MD · Psychiatry

Psychiatry thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

A psychiatry thesis is built on instruments, so the work begins with choosing a scale that is validated for the question, obtaining permission where the copyright holder requires it, and using a translation that has itself been documented rather than produced on the morning of the first interview. Interviews take forty minutes to an hour each, which means the rate-limiting step is the candidate's own clinic time rather than the number of patients available, and a study needing a caregiver present halves the eligible pool again. Examiners press on who administered the scale and how they were trained, on whether the diagnosis was made with a structured interview or from the case file, and on what was done when a patient scored in a range that required action.

Topic register · 44 entries · 8 designs^[6]

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NMC PGMER-2023
NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
UGC 2018 · under 10%
ICMR 2017 · ethics

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Study design

Feasibility in a teaching unit

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Showing 44 of 44 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

Topic 01 / 44
Link to this entry
Caregiver burden in schizophrenia assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview and its relation to symptom severity
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean Zarit Burden Interview score and its correlation with the PANSS total score
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patient-caregiver pairs, subject to a calculation for the correlation you wish to detect
What your unit must already have
- an outpatient follow-up clinic where a primary caregiver usually accompanies the patient
- training in PANSS administration with a documented practice exercise
- the burden interview in the local language with a documented translation
What derails it
The person who brings the patient to clinic is often not the person who provides daily care, so define primary caregiver by hours of care and duration of co-residence, and record how many pairs had to be excluded because the real caregiver stayed at home.
Topic 02 / 44
Link to this entry
Caregiver burden in bipolar affective disorder compared with schizophrenia
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean Zarit Burden Interview score compared between the two diagnostic groups, with duration of illness recorded
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 60–90 pairs per group, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of the burden score
What your unit must already have
- a clinic following both diagnoses in comparable numbers
- diagnosis confirmed by a structured instrument rather than the file label
- one interviewer administering the burden interview to both groups
What derails it
Patients with bipolar disorder attend during euthymia while patients with schizophrenia attend in all states, so the groups differ in current illness state before anything else; record current symptom status in both and state how you handled it.
Topic 03 / 44
Link to this entry
Depressive symptoms in patients on maintenance haemodialysis assessed by the PHQ-9
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion scoring above the stated PHQ-9 cut-off, with the distribution of severity categories
Collection time
8 to 10 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- access to the dialysis unit during sessions, with nephrology consent
- the PHQ-9 in the local language with a documented translation
- an agreed referral route for patients scoring in the severe range
What derails it
Somatic items such as fatigue and poor appetite are part of uraemia itself, so report the somatic and cognitive-affective subscores separately and say in the protocol that the scale cannot separate depression from the physical illness.
Topic 04 / 44
Link to this entry
Anxiety and depressive symptoms after myocardial infarction assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion above the stated cut-off for each subscale at discharge and at six weeks
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- cardiology cooperation for access to patients during admission
- the instrument in the local language with permission to use it
- a six-week follow-up visit or telephone administration validated against in-person scoring
What derails it
Scoring a patient in the coronary care unit on the second day captures acute distress rather than a disorder, so fix the timing relative to the event, keep it identical for every patient, and record any sedative given in the preceding day.
Topic 05 / 44
Link to this entry
Depressive symptoms and glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean HbA1c compared between patients above and below the stated PHQ-9 cut-off
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 150–220 patients, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of HbA1c
What your unit must already have
- a diabetes clinic willing to allow interviews during waiting time
- HbA1c run by one method for all participants
- the PHQ-9 in the local language with a referral route for high scorers
What derails it
Patients reach the diabetes clinic with HbA1c done months earlier at a private laboratory, and mixing those values with your own destroys comparability, so require a sample drawn within a stated window on your own analyser.
Topic 06 / 44
Link to this entry
Depressive symptoms at three months after acute stroke assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion with a Hamilton score above the stated threshold at three months, in relation to functional status by the modified Rankin Scale
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 90–140 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- neurology or medicine cooperation for stroke recruitment
- exclusion of significant aphasia and cognitive impairment by a stated rule
- a three-month review where the patient can actually be brought in
What derails it
Aphasia and severe disability exclude precisely the patients most likely to be depressed, so state the exclusion rule plainly, count how many were excluded for it, and do not generalise beyond the communicating, mobile group you actually assessed.
Topic 07 / 44
Link to this entry
Screening for postnatal depressive symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale before discharge from the postnatal ward
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion scoring above the stated cut-off, with responses to the self-harm item reported separately
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 250–350 women, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- obstetric department agreement for ward access and a private space to interview
- the scale in the local language with a documented translation
