sleep, stress and trauma. ... Topics in Psychology. Explore how scientific research by psychologists can inform our professional lives ...