Psychiatry MD Thesis Topics (2026)

Schizophrenia & Psychosis

1. Cognitive deficits in first-episode psychosis vs. chronic schizophrenia: a comparative neuropsychological profile
2. Metabolic syndrome prevalence and its correlates in patients on long-term antipsychotics
3. Insight and medication adherence in schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study
4. Quality of life in schizophrenia and its relationship to caregiver burden
5. Vitamin D deficiency and symptom severity in schizophrenia
6. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and functional outcomes at 6 months

Mood Disorders

1. Prevalence and predictors of treatment-resistant depression in a tertiary psychiatric unit
2. Thyroid dysfunction as a comorbidity in bipolar disorder: screening and clinical correlates
3. Cognitive impairment in euthymic bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls
4. Suicide risk stratification tools (C-SSRS vs. Columbia Scale) in depressed inpatients: a comparative validity study
5. Sleep disturbances in major depressive disorder: polysomnographic correlates vs. subjective reports
6. Inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) and response to antidepressants

Anxiety & OCD Spectrum

1. Prevalence of anxiety disorders in patients with irritable bowel syndrome attending gastroenterology OPD
2. Quality of life and disability in OCD: impact of Y-BOCS severity
3. Hoarding disorder: clinical profile and its differentiation from OCD in a tertiary care setting
4. Body dysmorphic disorder in dermatology clinic attendees: prevalence and psychiatric correlates

Substance Use & Addiction

1. Psychiatric comorbidities in patients admitted for alcohol dependence: a cross-sectional study
2. Cognitive impairment in chronic cannabis users vs. non-users among young adults
3. Relapse predictors in opioid dependence on buprenorphine maintenance therapy
4. Social media addiction and its association with depression and anxiety in college students
5. Nicotine dependence and its relationship with severity of schizophrenia symptoms

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

1. ADHD and academic performance: a case-control study in school-going children
2. Prevalence of depression and anxiety among adolescents post-COVID-19 pandemic
3. Screen time, sleep quality, and behavioral problems in children aged 6-12
4. Autism spectrum disorder: age at diagnosis and barriers to early intervention

Consultation-Liaison / Somatic Comorbidities

1. Prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with type 2 diabetes in a medicine OPD
2. Psychiatric morbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis
3. Delirium recognition and management practices in ICU: a prospective audit
4. Post-stroke depression: prevalence, predictors, and functional outcomes
5. Psychological distress in caregivers of patients with terminal cancer

Geriatric Psychiatry

1. Mild cognitive impairment: conversion rates to dementia over 12 months and associated risk factors
2. Depression in the elderly: under-recognition and under-treatment in a primary care setting
3. Polypharmacy and its psychiatric consequences in patients above 60 years

Neuropsychiatry / Biological Psychiatry

1. EEG abnormalities in first-episode psychiatric disorders: prevalence and clinical significance
2. Serum BDNF levels in drug-naive depression vs. controls and after antidepressant treatment
3. Neuropsychological profile in patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis presenting as psychiatric illness

Psychotherapy & Rehabilitation

1. Effectiveness of structured psychoeducation on medication adherence and relapse prevention in schizophrenia
2. Brief CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) in patients with comorbid depression: a randomized pilot study
3. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in healthcare workers with burnout: a controlled trial
4. Social skills training and its effect on functional outcomes in schizophrenia

Forensic & Social Psychiatry

1. Sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients brought under Section 302 (CRPC/BNSS) for mental state evaluation
2. Mental health literacy in a rural population and its determinants
3. Stigma toward mental illness among medical students across clinical years

COVID-19 / Pandemic Psychiatry

1. Long-COVID neuropsychiatric sequelae: prevalence of depression, anxiety, and cognitive complaints at 12 months
2. Burnout, depression, and PTSD in frontline healthcare workers post-COVID-19 pandemic

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