- a written escalation plan for any woman endorsing the self-harm item
What derails it
Interviewing a woman in a crowded postnatal ward with her mother-in-law at the bedside produces low scores, so secure a private space and a protocol for interviewing alone, and record how often privacy could not be obtained.
Topic 08 / 44
Link to this entry
Sleep quality in patients with depressive disorder assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion with a global index above the stated cut-off, with component scores reported and correlated with depression severity
Collection time
9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- the index in the local language with documented translation and permission
- diagnosis confirmed by a structured instrument
- a record of hypnotic and antidepressant use with doses
What derails it
Almost every patient is already on a sedating antidepressant or a hypnotic by the time they reach follow-up, which rewrites the sleep components, so record current medication with dose and timing and pre-specify whether drug-naive patients are analysed separately.
Topic 09 / 44
Link to this entry
Insomnia severity and daytime functioning in patients with generalised anxiety disorder
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean Insomnia Severity Index score and its correlation with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score
Collection time
9 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 90–140 patients, subject to a calculation for the correlation you wish to detect
What your unit must already have
- both instruments in the local language with documented translations
- a structured diagnostic interview to confirm the diagnosis
- one trained rater administering the anxiety scale throughout
What derails it
Generalised anxiety disorder is diagnosed loosely in a busy OPD and many of those patients have a depressive disorder instead, so confirm the diagnosis with a structured interview rather than the file, and report how many referrals failed confirmation.
Topic 10 / 44
Link to this entry
Alcohol use disorder identified by the AUDIT among medical inpatients
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion scoring above the stated AUDIT cut-off, with the distribution of risk categories
Collection time
9 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 250–350 inpatients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- medicine ward cooperation for bedside interviews
- the AUDIT in the local language with a documented translation
- a referral pathway to psychiatry for those in the high-risk categories
What derails it
Patients admitted under another department answer a drinking questionnaire cautiously when the treating team is within earshot, so interview behind a screen, make clear that answers do not go into the ward file, and note when privacy failed.
Topic 11 / 44
Link to this entry
CIWA-Ar guided compared with fixed-dose benzodiazepine treatment in alcohol withdrawal
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Total benzodiazepine dose administered over the first seventy-two hours, with the proportion developing a withdrawal seizure or delirium
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 40–70 per group, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of total dose
What your unit must already have
- an inpatient de-addiction or psychiatry ward admitting withdrawal cases regularly
- nursing staff trained to score CIWA-Ar at the required frequency
- ethics approval, with trial registration if allocation is randomised
What derails it
Symptom-triggered dosing only works if the nurse actually scores every few hours through the night, so the study depends on nursing rota and training rather than on medicine; run a two-week dry run of scoring before enrolment opens.
Topic 12 / 44
Link to this entry
Retention in treatment at twelve weeks among patients initiated on buprenorphine-naloxone for opioid dependence
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion still in treatment at twelve weeks by a stated definition, with the baseline ASSIST score recorded
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 90–140 patients, subject to a calculation against the retention proportion assumed
What your unit must already have
- a licensed opioid substitution facility with an uninterrupted drug supply
- dispensing records that can establish attendance day by day
- a written definition of retention, including permitted gaps
What derails it
A single stock-out of the medicine empties the clinic and ends the follow-up for everyone enrolled that month, so record supply interruptions as a variable and agree with the centre how such periods will be handled in the analysis.
Topic 13 / 44
Link to this entry
Brief intervention for tobacco dependence in a psychiatry outpatient setting
DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Self-reported abstinence at twelve weeks, with baseline Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence score
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–90 per group, subject to a proper calculation against the abstinence proportion assumed
What your unit must already have
- a counsellor or trained resident for the intervention sessions
- ethics approval, with trial registration if allocation is randomised
- a twelve-week follow-up route with a verification plan for self-report
What derails it
Smoking here is entangled with the illness, the medication and the clinic routine, so decide at protocol stage whether your primary outcome is complete abstinence or a stated reduction in daily consumption, and power the study for whichever you choose rather than changing it once the results are in.
Topic 14 / 44
Link to this entry
Substance use assessed by the ASSIST in patients presenting with a first episode of psychosis
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion with moderate or high risk use of each substance on the ASSIST, with the PANSS total score at presentation
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 80–120 patients, governed by how many first episodes your unit sees
What your unit must already have
- a written definition of first episode applied consistently
- the ASSIST in the local language, administered with a corroborating informant
- PANSS training with a documented reliability exercise
What derails it
A patient in acute psychosis cannot give a reliable substance history and families minimise it, so plan a corroborated history with an informant and a repeat interview once the patient settles, and report how the two sources were reconciled.
Topic 15 / 44
Link to this entry
Internet addiction by Young's Internet Addiction Test and sleep quality among medical undergraduates
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion in each Internet Addiction Test category, with the mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score across categories
Collection time
6 to 8 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 300–400 students, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- institutional permission to approach students, with anonymity guaranteed
- both instruments with documented permission to use them
- a distribution method that does not allow a teacher to see individual responses
What derails it
Students answer differently when a faculty member hands out the form, so distribute anonymously and collect in a sealed box or a link with no identifiers, and state how you prevented duplicate submissions.
Topic 16 / 44
Link to this entry
Smartphone addiction and perceived stress among nursing students
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Correlation between the Smartphone Addiction Scale short version score and the Perceived Stress Scale score
Collection time
6 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 250–350 students, subject to a calculation for the correlation you wish to detect
What your unit must already have
- nursing college permission and a class-time slot for administration
- both instruments in a documented translation with permission
- anonymous collection with no roll numbers on the form
What derails it
Administering both scales in the same sitting immediately after an examination shifts the stress score for everyone, so avoid examination weeks and record the academic context of the week in which data were collected.
Topic 17 / 44
Link to this entry
Burnout among resident doctors assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean scores on the three inventory subscales, with the proportion in the high category for each
Collection time
6 to 8 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 200–300 residents, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- a licence for the inventory, which is copyrighted and usually requires purchase
- institutional permission and a credible anonymity guarantee
- a distribution route that reaches residents across departments and shifts
What derails it
The inventory is proprietary and cannot simply be copied from a paper, so budget for the licence in the synopsis; studies that reproduce it without permission run into trouble at publication even if the thesis passes.
Topic 18 / 44
Link to this entry
Internalised stigma and medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Correlation between the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale score and the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale category
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a calculation for the correlation you wish to detect
What your unit must already have
- both instruments in a documented local translation, with the licence the adherence scale's copyright holder requires
- patients in remission enough to complete a long self-report scale
- a private interview space away from the waiting area
What derails it
The stigma scale is long and patients with ongoing negative symptoms abandon it midway, so record incomplete forms rather than imputing, and pre-specify the minimum number of completed items you will accept.
Topic 19 / 44
Link to this entry
Insight assessed by the Schedule for Assessment of Insight and treatment adherence in bipolar affective disorder
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean insight score and its relation to adherence category on the Medication Adherence Rating Scale
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 90–140 patients, subject to a calculation for the association you wish to detect
What your unit must already have
- a clinic following bipolar disorder with regular attenders
- training in administering the insight schedule with a documented reliability check
- the adherence scale in a documented local translation
- a record of current mood state using a standard rating scale
What derails it
Insight changes with mood state, so scoring patients who happen to be hypomanic that week will not be comparable with those in euthymia; record current state with a standard scale and either restrict to euthymia or analyse by state.
Topic 20 / 44
Link to this entry
Duration of untreated psychosis and symptom severity at first psychiatric contact
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Median duration of untreated psychosis in weeks, with the PANSS total score at presentation
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients, governed by the number of first contacts your unit sees
What your unit must already have
- a structured method for dating symptom onset with an informant present
- PANSS training with a documented reliability exercise
- a record of prior contacts with faith healers or other practitioners
What derails it
Dating the onset of psychosis depends entirely on a family's memory and families anchor it to a festival or a wedding, so use a structured timeline interview with those anchors and record the informant's relationship and confidence.
Topic 21 / 44
Link to this entry
Antipsychotic side effects assessed by the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale and abnormal involuntary movements in long-term patients
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion reporting each side effect category on the scale, with the proportion having an Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score above the stated threshold
Collection time
10 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- both instruments with documented translation where needed
- one trained examiner performing all movement examinations
- drug charts with current doses converted to a stated equivalence
What derails it
The movement examination needs a quiet room and a patient seated without distraction, and an examination done in a crowded corridor misses mild dyskinesia, so fix the examination setting and train one examiner rather than rotating residents.
Topic 22 / 44
Link to this entry
Metabolic syndrome in patients on second-generation antipsychotics
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion meeting a stated definition of metabolic syndrome, by drug and duration of exposure
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 150–220 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- fasting glucose and lipids on every participant, which requires a fasting visit they will keep
- waist circumference measured by one observer with a fixed landmark
- drug history with duration recorded from the case file
What derails it
Getting a psychiatric outpatient to return fasting is the whole difficulty, and those who manage it are the better-organised patients, so schedule fasting samples on the same day as drug collection and record how many defaulted the fasting visit.
Topic 23 / 44
Link to this entry
Akathisia during the first six weeks of antipsychotic initiation assessed by the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion developing akathisia by the stated scale criterion within six weeks, with time to onset
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 80–120 patients starting an antipsychotic, subject to a calculation against the expected proportion
What your unit must already have
- a clinic initiating antipsychotics in drug-naive or recently off-treatment patients
- one examiner trained on the scale, assessing at fixed intervals
- a written record of dose changes and any anticholinergic added
What derails it
Akathisia is easily mistaken for agitation due to the illness itself, and it is the resident on duty who labels it first, so have the scale applied by the trained assessor at fixed visits rather than relying on notes written in the ward.
Topic 24 / 44
Link to this entry
Adherence to haematological and metabolic monitoring among patients on clozapine: a record audit
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion of patients with the stated monitoring investigations completed at the scheduled intervals during the first six months of therapy
Collection time
3 to 5 months of record review
Sample, as a planning figure
about 80–150 records, depending on how many patients your unit maintains on clozapine
What your unit must already have
- a clozapine register or retrievable case files with laboratory reports attached
- a written local monitoring schedule to audit against
- ethics committee waiver of consent for record review
What derails it
Patients get their counts done at a private laboratory and the report never reaches the file, so absence in the record is not absence of monitoring; record both file-documented and patient-reported testing, and say which figure is your primary outcome.
Topic 25 / 44
Link to this entry
Cognitive function before and after a course of modified electroconvulsive therapy assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean change in Mini-Mental State Examination score from before the course to a stated interval after the final session
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 patients completing a course, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of score change
What your unit must already have
- an electroconvulsive therapy service with anaesthetic support and a documented stimulus protocol
- the examination in a documented local translation, administered by one rater
- a brief verbal memory test alongside, since the examination is a screen and not a measure of memory
- fixed assessment time points relative to the last session
What derails it
Assessment timing relative to the last session changes the result entirely, and in practice patients are assessed whenever they next attend, so fix the interval in hours or days, record the actual interval for each patient, and exclude those outside the window.
Topic 26 / 44
Link to this entry
Suicidal ideation and behaviour assessed by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale in patients presenting after deliberate self-harm
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of ideation and behaviour categories on the scale, with the proportion reporting a prior attempt
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 100–150 patients, subject to a proportion calculation
What your unit must already have
- a referral arrangement with the emergency and medicine wards for timely assessment
- training in administering the scale with a documented practice exercise
- a written safety and follow-up plan for every high-risk rating, agreed with the unit
What derails it
Self-harm carries legal and family complications in India and relatives frequently reframe the event as accidental, so agree with the ethics committee how consent and confidentiality are handled, and record how many refusals followed family pressure.
Topic 27 / 44
Link to this entry
Hopelessness in patients after deliberate self-harm compared with psychiatric outpatients without self-harm
DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Mean Beck Hopelessness Scale score compared between patients presenting after self-harm and psychiatric controls without a history of self-harm
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 per group, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of the scale
What your unit must already have
- the scale with documented permission and local translation
- a control route from the general psychiatry clinic with a stated screening question for past self-harm
- a safety protocol for high scorers in both groups
What derails it
Timing is the hidden confounder here, since cases are scored within days of the act and controls on a routine visit, so fix the interval from the act for cases and say explicitly that the groups differ in proximity to a crisis.
Topic 28 / 44
Link to this entry
Symptom severity and family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Correlation between the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score and the Family Accommodation Scale completed by the co-resident relative
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 60–100 patient-relative pairs, governed by the caseload your clinic actually sees
What your unit must already have
- training in administering the Yale-Brown scale with a documented reliability check
- a relative who lives with the patient available at the same visit
- both instruments in a documented local translation
What derails it
Obsessive-compulsive disorder presents late and the annual caseload in a general psychiatry unit is smaller than expected, so count the cases registered in your unit over two years before choosing this question.
Topic 29 / 44
Link to this entry
Change in obsessive-compulsive symptom severity over twelve weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion achieving the stated percentage reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score at twelve weeks
Collection time
18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 50–80 patients completing twelve weeks, subject to a calculation against the response proportion assumed
What your unit must already have
- a clinic initiating treatment in patients not already on an adequate trial
- one rater administering the scale at fixed visits
- a dose escalation schedule written into the protocol
What derails it
Dose escalation is what determines response and in routine practice it varies with whoever sees the patient, so specify the escalation schedule in the protocol and record the actual dose at each visit rather than assuming it followed the plan.
Topic 30 / 44
Link to this entry
Mania severity at admission and length of inpatient stay in bipolar affective disorder
DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Length of stay in days in relation to the Young Mania Rating Scale score recorded at admission
Collection time
3 to 5 months of record review
Sample, as a planning figure
about 80–150 admissions, depending on how routinely the scale is recorded in your unit
What your unit must already have
- case files in which the admission rating scale score is routinely documented
- admission and discharge dates with reasons for any administrative delay
- ethics committee waiver of consent for record review
What derails it
This study only works if your unit already scores the scale at admission, so pull twenty files and count how many carry a score before you write the synopsis; if the field is usually blank, make it a prospective study instead.
Topic 31 / 44
Link to this entry
Montreal Cognitive Assessment compared with the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening cognitive impairment in elderly outpatients
DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Sensitivity and specificity of each instrument at stated cut-offs against a clinical diagnosis made by a blinded psychiatrist
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 150–220 patients, driven by the expected sensitivity and the proportion impaired in the clinic population
What your unit must already have
- validated local-language versions of both instruments with permission
- a psychiatrist making the reference diagnosis without seeing the test scores
- an education level record, since both instruments are education sensitive
What derails it
Both instruments penalise patients with little or no formal schooling, which is a large share of elderly attenders, so record years of education for everyone and plan the analysis stratified by literacy rather than reporting one cut-off for all.
Topic 32 / 44
Link to this entry
Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia and their relation to caregiver burden
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Neuropsychiatric Inventory total score and its correlation with the Zarit Burden Interview score
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 70–110 patient-caregiver pairs, governed by your dementia caseload
What your unit must already have
- a memory clinic or geriatric psychiatry service with a steady flow
- the inventory administered to a caregiver who lives with the patient
- a documented local translation of both instruments
What derails it
The inventory depends on a caregiver who has observed the patient daily for the past month, and in joint families several people answer at once with different accounts, so nominate one respondent, record who it was, and keep the others out of the room.
Topic 33 / 44
Link to this entry
Delirium in medical intensive care patients screened with the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion screening positive for delirium on at least one assessment during the ICU stay, with the number of delirium days
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–180 admissions, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- intensive care cooperation for twice-daily assessments at fixed times
- training in the assessment method with a documented reliability exercise
- a sedation scale recorded alongside, since deeply sedated patients cannot be assessed
What derails it
A patient who is deeply sedated is unassessable rather than negative, and treating those assessments as negative hides most of the delirium, so record the sedation level at every attempt and define how unassessable observations are handled.
Topic 34 / 44
Link to this entry
Depressive symptoms in elderly residents of old age homes compared with community-dwelling elderly
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion above the stated Geriatric Depression Scale cut-off in each setting
Collection time
10 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 120–180 per group, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- written permission from the old age homes and from community field area authorities
- the fifteen-item scale in a documented local translation
- a cognitive screen to exclude those who cannot complete the scale reliably
What derails it
Old age home managements grant access selectively and may steer you towards the residents who seem well, so agree a sampling frame from the resident register in advance and record refusals, or the comparison will be shaped by the management.
Topic 35 / 44
Link to this entry
Screening for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with the Vanderbilt rating scales in children attending a paediatric clinic with academic difficulty
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion screening positive on the parent and teacher Vanderbilt rating scales, with the proportion confirmed on clinical assessment
Collection time
12 to 15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 150–250 children, subject to a proportion calculation
What your unit must already have
- paediatric department cooperation for referral of children with academic complaints
- the parent and teacher forms of the rating scale in a documented local translation
- a teacher-completed form returned from school, which requires a collection route
What derails it
The teacher form is the part that never comes back, and without it the diagnosis cannot be made across settings, so build a collection method with the school, allow a second attempt, and report how many children lacked a teacher rating.
Topic 36 / 44
Link to this entry
Severity of autism spectrum disorder on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and age at first presentation
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of Childhood Autism Rating Scale severity categories, in relation to age at first presentation to any health professional
Collection time
15 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 60–100 children, governed by the flow to your child psychiatry or developmental clinic
What your unit must already have
- the rating scale in the version the department is trained and licensed to use, scored by one rater throughout
- a structured developmental history with an informant who was present in infancy
- a certification or therapy pathway so families gain something from attending
What derails it
Age at first presentation is reconstructed from family memory and families count from the first time a doctor took the concern seriously rather than the first visit, so ask for both dates separately and record which one you used.
Topic 37 / 44
Link to this entry
Adaptive functioning and intellectual assessment in children referred for disability certification
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Distribution of social age on the Vineland Social Maturity Scale alongside the intelligence quotient category on the Binet-Kamat Test or the equivalent test the department is licensed to use
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 100–150 children, governed by your certification clinic volume
What your unit must already have
- a psychologist or trained rater to administer the tests with the correct kits
- the department's existing certification workflow as the recruitment route
- parental consent addressing the use of certification data for research
What derails it
Families attend for a certificate that carries financial benefit, which gives a clear incentive for the child to perform poorly, so note who accompanied the child, whether the tests were completed in one sitting, and how consistency was judged.
Topic 38 / 44
Link to this entry
Post-traumatic stress symptoms after a road traffic accident assessed with the PCL-5
DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion above the stated PCL-5 cut-off at one month and at three months after the accident
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- orthopaedic or surgical ward cooperation for recruitment during admission
- the instrument in a documented local translation
- a follow-up route at one and three months with telephone administration validated beforehand
What derails it
Accident victims are often in the middle of a police case and a compensation claim, which shapes how symptoms are reported in either direction, so record the litigation status at each assessment and state that you cannot separate its effect.
Topic 39 / 44
Link to this entry
Somatic symptom burden assessed by the PHQ-15 in patients referred with medically unexplained symptoms
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean PHQ-15 score with the proportion in each severity band, and the number of prior specialist consultations recorded
Collection time
10 to 12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
around 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- a referral arrangement with medicine, gastroenterology and other departments
- the instrument in a documented local translation
- a written rule for what counts as medically unexplained after investigation
What derails it
What counts as unexplained depends on how far the referring department investigated, which varies widely, so write a minimum investigation set into the inclusion criteria and record which patients were included on a thinner workup.
Topic 40 / 44
Link to this entry
Quality of life in patients with schizophrenia assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Mean domain scores on the WHOQOL-BREF, in relation to symptom severity and duration of illness
Collection time
10 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 120–180 patients, subject to a calculation using the standard deviation of the domain scores
What your unit must already have
- the instrument in the validated local-language version
- patients stable enough to complete a self-report measure
- symptom severity rated at the same visit by a trained rater
What derails it
Patients with prominent negative symptoms answer every quality of life item in the middle category, producing flat scores, so record negative symptom severity and state how you handled responses that showed no variation.
Topic 41 / 44
Link to this entry
Psychiatric morbidity among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy assessed by the GHQ-12
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
Primary outcome
Proportion above the stated GHQ-12 threshold, in relation to the child's functional level and the caregiver's hours of care
Collection time
10 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 120–180 caregivers, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- access to the paediatric neurology or physiotherapy list where these families attend
- the instrument in a documented local translation
- the child's functional classification recorded from the clinical record
What derails it
Mothers are almost always the respondent and fathers rarely attend, so the study describes maternal morbidity whatever the title says; state that plainly and record the respondent's relationship and hours of daily care.
Topic 42 / 44
Link to this entry
Supervised yoga as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in generalised anxiety disorder
DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
Primary outcome
Mean change in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale score at eight weeks compared between the adjunct and pharmacotherapy-alone arms
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 35–60 per arm, subject to a proper calculation using the standard deviation of score change
What your unit must already have
- a trained yoga instructor available on a fixed timetable for the whole study
- ethics approval and Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment
- a rater blinded to allocation for all anxiety ratings
What derails it
The intervention cannot be blinded and attendance at supervised sessions collapses after a few weeks, so restrict enrolment by travel time, record sessions attended, and define in advance the minimum attendance that counts as treated.
Topic 43 / 44
Link to this entry
Sexual dysfunction among patients on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors assessed by the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale
DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion above the stated scale threshold for dysfunction, by drug and duration of treatment
Collection time
12 months
Sample, as a planning figure
about 120–180 patients, subject to a prevalence calculation
What your unit must already have
- the scale in a documented local translation with permission
- a private interview space and a same-gender interviewer where the patient prefers it
- a drug history with dose and duration from the case file
What derails it
Patients will not answer these items with a relative in the room or an interviewer of the other gender, so plan the interview arrangements explicitly, offer the option, and record how many declined, because a quiet refusal looks like a normal score.
Topic 44 / 44
Link to this entry
Attitude to medication and attendance at follow-up over six months in patients with a psychotic illness
DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
Primary outcome
Proportion attending at least the stated number of scheduled follow-up visits over six months, by baseline Drug Attitude Inventory-10 category
Collection time
15 to 18 months
Sample, as a planning figure
roughly 100–150 patients after allowing for attrition, subject to a calculation against the attendance proportion assumed
What your unit must already have
- an outpatient register that records every scheduled and attended visit
- the inventory in a documented local translation
- a telephone tracing method for patients who stop attending
What derails it
Patients who stop attending are the outcome, not a loss to follow-up, so you must trace them by telephone to distinguish those who shifted to another clinic from those who stopped treatment, and record that distinction in the protocol.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Psychiatry register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

Cross-sectional
28 topics
One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.
Prospective observational
7 topics
Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.
Retrospective
2 topics
Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.
Comparative interventional
2 topics
Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.
Randomised controlled
1 topic
Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.
Diagnostic accuracy
1 topic
An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.
Case-control
1 topic
Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.
Cohort
2 topics
A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable^[2].

Straightforward
14 topics
Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.
Moderate
29 topics
Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.
Demanding
1 topic
Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

Do the arithmetic
The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.
Take it to your guide
Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis^[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins^[1].
Run the search yourself
We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Psychiatry page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

Row-level security
Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.
View-only streaming
Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.
Watermarked to you
Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.
Download gated
The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.
Mumbai region · DPDP 2023
Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.
Anonymised data only
We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

NMC PGMER-2023
The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.
NBEMS
DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.
UGC 2018 · <10%
The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.
ICMJE · Vancouver
Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.
No affiliation
We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

Sole author
Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.
Not ghostwriting
We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.
MDSoftune
Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.
Every version
Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

MDThesis is an independent academic mentorship practice. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for the NMC, NBEMS, UGC or any university.

Free feasibility call

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

A senior doctor replies within one working day. No obligation. MD, MS, DNB, DrNB, DM, MCh, MDS and international programmes.

Request for a feasibility call

No obligation

Reply within one working day · No obligation · Your details are not shared

Prefer to write to us first? Contact the practice. We mentor and edit; you remain the sole author of your thesis.

References

[1]
Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, National Medical Commission. In force 1 January 2024. Thesis requirements at Regulation 5.2. nmc.org.in
[2]
DNB and DrNB thesis guidelines, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. Protocol within 180 days of joining for three-year courses and 90 days for the two-year post-diploma DNB; research study complete by 24 months; thesis by 26 months; 80-page limit inclusive of certificates and annexures. natboard.edu.in
[5]
National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants, 2017, Indian Council of Medical Research. Ethics approval precedes data collection. icmr.gov.in
[6]
Counts of specialties, tracked stages, supported currencies and supported countries are structural facts of this platform, read from its own configuration rather than from a claim.

Document: Topic bank — Psychiatry · Revision 1 · Last reviewed 10 SEPT 2026

Issued by MDThesis, a brand of REDENN Informatics Private Limited

Psychiatry thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for eachPsychiatry thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

Caregiver burden in schizophrenia assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview and its relation to symptom severity

Caregiver burden in bipolar affective disorder compared with schizophrenia

Depressive symptoms in patients on maintenance haemodialysis assessed by the PHQ-9

Anxiety and depressive symptoms after myocardial infarction assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

Depressive symptoms and glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Depressive symptoms at three months after acute stroke assessed by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

Screening for postnatal depressive symptoms with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale before discharge from the postnatal ward

Sleep quality in patients with depressive disorder assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Insomnia severity and daytime functioning in patients with generalised anxiety disorder

Alcohol use disorder identified by the AUDIT among medical inpatients

CIWA-Ar guided compared with fixed-dose benzodiazepine treatment in alcohol withdrawal

Retention in treatment at twelve weeks among patients initiated on buprenorphine-naloxone for opioid dependence

Brief intervention for tobacco dependence in a psychiatry outpatient setting

Substance use assessed by the ASSIST in patients presenting with a first episode of psychosis

Internet addiction by Young's Internet Addiction Test and sleep quality among medical undergraduates

Smartphone addiction and perceived stress among nursing students

Burnout among resident doctors assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory

Internalised stigma and medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia

Insight assessed by the Schedule for Assessment of Insight and treatment adherence in bipolar affective disorder

Duration of untreated psychosis and symptom severity at first psychiatric contact

Antipsychotic side effects assessed by the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale and abnormal involuntary movements in long-term patients

Metabolic syndrome in patients on second-generation antipsychotics

Akathisia during the first six weeks of antipsychotic initiation assessed by the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale

Adherence to haematological and metabolic monitoring among patients on clozapine: a record audit

Cognitive function before and after a course of modified electroconvulsive therapy assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination

Suicidal ideation and behaviour assessed by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale in patients presenting after deliberate self-harm

Hopelessness in patients after deliberate self-harm compared with psychiatric outpatients without self-harm

Symptom severity and family accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Change in obsessive-compulsive symptom severity over twelve weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment

Mania severity at admission and length of inpatient stay in bipolar affective disorder

Montreal Cognitive Assessment compared with the Mini-Mental State Examination for screening cognitive impairment in elderly outpatients

Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia and their relation to caregiver burden

Delirium in medical intensive care patients screened with the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU

Depressive symptoms in elderly residents of old age homes compared with community-dwelling elderly

Screening for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with the Vanderbilt rating scales in children attending a paediatric clinic with academic difficulty

Severity of autism spectrum disorder on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and age at first presentation

Adaptive functioning and intellectual assessment in children referred for disability certification

Post-traumatic stress symptoms after a road traffic accident assessed with the PCL-5

Somatic symptom burden assessed by the PHQ-15 in patients referred with medically unexplained symptoms

Quality of life in patients with schizophrenia assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF

Psychiatric morbidity among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy assessed by the GHQ-12

Supervised yoga as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in generalised anxiety disorder

Sexual dysfunction among patients on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors assessed by the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale

Attitude to medication and attendance at follow-up over six months in patients with a psychotic illness

What the feasibility mark means

Tell us where your thesis stands. A senior doctor will tell you what to do next.

Psychiatry thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each